The Caribbean remembers Stewart
Caribbean leaders, entrepreneurs, and the business community remembers the legacy of Jamaican hotelier Gordon “Butch” Stewart who passed away Monday.
Caribbean leaders
In a Twitter post, Jamaica’s prime minister, Andrew Holness, called the late Stewart one of Jamaica’s most brilliant, innovative and transformative business minds.
“Butch was a man way ahead of his time. He was an extraordinary human being with an unwavering commitment to the social good.” added Holness.
Dr Keith Rowley, Chairman of CARICOM and Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, said Stewart’s death leaves a great void throughout the Caribbean.
“He was a special person — energetic, innovative, design-driven, customer-focused, and always in pursuit of creating a space in which the region could be cited in the modern world. I am pleased to have interacted with him, and his thoughts certainly left an impact on me, which I have been able to share with my colleagues here, and throughout the region.”
Meanwhile, St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said what Stewart did for Sandals could be compared to what Bob Marley has done for reggae.
“Gordon Butch Stewart was an extraordinary human being, and personalities like his come every 100 years. For an entrepreneur to start very small, without any advantages or inheritance attached to himself, but by sheer will, creativity, imagination, discipline, and creativity to build an empire like Sandals, which has become a world-renowned brand, is extraordinary.”
Dr Hubert Minnis, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of The Bahamas, said Stewart was a loyal son of the Caribbean, who delighted in the extraordinary potential and breathtaking beauty of the region.
Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, described Stewart as the quintessential Jamaican.
Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Allen Chastanet, agrees that he is indeed a superhero.
“He dreamed big, he thought big, he acted big. His son Adam described him as a “superhero” and I concur because what he did for this region as a whole and for the islands in which he invested was transformative.”
Business community
The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) and the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) described Stewart as a “true Jamaican patriot” and “a true tourism pioneer”.
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said that Butch was truly an icon and innovator, philanthropist and perhaps the greatest marketer tourism has ever seen.
“I think that we can look back on his life and times and draw inspiration from the success that he has had but I think, most importantly, we can be inspired by his resilience and the fact that he has started from nowhere and has ended up as being one of the most celebrated human beings that Jamaica has produced in the last century.”
More over, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) said they that the industry will forever be indebted to “Butch” for his continued passion for excellence and legendary Caribbean hospitality.
Jamaicans also reacts to the passing of the business mogul.