In a groundbreaking achievement for Caribbean tourism, Sandals Resorts International (SRI) has become the first hotel chain to have all 19 of its resorts awarded the Caribbean Public Health Agency’s (CARPHA) Healthier Safer Tourism (HST) travellers’ health assurance award. The group also received designation as a Healthier Safer Tourism Destination, cementing its leadership in prioritizing public health and safety across the region.
The HST plaques were presented by Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director of CARPHA, during a ceremony titled “Celebrating Excellence in Healthier and Safer Tourism” held at Sandals Montego Bay. The event honored individuals and institutions driving health and safety in Caribbean tourism.
“CARPHA has a long-standing, public and private relationship with SRI, collaborating since 2012 on promoting health and safety in tourism,” Dr. Indar said. “This historic milestone underscores SRI’s unwavering commitment to tourism health, safety, and environmental responsibility across the Caribbean as well as demonstrates its novel, trusting, strong partnership with CARPHA. Mr. Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of SRI, fully endorsed the HST award in 2022 as a critical feature in keeping the Caribbean Safer and Healthier. Today, fittingly, SRI is the first resort chain with all its resorts receiving this auspicious award, giving Sandals the unique recognition of a healthier, safer destination. It’s not just another award, but a remarkable recognition regarding Tourism Health and Safety. The SRI brand has now provided tangible evidence of SRI enhancing its reputation as a healthier, safer destination, increasing its competitive advantage over non-HST tourism entities.”
The HST award, introduced in 2020 under CARPHA’s Tourism and Health Program (THP), is designed to recognize tourism businesses that actively implement health surveillance systems, train staff in disease prevention, and commit to food and environmental safety. The award is supported by regional and global partners including the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), and the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC).
Each Sandals resort met the award criteria by registering and actively reporting through CARPHA’s confidential Tourism and Health Information System (THiS), and by certifying at least 10% of frontline staff in infectious disease prevention. More than 1,500 team members across Sandals’ properties have completed the training to date.
Jeremy Jones, Regional Managing Director of SRI, emphasized the importance of the partnership: “CARPHA provides a safe environment for reporting and supports the hospitality and tourism industry in the most-tourism dependent region in the world because whenever something goes wrong with tourism in the Caribbean, we all get nervous; we all start to wonder what is the best solution and what CARPHA does for our resorts is to provide that level of safety and comfort. I want to thank Dr. Indar for the work she has done in providing a healthier, safer option for Sandals Resorts International.”
Gavin Palmer, Corporate Manager of Environment, Health and Safety at SRI, highlighted the collaborative journey: “Our long-standing relationship with CARPHA has played an invaluable role in helping us to champion the culture of health, safety and well-being across all our resorts. Together we have strengthened our systems, empowered our team members and set high standards to ensure that our guests, team members and community members are always protected. This ongoing collaboration reminds us that health and safety are not just policies, they are shared commitments that bring us together, inspire confidence and build a stronger more resilient tourism industry. Thank you once again CARPHA.”
With this milestone, Sandals sets a new benchmark for regional tourism health assurance, helping boost traveler confidence while reinforcing the Caribbean’s reputation as a premier — and now certified safer — destination.
