TOURISM FOCUS
INVESTING IN “THE CARIBBEAN” IS GOOD BUSINESS Says Gordon”Butch” Stewart
Hon. Gordon “Butch” Stewart, OJ, CD, Hon. LLD,
have included Sir Richard Branson and Royal Caribbean Cruises International.
The Caribbean region remains a great business investment and still offers “the single best holiday product in the world.”
Stewart, former CEO of Air Jamaica and President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, calls it “an honor to be considered a leader among those serving and succeeding in the Caribbean.”
So insists Chairman of Sandals Resorts International, Hon. Gordon “Butch” Stewart, OJ, CD, Hon. LLD, the man who built a tourism empire in the Caribbean from the groundup and today remains active in investments across the region. The Jamaican-born Stewart’s pearls of wisdom to global investors come as he gears up to receive the 2014 Invest Caribbean Now Leadership Award this June 4, 2014 at the Harvard Club in New York City. Invest Caribbean Now, the biggest global summit on the Caribbean outside the region, is honoring Stewart this year for his investment, commitment and dedication to the Caribbean “and for inspiring us all.” Past ICN honorees 78 | BusinessFocus • July/September 2014 78 | BusinessFocus • July/September 2014
“My work here, the companies I have built, the jobs we have created and the people we have served are the best example of what is possible in the Caribbean and why we must continue to invest here at home,” he added. “Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart is a name that has become synonymous with Caribbean tourism globally,” said ICN Founder and Chairman Felicia J. Persaud. “Mr. Stewart is an inspiration to all Caribbean entrepreneurs. He embodies the core value of what can be accomplished through vision, leadership and hard work. There is no one more deserving to receive the prestigious ICN Leadership Award in 2014 and we are honored he will be joining us to accept this award.”
Chairman of SANDALS RESORTS INTERNATIONAL
Meanwhile, Stewart warns Caribbean governments to consider the lasting effects of the investment they accept on their resources and their constituencies, especially as he puts it, “it’s not simply about land development or acquisition but about investing in people, giving them the resources and opportunity to contribute in real, meaningful ways.” “Human capital will always return the greatest reward and is where thoughtful leaders spend their time and their resources,” said the former President of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica and the country’s one time director of tourism. “As a private investor in the region, our footprint is something we think about every day and we are making conscientious decisions to be good, effective corporate citizens. The fact is job creation leads to immense opportunity in education and no other sector is capable of distributing wealth as rapidly and efficiently as the tourism dollar.”