CJ Interviews

Growing the “Guadeloupe Islands” Brand

Talking Real Estate in St Barth With Sibarth’s Christian Wattiau

Above: a home in St Barth (Photo: Jean-Philippe Piter) By Alexander Britell Just like the rest of the Caribbean, tiny St Barth’s real estate market was impacted by the downturn that began in 2008. But the eight-square-mile island in the …

Interview with Haiti PM Laurent Lamothe

Above: Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe (UN Photo/ J Carrier) By Alexander Britell Haiti is trying to move the process of reconstruction into a higher gear. While the country’s GDP has been growing at a strong pace, natural disasters …

Interview with UNESCO Special Envoy for Haiti Michaëlle Jean

Above: Former Canadian Governor General and UNESCO Special Envoy to Haiti Michaelle Jean (UN Photo/Mark Garten) By Alexander Britell CURRENT UNESCO SPECIAL ENVOY FOR HAITI Michaëlle Jean recently concluded a trip to Haiti during which she led a 20-member …

Talking Caribbean Travel With Expedia’s Marco Tagliatti

Above: Luperón in the Dominican Republic (Photo: GDR) By Alexander Britell Despite its traditional allure as a vacation destination, the Caribbean is finding itself in an increasingly competitive global travel marketplace. But while the onset of the global financial crisis …

Interview with Grenada Minister of Tourism Dr George Vincent

By Alexander Britell ST KITTS — As the Caribbean seeks to diversify its “sun, sand and sea” tourism product, Grenada, the “Spice Isle,” is taking a unique approach, looking at “community tourism,” in which the government aims both to foster …

Interview with Barbados Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy

Above: Tourism Minister Richard Sealy (CJ Photo) By Alexander Britell The Caribbean tourism sector is in a period of change, as the region seeks to emerge from the global downturn. As Caribbean nations like Barbados look to move beyond the …

Interview With Jimmy Cliff

By Alexander Britell Jimmy Cliff, one of the titans of reggae, had gone seven years without an album until releasing “Rebirth” earlier this year. The crisply-made work, created in collaboration with veteran punk-music producer Tim Armstrong, represents a rebirth, not …

Cayman and the US Campaign: An Interview with Richard Coles

Above: Georgetown, Grand Cayman By Alexander Britell While places like Virginia and Florida will mean the most to the upcoming presidential election in the United States, another location has been popping up disproportionately during the campaign: the Cayman Islands. Since …

Talking Caribbean Real Estate With Coldwell Banker’s Jim Reed

Above: the “Happy Ours” home on Harbour Island in the Bahamas (Listing: Coldwell Banker) While the Caribbean real estate market was impacted by the recession, it is beginning to show signs of growth. And at the centre of the regional …

Interview with Bahamas Minister of Financial Services Ryan Pinder

Above: Nassau (CJ Photo) By Alexander Britell Ryan Pinder was appointed as the Bahamas’ Minister of Financial Services following the Progressive Liberal Party’s return to power in May 2012. Pinder, an attorney by trade, heads a Ministry dealing with the …

Interview with Haiti First Lady Sophia Martelly

Above: Haiti First Lady Sophia Martelly By Alexander Britell Sophia Martelly has been Haiti’s First Lady since May 14, 2011, when her husband, President Michel Martelly, took office. The First Lady, who has four children, has focused on several initiatives …

Interview With Barbados Energy Minister Senator Darcy Boyce

Above: Minister Darcy Boyce (CJ Photo) By Alexander Britell Like the rest of the Caribbean, Barbados is working to deal with the problem of increasing energy costs. With imported fuel dominating foreign exchange and the accordant high gas prices putting …

Interview with Lorne Theophilus, St Lucia’s Minister of Tourism

By Alexander Britell The St Lucia Labour Party returned to power in November 2011, led by Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony. Succeeding former Tourism Minister Sen. Allen Chastanet was Lorne Theophilus, currently St Lucia’s Member of Parliament for the Choiseul …

Interview with Trinidad and Tobago Sprinter Kelly-Ann Baptiste

Above: Kelly-Ann Baptiste (CJ Photo) By Alexander Britell Kelly-Ann Baptiste headlines a group of sprinters carrying Trinidad and Tobago’s medal hopes at this summer’s London Olympics. Baptiste, a former sprinter for Louisiana State University, competes in the 100m and 200m …

Interview with Haiti Tourism Minister Stephanie Villedrouin on Remaking Haiti’s Brand

By Alexander Britell Haiti’s tourism sector is beginning again. Two years since the earthquake, new hotels are beginning to pop up, new hospitality students are being trained and destinations like Jacmel are entering the consciousness of international travelers. While it’s …

Interview with Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer

Above: Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer (CJ Photo) By Alexander Britell BRIDGETOWN — Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer and his United Progressive Party have led Antigua and Barbuda’s government since 2004, when, as leader of the opposition, he unseated the Antigua Labour …

Interview with Rondell Bartholomew

Grenada will highlight a strong Caribbean presence at this year’s London Olympics, with not one, but two star runners: Kirani James (see our interview here) and 22-year-old Rondell Bartholomew, both of whom specialize in the 400 metres. Bartholomew, a 400-metre …

Catching Up With Jamaica’s Usain Bolt

Above: Usain Bolt By Alexander Britell Until proven otherwise, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt remains the fastest man on earth, holding the world record in the 100 metres, which he accomplished in Berlin in 2009 with a time of 9.58 seconds (topping …