Jamaican hotelier John Issa has been awarded The Bahamas’ Order of Excellence. The consideration was introduced to him by Governor Normal Dame Cynthia Pratt and Prime Minister Philip Davis in recognition of his excellent service and friendship to the Authorities and other people of The Bahamas.
Established in 2016, the Order of Excellence is one of the highest honors awarded by the Bahamian authorities, and it represents the very best accolade given to a non-citizen. It acknowledges people who’ve made important contributions to The Bahamas.
Upon receiving the award, Issa expressed his gratitude, stating, “This honor could be very particular to me as a result of I’ve lengthy thought-about The Bahamas my second dwelling. Being acknowledged by a rustic apart from your individual is especially gratifying.”
There has solely been three earlier recipients of this award: Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and US Congresswoman Maxine Waters in 2023, and Frank Crothers in 2020.
John Issa’s contributions to the hospitality sector span over six many years. He’s credited with introducing the all-inclusive idea to Jamaica when he opened Negril Seashore Village in 1976. In 1978, he additional revolutionized the resort business by launching the world’s first absolutely all-inclusive vacation, which included drinks, airport transfers, and excursions, guaranteeing holidays with no hidden prices. These improvements had a major influence on the Jamaican economic system and set a development that has been adopted globally.
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Through the years, SuperClubs Resorts has operated 25 accommodations throughout eight nations, together with Jamaica, The Bahamas, Cuba, St. Lucia, Panama, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Curaçao. Issa has a long-standing relationship with The Bahamas, making his first funding there in 1979. Since then, he has undertaken a number of main investments, together with the acquisition of the Ambassador Seashore Lodge in 1994. After in depth renovations, he reopened it as Breezes Bahamas in 1995. This was not solely the primary absolutely all-inclusive resort in The Bahamas but additionally notable for having a 99 % Bahamian workforce. The resort has continued to function efficiently since its opening.
After Hurricane Dorian struck The Bahamas in 2019, Breezes served as a refuge for a lot of Bahamians fleeing Grand Bahama and Abaco, offering them with much-needed shelter. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, when the tourism sector got here to a standstill, Issa made Breezes accessible to the Authorities of The Bahamas, first as a quarantine facility and later as a hospital.
Issa has additionally contributed to The Tribune, one of many main newspapers in The Bahamas, the place he wrote a column titled “View From Afar,” overlaying a spread of subjects through the years.
His contributions have been acknowledged with quite a few prestigious awards and nationwide honors, together with the Order of Jamaica (1998), the Order of Distinction within the Rank of Commander (1983) from Jamaica, and The Order of the Southern Cross (2001) from Brazil.
