Caribbean News
Sandals Resorts International Makes Exploratory Visit to Dominican Republic
#DominicanRepublic, March 12, 2022 – Led by Executive Chairman Adam Stewart and CEO Gebhard Rainer, members of the Sandals Resorts International (SRI) Executive Committee toured the Dominican Republic, meeting with government officials including being received by His Excellency Mr. Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona, President of the Dominican Republic.
The exploratory visit was at the personal invitation of Her Excellency Angie Shakira Martínez Tejera, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic in Jamaica, who, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Dominican Republic and in partnership with Executive Director of ProDominicana, Mrs. Biviana Riveiro, were instrumental in coordinating and designing the agenda to showcase the different destinations and to discover tourism investment opportunities.
During the two-day visit, the SRI team visited various areas of the island including Punta Cana, Miches and Las Terrenas, among others. Although Stewart and other SRI executives had been to the Dominican Republic previously, this marked the first official visit by the Jamaica-based luxury all-inclusive resort company to the destination.
“We thoroughly enjoyed our brief but fruitful time in the Dominican Republic and wish to thank our hosts, especially
President Abinader. When leadership at the highest levels makes time to discuss the power of tourism and investment opportunities that expand its reach, we know we’ve found a like-minded partner,” said Stewart.
According to Ambassador Martínez, plans for the visit had been underway for some time, and were of great importance to the Dominican Republic. “Like Jamaica, where Sandals hails from, the Dominican Republic is a revered Caribbean tourism destination and the [tourism] industry is critically important to our economy. It is a dream of ours to have the very prestigious Sandals brand present here. We are honored by the visit and excited by the possibility of our island nation becoming the first Spanish Caribbean territory to welcome the Sandals organization,” said Ambassador Martínez.
Sandals Resorts International is in the midst of a multi-year expansion and innovation plan aimed at strengthening tourism’s return to the Caribbean region. Earlier this year, SRI reopened Sandals Royal Bahamian in Nassau, Bahamas, and will soon unveil its first property in Curaçao on June 1st. Three new resorts are planned for Jamaica, and, in 2023, SRI will unveil a new resort under their Beaches Resorts brand in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Announced late last year, SRI’s investment of nearly US $200 million will result in 3,000 Caribbean-based jobs, reaffirming the company’s role as a leader and driver of tourism and economic growth across the region, and aligning with plans to double the size of the SRI portfolio in the next decade.
During their visit to the Dominican Republic, the delegation also greeted the Dominican Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Roberto Álvarez, and had an informative meeting with the Director General of the Public-Private Partnership of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Sigmund Freund.
“This was an excellent visit at a time when we are pursuing expansion goals aggressively. We look forward to the possibility of what’s to come,” said Stewart.
About Sandals Resorts International
Founded in 1981 by the late Jamaican entrepreneur Gordon “Butch” Stewart, Sandals Resorts International (SRI) is the parent company of some of travel’s most recognizable vacation brands. The company operates 24 properties throughout the Caribbean under four separate brands including: Sandals® Resorts, the Luxury Included® brand for adult couples with locations in Jamaica, Antigua, the Bahamas, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia and a resort opening in Curaçao; Beaches® Resorts, the Luxury Included® concept designed for everyone but especially families, with properties in Turks & Caicos and Jamaica, and another opening in St. Vincent and the Grenadines; private island Fowl Cay Resort; and the private homes of Your Jamaican Villas. The company’s importance in the Caribbean basin, where tourism is the number one earner of foreign capital, cannot be underestimated. Family-owned and operated, Sandals Resorts International is the largest private employer in the region.
Press Release: Sandals Resorts International
MORANT BAY, Jamaica, October 6, 2024 – Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, says that a long-term approach to dealing with coffee farm roads must be taken, to propel the nation’s coffee farmers by granting easier access to their farms.
“What I have said to the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) team [is that] we have to take the coffee road programme out of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) farm road programme, because the small fixes, they help, but we
need some big fixes,” said Mr. Green, at the handover of fertilisers and herbicides to coffee farmers in the Buff Bay Valley area of Portland, recently.
He explained that for the short-term approach using resources already available, at least six roads in the coffee belt will be dealt with every year. In this financial year, this will include roads such as Wakefield to Mahoe and Bangor Ridge to Mahoe in Portland, as well as others in St. Thomas and parts of St. Andrew.
Mr. Green pointed out that he has asked JACRA to work with the National Works Agency and do a comprehensive assessment of how much money it is going to cost to fix the coffee roads once and for all.
“Because one of the things that we know, if we are able to fix access to the farms, you will produce more. And if you produce more, the country will make more money from coffee. So, the reality is that the investment in coffee will pay back for itself. So, we have to fix the infrastructure,” the Minister emphasised.
CONTACT: MICKELLA ANDERSON-GORDON
JIS REGIONAL OFFICE
MORANT BAY
Caribbean News
Turks and Caicos Islands Ranked in Top Ten Caribbean Islands in Condé Nast Traveler’s Reader’s Choice Awards
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS (October 3rd, 2024) –The Turks and Caicos Islands has been voted among the Top Ten Islands in the Caribbean and The Atlantic in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2024.
The Turks and Caicos Islands was ranked seventh in the Caribbean according to the votes.
The results of the voting were announced on October 1st, 2024.
A staggering 575,048 people voted in the annual Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards, rating their travel experiences across the globe to offer a comprehensive look at the places they enjoyed and recommend to others.
The Readers’ Choice Awards, with its unparalleled legacy as the travel industry’s longest-running and most prestigious accolades, remain the ultimate symbol and acknowledgment of excellence within the travel sector.
“We are honoured once again to be recognised as a top island within Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards,” said Hon. Josephine
Connolly, Minister of Tourism for the Turks and Caicos Islands. “The Turks and Caicos Islands remain a staple on this prestigious list which speaks to the quality experiences our visitors enjoy. These votes are determined by them which makes it all the more special.”
Experience Turks and Caicos congratulates our hotel partners who have also been voted among the Top Resorts in the Bahamas, Bermuda and The Atlantic:
- Sailrock – #2
- Beach Enclave – #3
- Amanyara – #3
- Ambergris Cay – #9
- Seven Stars Resort – #10
- Wymara Resort and Villas – #11
- Como Parrot Cay – #14
This honour is the latest among the accolades that the Turks and Caicos Islands has received in 2024 such as:
- TripAdvisor Best of the Best Reader’s Choice Awards: Grace Bay, #1 Beach in the Caribbean and Best of the Best for 2024, # 5 among the Top 25 Best of the Best Beaches in the world.
- USA Today 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards – Best Caribbean Beaches: #2 Bambarra Beach, #9 Grace Bay Beach
- World’s 50 Best Beaches: Grace Bay #1 in the Caribbean, #25 in the world
- World Travel Awards: Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination, Caribbean’s Leading Romance Destination
- World MICE Awards: Caribbean’s Best Incentive Destination (Providenciales)
The 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards are published on Condé Nast Traveler’s website at https://www.cntraveler.com/story/top-islands-readers-choice-awards-2020
Caribbean News
Sandals Foundation and interCaribbean Airways Join Forces for International Coastal Cleanup Day
MEDIA RELEASE
TURKS AND CAICOS – In a significant effort to protect coastal ecosystems, the Sandals Foundation and interCaribbean Airways are teaming up for International Coastal Cleanup Day to host a major beach cleanup in Turks and Caicos. This collaborative initiative will bring together a total of 100 volunteers—50 from each organization and other resorts —working side by side to remove trash and debris from Grace Bay Beach, one of the island’s most iconic shorelines, helping to safeguard its pristine beauty and marine life.
On September 21st, volunteers will converge on Grace Bay Beach, to collect, record, and properly dispose of solid waste along the coast –
helping to protect the vital habitat for marine life in the surrounding area.
“Turks and Caicos boasts some of the most breathtaking beaches in the world, but the real difference comes from fostering a deeper connection with these environments,” said Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation. “It’s not just about cleaning up today—it’s about educating communities, schools, and visitors on reducing waste and understanding their role in preserving these precious ecosystems for the future. We are excited to partner with interCaribbean Airways to promote environmental stewardship and long-term protection of our coastal areas.”
Trevor Sadler, CEO, at interCaribbean Airways, echoed the sentiment: “As environmental stewards, our commitment must go beyond surface-level efforts. By working alongside the Sandals Foundation, we’re engaging the community in meaningful ways that inspire action and awareness. Together, we’re helping to safeguard the delicate ecosystems that make the Turks and Caicos such a unique and beautiful destination, ensuring its preservation for future generations.”
Across the Caribbean, the Sandals Foundation has mobilized team members in all nine islands in which it operates implementing coastal cleanup activities in Jamaica, St. Lucia, Barbados, The Bahamas, Grenada, Curacao, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Antigua and Barbuda.
PHOTO CAPTIONS
Header: Over 400 Sandals Foundation volunteers across Jamaica, Grenada, Curaçao, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, Barbados, Antigua, and Saint Lucia cleared more than 600 pounds of garbage from the region’s coasts during last year’s International Coastal Cleanup Day.
Insert: A look back at last year’s efforts, where Sandals Foundation ambassadors united to clean up shores and protect marine life.
-
News19 hours agoMINISTER OF TOURISM LEADS TURKS AND CAICOS DELEGATION TO PRODUCTIVE SOTIC 2024
-
Bahamas News1 week agoHuman Trafficking Keeps Growing Despite Global Efforts to Combat It
-
Health3 days agoMinistry of Health and Human Services marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2024 – under the theme: No-one Should Face Breast Cancer Alone
-
Caribbean News6 days agoFebruary 2026 being eyed for General Elections in Haiti
-
Caribbean News6 days agoThe United Nations (UN)Security Council has extended the mandate of the Multinational police mission to Haiti
-
News3 days agoCommissioner Martin on Leave and adds Jamaican ‘gang buster’ to Police Team
-
News3 days agoOfficers Recover Firearm; Two Arrested
-
News6 days agoComing soon: Director General of TCI Border Force with $19 Million Budget and 180 Staff