Caribbean News
SANDALS RESORTS AND BEACHES RESORTS CAP AN IMPRESSIVE NIGHT OF WINS AT THE 9TH ANNUAL TRAVVY AWARDS
~Sandals Resorts International Acclaimed as a Beacon in the All-Inclusive Space With Five Gold Accolades and a Sixth Prestigious Award Honoring Executive Chairman Adam Stewart as Executive of the Year~
Montego Bay, Jamaica, November 22, 2023 – It was a gold-studded event for Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts at the 9th Annual Travvy Awards Gala, as the Caribbean’s leading luxury all-inclusive company earned top honors across five coveted categories – emboldened by a sixth and special honor for Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), who was presented with the prestigious Executive of the Year Award.
Held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, The Travvy Awards, produced by TravelPulse and AGENTatHOME, recognize the top travel industry suppliers in categories such as destinations, hotels, cruise lines, airlines, tour operators and more, with Sandals Resorts International earning the top award in the following categories:
- Best Hotel Chain – Overall: Sandals Resorts (Gold)
- Best Hotel Chain – All-Inclusive: Sandals Resorts (Gold)
- Best All-Inclusive Adults/Couples Resort – Caribbean: Sandals Grande St. Lucian (Gold)
- Best All-Inclusive Resort – Honeymoons: Sandals Emerald Bay (Gold)
- Best All-Inclusive Family Resort – Caribbean: Beaches Turks & Caicos (Gold)
- Executive of the Year – Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman
Touting his unwavering commitment in advancing destinations throughout the Caribbean and his organisation’s unmatched support of the travel advisor community, Mary Pat Sullivan, EVP of Marketing and Partnerships for Northstar Travel Group, presented Stewart with the Executive of the Year Award.
“Adam is carrying on an incredible legacy, leading with integrity, professionalism, a commitment to the Caribbean – a place he loves dearly – to sustainability, to the travel advisor community and to the travel industry. He grew up in this business, and I think we should all be really grateful for the next generation that is making leadership happen for our industry,” said Sullivan. “It’s been a monumental year for Sandals and Beaches and we’re all sure more is on the horizon.”
At the helm during a pivotal moment in the brands’ evolution and enduring impact across the Caribbean, Stewart continues to champion all-new trends reimagining the all-inclusive experience with never-before-seen programmes like Island Inclusive dining – which invites guests to immerse themselves in local island flavours at off-site restaurants as part of their all-inclusive stay – as well as complimentary MINI Coopers for exploring the brands’ island homes. These programmes, together with cutting-edge suites, amenities and other Sandals ‘Firsts’, are a testament to Stewart’s commitment to guests as much as to Travel Advisors curating the most unique Caribbean experiences for their clients.
“We are a company profoundly committed to sharing our beautiful part of the planet with guests from around the world,” said Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts. “Tourism fuels the economies of the Caribbean and travel advisors are critical to the region’s success. In 2015, this team came to New York to celebrate another executive, my dad. That year, he took home the Travvy Award for ‘The Most Innovative All-Inclusive Resorts Executive.’ He was very proud of that award, a recognition of decades of pioneering work to enhance and improve a vacation concept that guests absolutely loved, and travel advisors absolutely loved to sell. So being awarded here tonight is very humbling for me and a complete full circle moment. And to my team, there is no accolade I receive that you are not part of. I thank you for your dedication and hard work that has allowed us to pursue and expand upon the dreams we know are possible for the people and the places we love.”
More About Adam Stewart
Beyond his duties as Executive Chairman, Stewart founded and serves as President of the Sandals Foundation, the 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization aimed at making a difference in the Caribbean communities where SRI properties operate. One hundred percent of the monies contributed by the public to the Sandals Foundation go directly to programs benefiting the Caribbean. He is an active member of the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association, where he recently served as 1st Vice President, and is chair of the country’s Tourism Linkages Council, which seeks to enhance the capacity and competitiveness of local suppliers, making the strength of tourism work for all. He serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and was most recently appointed as a special investment envoy for tourism by Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness to drive innovation, investment, and economic growth.
A fierce advocate of opportunity through education, Stewart has strengthened SRI’s signature Sandals Corporate University (SCU), the first programme of its kind to offer on-the-job skills training with certification and pathways for SRI employees to advance their education through partnerships with recognized universities, professional organizations, and local institutions. The SCU has earned praise from Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, calling Sandals Resorts a “pioneer in hospitality education.”
Captions:
Header: 2023 Travvy Awards: Sandals and Beaches Resorts secured top honors across five coveted categories at the 2023 Travvy Awards.
Insert: Adam Stewart: Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts, Adam Stewart.
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
Caribbean News
Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts celebrate a night of wins, and take home a total of 16 titles at the 32nd Annual World Travel Awards
-
Caribbean News7 days agoHaitian Pushback Halts Controversial Constitution Rewrite — What’s Next?
-
Bahamas News1 week agoPAY STANDOFF: Prime Minister Cancels Talks as Unions Warn of More Protests
-
TCI News1 week agoButch’s Island Chophouse Leads Beaches Turks & Caicos’ $150M Treasure Beach Expansion
-
TCI News1 week agoTurks and Caicos Islands Government Invites Proposals for Affordable Housing Development
-
world news1 week agoA Tapestry of Peace: Humanity, Not Politics, Ends the War in Gaza
-
TCI News1 week agoOvercrowding at Grand Turk Prison Now 30% Above Capacity, NSC Warns
-
TCI News1 week agoPolice Patrols to be Strengthened as Force Adds Ten New Assets
-
TCI News1 week agoMinister Praises Educators as “Architects of the Future” on World Teachers’ Day