Bridgetown – The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) has extended condolences to the immediate family of Gordon “Butch” Stewart and thousands of extended faimly members in the Sandals organisation.
In a statement on Tuesday following news of his death, the CHTA said that the regional tourism industry will be “forever indebted to ‘Butch’ for his continued passion for excellence and legendary Caribbean hospitality”.
“His vision has bestowed to the global industry a Caribbean organisation that adheres to the highest standards of excellence, celebrates and promotes the region’s uniqueness, and invests in the development of our people and communities.”
Stewart was one of the first recipients of the Caribbean Hotelier of the Year distinction.
The organisation noted that he was a great supporter of the CHTA “and an inspiration to so many of us in the region”.
“Let us preserve and build upon his legacy by continuing to support the development of our industry.”
Former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding also praised the late tourism mogul, saying that his “legacy is monumental” and will undergird Jamaica’s efforts at nation building for many years to come.
“Jamaica has lost someone who was, without doubt, the most outstanding, creative and successful businessman and private sector leader of my generation,” Golding added.
Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett hailed Stewart, saying that he was the standard-bearer of Caribbean tourism and the brand he spawned, Sandals, is the reference for luxury all-inclusive in the world.
“He was a mogul and indeed an icon that has charted a path which will never be repeated in its fullness by anyone. Not only because of his unique style of management, but his particular sense of picking winners.
“The sense of purpose, commitment and entrepreneurship that he brought to the business space is unparalleled and his philanthropy . . . has made him the single greatest contributor to human capital and community development within the tourism sector.”
“As a family man, Stewart has been a shining example of how to balance business success. His children are shining leaders of the next generation of entrepreneurship, from which his son, Adam Stewart has emerged as a regional figure. Jamaica and global tourism have indeed lost an icon.”
The Prime Minister of S Lucia, Allen Chastanet says that Gordon “Butch” Stewart was never an ordinary man.
“He dreamed big, he thought big, he acted big. He was a visionary, a pioneer and a trailblazer. 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,” Chastanet said in a statement.
“No one individual has ever left such an indelible footprint on the Caribbean region or been more responsible for the development of the ‘Caribbean’ brand.
“Butch Stewart was a marketing and branding genius, creating the first world-class Caribbean brand with his Sandals product. His quest for bigger and better led to the unprecedented growth of his hotel chain and global recognition of the Sandals brand.”
Chastanet’s remarks came several hours after the announcement of Stewart’s death in the United States where he was undergoing treatment for an undisclosed “ailment”.
He said that thousands of people in this region have jobs and careers because of Butch Stewart, adding “our tourism product is surviving in spite of COVID in large measure because of Butch Stewart and the Caribbean tourism industry is as strong as it is today because of Butch Stewart”.
“On behalf of the government and People of St Lucia and my own family, I extend heartfelt condolences to the Stewart family and the extended Sandals family,” Chastanet noted. (CMC)
