Turks and Caicos rolls out red carpet for Jamaican

[Hopyoneson]

Brian a follow in a him fada footstep, Turks nice place still

JAMAICAN COMPANIES Margaritaville Caribbean and Chukka Caribbean Adventures are the latest addition to the US$2 billion expansion planned for the Turks and Caicos Islands over the next two years.

Both properties valued at US$4 million and US$1.5 million respectively, were officially unveiled at the Carnival Cruise Centre in Grand Turk on Friday, by the island's Chief Minister Michael Misick.

The Carnival Cruise Centre is the first cruise ship port to be opened on the arid island and the first harbour positioned on a beach in the Caribbean. Chief Minister Misick told The Sunday Gleaner that since his government's partnership with Carnival commenced, he has been approached by Holland America and Princess Cruise lines.

ATTRACTIVE INCENTIVES

"Investors are flocking this country because of the attractive incentives and stability that our government is offering. We spread the red carpet, instead of the red tape," he boasted.

Over the years, the region's governments, including Jamaica, have been heavily criticised for the bureaucracy that investors face in order to get projects off the ground.

Speaking proudly of his country's long-standing relationship with Jamaica, Mr. Misick said that one of his largest investors was Gordon 'Butch' Stewart, who operates a Beaches Resort in Providenciales (Provo) and is about to expand by building a Royal Plantation there.

"We are exploding at the seams with the increase in major investments from hotels such as The Ritz-Carlton, Fairmont Resorts and Mandarin, with negotiations currently taking place ...," he revealed.

AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE

Margaritaville Grand Turk, the first Caribbean project outside of Jamaica, joins 10 Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville locations in the U.S. The new Turks and Caicos restaurant provides both visitors and residents of Grand Turk with an unforgettable experience. This two-storey restaurant and bar boasts not only a swim-up pool bar, but an additional upper-level deck-bar and stage for daily live entertainment.

After preparing the Grand Turk location in five incredible months, the Margaritaville team now has two months left to prepare for another significant occasion: the opening of Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville in Grand Cayman this August.

In the case of Chukka Caribbean Adventures, this is the third Chukka outpost outside of Jamaica. The others are located in Belize and The Bahamas.

Thirty thoroughbred horses, five trail-ride guides and four Jamaican drivers, dune buggies and monster Ford F250s ushered the unique brand of land-based soft-adventure tours to the island.






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Brian Jardim (left) and Ian Dear (right) owners of Margaritaville, flank their banker Donovan Perkins, CEO of Pan Caribbean Financial Services.

Jardim, Dear invest $260-m in Turks

Brian Jardim and Ian Dear have exported their concept pool bar/restaurant, Margaritaville, to the Grand Turks, with a US$4 million investment that makes this latest venture, the largest in the growing chain.

The concept bar and night spot which is anchored in Jamaica was officially opened in Grand Turks on Friday, as one of the featured attractions on a 13-acre pier facility that was developed at a cost of US$64 million (J$4.1 billion).

The facility, the Grand Turk Cruise Centre, is a collaborative effort between the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Carnival Cruise Line International and Margaritaville.

The Margaritaville investment was through a combination of debt and equity, with Pan Caribbean Financial Services providing the debt funding, company officials told the Business Observer. They said that the Turks facility was the largest within the chain.

Dear and Jardim began the concept sports bar on Gloucester Avenue in Montego Bay in the late 1990s. They later expanded it to Negril, then Ocho Rios and Sangsters International Airport in Montego Bay.

The investments by the Jamaican entrepreneurs and the cruise line form part of the US$200 million that has been attracted to the tiny British islands over the past three years, Turk's chief minister, Michael Misick disclosed on Friday.


Brian Jardim (left), one of two principals poses with Sandals owner and his father, Gordon Butch Stewart (centre) and Giora Israel of Carnival cruise line

"It is a historic day," Misick declared at the opening of the 13-acre complex. "We have one of the greatest cruise ship ports right here on the beach."

The centre with a magnificent 1,440-foot pier, is located along a section of the island that many regard as one of the most pristine.

The US$64 million invested by the cruise liner is credited with revitalization the economy of the capital island of Turks and Caicos, which is said to be affected by severe migration to Providenciales, the tourist Mecca, and the most inhabited of all the islands.

"When investors come we spread the red carpet, not red tape," the chief minister told reporters after the grand opening.

He singled out for praise, hotelier Gordon Butch Stewart, for being the largest investor on the island - having brought his Sandals hotel chain to Providenciales a few years ago. Stewart is chairman of the Jamaica Observer newspaper, and is Jardim's father.

Andre Dixon, chief operating officer of Margaritaville noted that the branch in Grand Turk was the company's most challenging and rewarding project to date.


Tourists from Carnival Crew having fun at the new Margaritaville

Dixon said that Carnival Cruise had approached Margaritaville to establish an operation at the facility because of the good reputation of service that the company had built up over the ten years of operation.

"We were challenged with our biggest work yet but we were able to open on time," he said. He added that while Grand Turk did not offer the diversity of scenery that Jamaica did, it still had significant possibilities as a resort destination.

Carnival Cruise's chairman and CEO Micky Arison, in his message in the centre's commemorative booklet shared the point of view.

"We are committed to preserving the marine environment, supporting development of the island's tourism infrastructure and helping to transform Grand Turk into one of the Caribbean's premier vacation destinations," said Arison.

Deputy minister Floyd Hall said the advent of the Grand Turk Cruise Centre had already begun to transform Grand Turk. "It is critical to the revitalization of the island and has already proven to be a very important corporate citizen," he said in his message.

Those in attendance at the launch included government ministers, locals of Grand Turks who are known as 'belongers', representatives of Carnival Cruise, and Margaritaville's principals Ian Deer and Brian Jardim.

Jardim and Dear were jointly nominated for the Jamaica Observer Business Leader Award in 1999. That year, Wayne Chen, the CEO of SuperPlus Food Stores was named Business Leader.


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The 'Turks' get wild


Sandals chairman Gordon 'Butch' Stewart at the poolside of Margaritaville last Friday.

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands -One could feel the excitement as the chartered 16-seater Sky King aircraft lifted from the tarmac of the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay on Friday last.

It was even more palpable when it landed at JAGS McCartney International Airport in Grand Turk, the capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). On board were representatives of Margaritaville and Chukka Caribbean Adventure Tours, local companies with huge investments in TCI's tourism industry, bringing with them journalists to witness the historic opening of the Grand Turk Cruise Centre.

At first sight the centre, a $64 million investment by Carnival Cruise Lines, didn't look like much, just your regular newly built mall - trees not yet grown, landscaping not yet what it should be - but venture inside to the left and that's where the beauty begins. Margaritaville Grand Turk, Brian Jardim and Ian Dear's first venture outside of Jamaica, was described as an oasis in the desert and it certainly was the centrepiece of what is described as the Caribbean's newest gateway.

Established as a port of call for its cruise passengers, the centre comes equipped with a 1440-ft pier, duty-free shopping, arts and craft, visitor booths and its main attraction Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. This newest addition to the Margaritaville family comes complete with the largest swim-up pool in the chain, seating for 450 diners, poolside cabanas and the inimitable Jamaican vibe.

Margaritaville's chief operating officer Andre Dixon said he was so proud of the Jamaicans who had worked tirelessly since the start of operation on February 25 . "There is a Jamaican vibe. This is something you can't get anywhere else," he said dotingly.

But before the opening, journalists were whisked off on a tour of the island by John Byles, co-managing director of Chukka Caribbean Tours. Operated by the Melville and Byles families, the newly incorporated Chukka Caribbean Tours has operations in Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas and now a strong presence in Grand Turks.

Chukka's offerings on the island, a US$1.2 million investment, include horseback rides and swim, 4 x 4 safari and dune buggy safari, as well as the Her Majesty's Prison and Lighthouse Tours.

The boom in tourism was visible all over the town, with many visitors coming fresh off the Carnival Cruise mega-liner which had docked that day.

The return to the cruise centre coincided perfectly with the ribbon-cutting ceremony heralding its grand opening. By then, the US$4-million restaurant Margaritaville was teeming with visitors, some frolicking in the 1800 sq.-ft swimming pool, others sampling the many mouth-watering dishes available. Here locals, known as 'Belongers', milled among the many visitors who chilled to the sound of Reggae and the lull of the azure Caribbean Sea.

Both Margaritaville and Chukka Caribbean intend to reap the rewards of what is expected to be a premier vacation spot in the Caribbean. According to Ian Dear, the unspoilt Caribbean island is ripe for development and they were lucky, on invitation by Carnival Cruise, to be able to be among the first to begin the process.

"I know that right now, outside of the tours and the centre there may not be much but there is so much potential here," he said.

Donovan Perkins of Pan Caribbean Limited the banker behind both projects said it best "When you take the risks early, you are the first to reap the rewards."

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Turks and Caicos rolls out red carpet for Jamaican

Heh,eh,eh,..just like how Cayman rolled out the carpet for Jamaican m9ney in the 70's.
How much investment can these little British outposts take anyway,before they become tired of our presence?