Caribbean News

BTC Receives PADI Award for 25 Years of Membership

Published

3 years ago

December 16, 2022

#TurksandCaicos, December 16, 2022 – The watersports department at Beaches Turks and Caicos (BTC) was recently recognised by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) for its stellar performance in providing mentorship and diver training with over 25 years of membership in the association. The BTC team in celebrating this momentous anniversary, simultaneously certified three Open Water Scuba Instructors (OWSI) to bring the cadre of resort instructors to 14.

BTC’s watersports department is provides diving enthusiasts with two scheduled dive trips per day and has increased the capacity of those exploring the open waters to almost 50 guests per day.

Elvis Grant, dive shop manager was a happy leader as he shared the benefits of being recognised by PADI and the increase in the cadre of open water scuba instructors. Said Grant, “As a team, being able to provide diving opportunities for almost 50 guests each day will greatly enhance our scuba experiences. Many of our guests return for the fantastic diving expeditions available in the Turks & Caicos and for the open water scuba instructors to not only teach those exploring for the first time but also to work with more advanced divers, is part of our commitment to provide memorable vacation experiences.”

With the increase in the number of instructors, BTC which is currently an Instructor Development Centre (IDC) has been able to provide one course per year. Additionally, BTC is able to certify divers, by taking them from the beginners’ level to becoming an advanced scuba diver.

Grant who has more than 28 of years diving experience with Sandals and Beaches resorts sees a bright path for the newly minted instructors. “We are on the cusp of achieving what no other resort has been able to achieve in Turks and Caicos and the Northern Caribbean. Sandals and Beaches resorts have certified more people than any other single operation in the world. With us looking at becoming a Career Development Centre, we expect to be able to create an academy that will undoubtedly allow us to become the resort of choice for guests who have scuba activities as a preference,” Grant added.

General Manager, James McAnally while congratulating the Watersports team shared, “this PADI Instructor Development Centre accreditation for 25 consistent years, makes us the only resort with such an accomplishment in the entire TCI and the Northern Caribbean. This is due to the hard work and commitment of the team. Commendations are in order for them in helping to maintain and establish BTC as the premier resort for guests who have an interest in scuba and other watersport-related activities. These men and women continue to give each guest more than what he or she expects.”

The three newest members to become instructors; Arvin Frayna, Elisee Exumat, and Ruben Manzano all shared their commendations on the work of their colleague and mentor Leonard ‘Johnny’ Suckrajh, dive instructor at BTC, for helping them to be the professionals that they have become. Manzano said, “In October, we were able to certify almost 120 scuba divers. With the passion of each member of the team, we are able to commit to providing e a safe space for learning and becoming certified with PADI here at BTC.”

“Our passion for growth in scuba goes beyond personal development at this level of being an instructor. We value our role as instructors, as we guide guests to experience advanced certifications and achieve new rankings while on vacation at the resort. As we grew in the industry, Johnny was the first person to guide all three of us to the experiences of scuba diving. As a resort, we live and grow as a team and with the training and development programme available, the opportunities to grow and experience our full potential is always within our reach,” Manzano added.

Michael Clarke, Sandals’ Corporate Director, Watersports and PADI Director shared, “The Sandals and Beaches brand offers so many possibilities from a watersports perspective and diving is just one of them. Our group has over 25 of the best, state-of-the-art dive boats in operation across the region and they are customized specifically for diving and making the entire process of moving equipment and accessibility easy for our guests. We also have 157 highly experienced diving instructors and, overall, almost 700 staff in watersports. Our guests keep coming back because of the service delivery backed by highly-trained staff, a high safety record, and top-tier equipment that we service. We are amassing over 89,000 dives yearly with over 27,000 persons and it shows that people really enjoy this. It speaks to the fact that we’re doing many things right.”

Caribbean News

Jamaica Records US$2.4B in Earnings from 2.3 Million Visitor Arrivals Since Start of 2025

Published

22 hours ago

July 11, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

Kingston, Jamaica, July 11, 2025 – Jamaica has welcomed approximately 2.3 million visitors since the start of 2025, generating US$2.4 billion in earnings.

This was disclosed by Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, who further reported that the industry grew by two per cent in the first quarter of the year, contributing to a one per cent increase in Jamaica’s overall economic performance during the period.

“After Hurricane Beryl and all the disruptions – travel advisories, political and geopolitical issues – we are back on the growth path, and that’s going to continue,” Mr. Bartlett said, highlighting the sector’s resilience and renewed momentum despite challenges faced in 2024.

He was speaking during the opening ceremony for the 11^th ‘Christmas in July’ trade show at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Thursday (July 10).

Meanwhile, Mr. Bartlett anticipates a significant increase in tourism earnings for the current quarter, compared to the corresponding period last year, which is attributable to the sector’s strong rebound from the disruptions caused by Hurricane Beryl.

“I’m worried about how big the growth is going to look for this quarter because… you’re comparing a Beryl period to now, a normal period. But that’s how growth goes, because you’re measuring against another period. The good news is that you’re back to where you were in 2023,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bartlett encouraged the 180 exhibitors showcasing a wide range of Jamaican-made products to capitalise on the sector’s growth.

He noted that Jamaica’s nearly three million stopover arrivals have created a robust market demand that local entrepreneurs are urged to tap into.

“A new demand has been created for goods and services that must be supplied by you; and if it is not supplied by you, it is going to have to be imported. If it is imported, then we are going to have what we call leakage. That is to say, the [earnings] that [have] come from tourism will leave by the same plane that brings the visitors or the same ship that brings the cruise passenger. We want the money to stay here,” he added.

The two-day ‘Christmas in July’ trade show, which ended on Friday (July 11), provided an opportunity for local producers and creatives to showcase their work and products, while networking with potential consumers from the tourism sector, corporate Jamaica, and international organisations.

The event is an initiative of the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), in partnership with Government agencies and the private sector.

CONTACT: VANESSA JAMES

Photo Caption: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (centre), greets owner of ‘Daroza’, Rosalee Davis, during the 11^th staging of the ‘Christmas in July’ trade show at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Thursday (July 10). At right is Chief Technical Director in the Tourism Ministry, David Dobson.

Photo: Michael Sloley

Caribbean News

Guyana: Toll to be removed for three major bridges on August 1

Published

23 hours ago

July 11, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

Guyana, July 11, 2025 – On August 1, less than a month from now, the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), the Berbice River Bridge and the Wismar Bridge will be toll-free.

This fulfils a promise that President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali made on Sunday, March 23, while addressing a large gathering at Babu Jaan in Port Mourant, Corentyne, during the annual observance to celebrate the life of Dr Cheddi Jagan.

The removal of the tolls was meant to coincide with the commissioning of the new Demerara River Bridge. The bridge stands at a 90 percent completion rate and is scheduled to be opened by August 31.

The removal of the tolls is expected to bring financial relief to over 50,000 daily commuters, translating to an estimated $3.5 billion in annual savings for citizens, as highlighted in Budget 2025.

Currently, bridge tolls for the Demerara Harbour Bridge range from $40 for motorcycles to $700 for motor lorries, with cars and minibuses paying $200. The Berbice River Bridge toll for a motor car is $1900, and the Wismar Bridge in Linden charge a toll of $60 for cars.

“This initiative reflects our government’s dedication to making daily transportation more affordable, reducing travel time, while also facilitating greater economic activity and internal regional integration,” the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh, said during the presentation of the 2025 budget in the National Assembly earlier this year.

As the new Demerara River Bridge advances towards its completion date, it will serve as a key link between Regions Three and Four.

According to the Project Engineer with the Ministry of Public Works, Siddiq Khan, the new bridge will offer an improved capacity with 24-hour accessibility. The timely completion, along with the abolition of tolls, will be an important step in modernising Guyana’s transportation systems.

As August 31 nears, excitement grows about what the removal of bridge tolls will mean for Guyanese citizens. This change will quickly and significantly benefit households in Guyana, putting more disposable income in the pockets of citizens.

Caribbean News

Spreading gang violence poses major risk to Haiti and Caribbean sub-region, UN human rights report warns

Published

1 day ago

July 11, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

GENEVA/PORT-AU-PRINCE (11 July 2025) – Escalating gang violence outside Port-au-Prince has claimed over 1,000 lives and forced hundreds of thousands to flee since October 2024, threatening to destabilise not only Haiti but also other countries in the Caribbean, a UN human rights report warned today.

The report, by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the UN Human Rights Office, details the evolution of violent gang incidents since October 2024 up to June 2025. It also shows how violence increased sharply in recent months, especially in the Lower Artibonite and Centre departments, as gangs continue to extend their influence along key routes in the north and centre of the country, and towards the Dominican Republic.

“Human rights abuses outside Port-au-Prince are intensifying in areas of the country where the presence of the State is extremely limited. The international community must strengthen its support to the authorities, who bear the primary responsibility for protecting the Haitian population,” said Ulrika Richardson, ad interim Head of BINUH and UN Resident Coordinator.

Between 1 October 2024 and 30 June 2025, at least 1,018 people were killed, 213 others injured and 620 abducted in Artibonite and Centre, as well as in Ganthier and Fonds Parisien, west of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, the report says.

Over the same period, the total number of killings across Haiti was 4,864.*

The report notes that the mass killing in Pont Sondé (Lower Artibonite) in October 2024, which left over 100 people dead, marked a major turning point in the cycle of violence between gangs and the so-called ‘self-defence’ groups. Several other mass killings followed, causing mass displacement, including in the town of Mirebalais (Centre department) which earlier this year saw all its 100,000 residents flee.

The Haitian authorities have deployed specialised police units, supported by the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, to some extent slowing the gangs’ advances. Ultimately, however, given their lack of resources, they have been unable to reassert control over the affected areas.

Against this backdrop, human rights abuses by self-defence groups have increased. Summary executions involving Haitian security forces have also been committed against individuals accused of supporting gangs, the report says.

“Caught in the middle of this unending horror story are the Haitian people, who are at the mercy of horrific violence by gangs and exposed to human rights violations from the security forces and abuses by the so-called ‘self-defence’ groups,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

“The human rights violations and abuses that we have documented are further evidence of why Haiti and the international community urgently need to step up to end the violence,” he added.

The expansion of gang territorial control poses a major risk of spreading violence and increasing transnational trafficking in arms and people, the report says.

Among its recommendations, it calls on the Haitian authorities to ensure police have the necessary resources to tackle the gangs, in full respect of international human rights law. It calls for specialised judicial units to combat corruption and mass crimes, including sexual violence, to be established as soon as possible.

The report also calls on the international community to maintain BINUH’s full operational capacity so that the office can continue to advise and support the Haitian government in its efforts to strengthen good governance and ensure the respect for, and promotion of, human rights. The strengthening of MSS mission and the full implementation of the arms embargo will be equally essential to restore security and the rule of law in Haiti.