Gordon “Butch” Stewart has praised Jamaica’s tourism employees for their “extraordinary resilience” in facing the COVID-19 pandemic, and wished them an even better future, as the industry slowly begins to reopen.
Stewart, the Sandals Resorts International founder and chairman, was in a reflective mood as he himself hit the marketing trail, saying “we’re back at work”, after almost four months of lockdown, with revenues obliterated.
“We know what everybody has been through in these past months, in which all hotels and attractions have been closed. Many of us were at a standard of living achieved over many years and suddenly found ourselves having to do without,” the Caribbean’s leading hotelier said.
He reserved the highest praise for his Sandals staff and management, describing them as “the best in this hemisphere” and noting they are the reason the hotel chain had won the prestigious World Travel Industry award for “World’s Best” for 24 consecutive years.
Stewart, who is also chairman of the Jamaica Observer, said he hoped never to see anything like the COVID-19 pandemic again, or the unprecedented havoc and displacement it visited upon every human being, organisation and government.
“In the tourism industry it has really caused huge problems for families, children, by reducing incomes when the hotels had to close. I am thankful that because of our strength, Sandals was able to withstand the shock more than others. But we are all in the same boat,” he said.
Sandals was the only resort chain in the Caribbean which paid its staff 40 per cent of their salaries, and their health insurance, opting not to do massive layoffs, despite the total loss of income and the cost to maintain hotels in readiness for reopening.
As reopening begins, he reminded his staff that they would have to be careful about the coronavirus, so as not to lose the gains or the sacrifices they had made to keep safe. He said reopening would be slow at first and more costly than being closed, because all COVID-19 protocols had to be observed, with lower guest counts.
“But now we have to build back our homes, our family life, our economic structure. I wish everybody the very best as the different islands reopen gradually and everyone can get back to work and their routine, which is one of the most important things in life,” he said.
“We at Sandals have been just one beautiful team. We have to continue to look out for each other and be determined to make the most of the opportunities which are emerging as we go forward.”
He credited the operations and marketing team led by his son, Deputy Chairman Adam Stewart, for getting the hotels ready for resumption, saying “everybody is back in full force”.
“I am looking forward to seeing everyone. We will hold hands again to build back our business and our livelihood as we have always done,” said Stewart.
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