Sandals is not going anywhere and will continue to promote the twin-island nation, according to Sandals Resorts International.
A public rift between the prime minister and the resort chain has many speculating that it may decide to pull out of Antigua, leaving hundreds unemployed.
However, Chief Executive Officer Adam Stewart speaking on radio today said the hotel with over 25 years in Antigua and Barbuda is here through thick and thin.
Stewart said the company is not going to allow a rift with Prime Minister Gaston Browne to affect how it does business.
“The beautiful thing is that we get up everyday and we love what we do, so we will be promoting in the UK like what we are doing now. We will get up everyday with the same pride that we have had from 1991, and we will promote your 365 beaches and the amazing people of Antigua.
“We will not allow a prime minister who is having desperate times to get the better of a company like ours, we are in this for the long haul, we love Antigua, and we have absolutely no intentions of doing anything but the track that we have been on for the 20 plus years with Antigua, since 1991. We are not going anywhere, and we will continue to promote the island and the people and that’s what we do everyday,” an adamant Stewart said.
Stewart disclosed that the company will be training over 15, 000 travel agents, an initiative that has taken place for the last 30 days and will continue for that duration.
He said the agents are receiving information on Caribbean tourism, while promoting Antigua at the same time.
Meantime, Prime Minister Browne also denied being in a feud with Sandals and said he hopes this would be the end of the ongoing issue between him and the company.
“As far as I am concerned this is a dead issue,” he said.
“I have no interest in continuing this issue…I not looking for no fight with Butch Stewart or anybody but where you cross the line I am going to stand up for this country.”
He advised Sandals, “Pay government the 12.5 guest tax. It’s not their monies to hold on to. It’s trust money. When they collect the money from their guests pay it into the treasury. So we can build schools, run our hospitals, provide scholarships for our people…and pay pensions on time.”
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Listening to them both today it was such a contrast between the clear thinking gentleman Adam Stewart and the confused fuzzy vagabond Gaston Browne. Antiguans should be ashamed to be led by such an inadequate unprepared character.
Eldridge are you ashamed
If you became aware that the gentlemanly sounding party you speak of was lying or “misspeaking” about some of what he said, would that alter your view? Or are facts and the truth of the matter not relevant.
Serious inquiry.
@ Eldridge.You sound like an Ignorant person,this is what i am ashamed of people like you able to show the rest of the world that there are backward, slavish black people still in this Island.
Eldridge or whatever your name or character is, you speak so disrespectful of the PM and if I am to even begin to believe you have any sense that comment just killed it. I’m ashamed yes but not of who you suggested but only of you. U speak like an unlearned individual. I haven’t seen in all my watching of these Sandals Comercial, Antigua in any of them and if it do appear then I must be blind or Antigua just wasn’t in these particular ones. In any dispute no one hand can clap so I don’t believe that Sandals is fair and Gaston and his team is unfair. Something is wrong on both ends but history tells us that the ALP now ABLP have always been free handed to investors until they become questionable by the voting people and Opposition of being giving away our Country for nothing. Saying you’re committed to Antigua Mr. CEO Stewart doesn’t always slide down our throat so easily but actions show. To bring all this to an end I suggest each party being your company and the Government come before the Nation on TV or however and let us all know what’s the issues that brought on all this. Not u typing or voicing through Radio stations because it’s your say and nothing more. The PM and your company need to deal with this at the National level since it’s affecting and could affect even more if there’s a rift between the two parties and not just say to us that you’re committed to Antigua. I have my questions about that so it would be nice to hear from Sandals group and the Government.
Gaston Brown in his brief and lamentable career as PM has shown public disrespect and contempt for international institutions, regional leaders, Antiguan people, members of his own government. Respect should be earned. You can’t disrespect the world, bully and redicule people constantly and then expect respect and deference because you carry the temporary and undeserved title of Prime Minister. Eldridge is right. The contrast was striking.
So Sandals vex because they REFUSED to pay in all ABST to the gov’t? Gimme a break little Adam Stewart. What makes you think your hotel is so special and deserves special treatment not given to any other hotel on island?? Keep that butch/bully mentally under wraps boy. Nar Lovell you a deal with. Lovell has no backbone, so when he was the Finance Minister, he made some shitty decisions that had dire implications for Antigua and Barbuda. Man to hell up and pay your dam taxes since you are here to stay as you claim. Sandals wan must be so likkrish?
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