By Vinette K. Pryce
One of the Caribbean’s trendiest
holiday resorts is trending
number one on social media
platforms and this time its
founder Gordon “Butch” Stewart
is not celebrating the viral
spread to guests and potential
clients.
The reason is that the Sandals
Resort, launched in 1981 by
the Jamaican millionaire is now
the bane of criticism for propping
up the politics of Fox TV
hosts Tucker Carlson and Sean
Hannity.
Boasting 24 resorts in a chain
of hotels — some branded by the
name Beaches — the properties
located in The Bahamas, Grenada,
Turks & Caicos Islands,
Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda,
St. Lucia and Jamaica — among
others — distinguish themselves
for being the premiere
Caribbean, luxury, all-inclusive
holiday getaway for couples and
families.
Stewart first opened a Sandals
Hotel in Montego Bay, the
nation’s second city and first hub
for vacationing tourists.
Success from US travelers
enabled a second resort in the
same city, then others in Ocho
Rios, Negril and the western
region of the island commanding
a whopping 85 percent occupancy
rate and almost 50 percent
returning vacationers.
Here, television viewers were
introduced to the island paradise
from massive promotional
campaigns often aimed at talk
shows.
Fox-TV benefited with advertising
Caribbean Life, A 14 ug. 28-Sept. 3, 2020
sponsoring the opinions
of President Donald Trump supporters,
Carlson and Hannity.
It is primarily this pair of
conservative-leaning Republican
advocates that a boycott
threatens the future of the popular
resort.
Reportedly their caustic
commentary about the Black
Lives Matter Movement and a
recent negative critique of the
Joe Biden/Kamala Harris union
might have ignited this new call
to action against the Stewart
organization.
This is not a new phenomenon,
previously an attempt was
made to mount a protest against
Stewart and his son Adam, who
serves as deputy chairman to
the Sandals Resorts International.
Allegedly, the company was
cited for discriminating against
disabled potential patrons by not
making provisions for them to
maneuver properties.
Reportedly an adjustment was
made in 2004 to end the alleged
discriminatory policy.
During that period social
media had not emerged the
explosive influence it now maintains.
Another controversial policy
surrounded Stewart’s anti-gay
practice of disallowing same-sex
couples to his properties.
Stewart was heavily rebuked
by celebrities for rejecting homosexual
couples to vacation at his
properties.
Advocates for gay liberation
waged fierce condemnation with
boycotts and imposed charges of
discrimination.
Perhaps those actions
spawned Beaches, another chain
Sandals all-inclusive resort in Negril, Jamaica. Sandals Resorts
under the Sandals umbrella
which allows families and guests
of both genders.
Now with viral responses to
controversial issues and a ‘cancel
culture’ which can effectively
impact the success or failure of
businesses or individuals considered
politically incorrect, Stewart
and his attention to social
platforms could meet a contentious
sector unwilling to buy
into the successful propaganda
promoted by the tourist friendly
resort.
Reportedly, Adam used the
Twitter platform to show solidarity
with President Trump.
Allegedly he tweeted that the
COVID-19 was a “hoax” and later
that he supported police actions
against protesters of the George
Floyd travesty.
Some maintain that Adam
often ‘likes’ opinions tweeted by
the president and with endorsements
of the president’s verbiage
has been perceived a racist.
This latest boycott gained
traction when former guests of
the chain of hotels posted disdain
for the alliance between
FOX-TV, the president and dissenters
of the BLM.
Viral hashtag demands
#Sandalsboycott