Antigua, and the People Behind the Hospitality
One of the greatest gifts travel has given me is the opportunity to meet people whose stories stay with me long after I return home.
I met Sir Robert Barrett while I was touring the Elite Island Resorts in preparation for guests attending a retreat for which I was handling the travel. I was visiting The Verandah while the resort was closed for renovations when Mr. Barrett came by on his golf cart. He stopped and began talking with me.
He shared the story of moving from California to the Caribbean in the 1960s and the journey that eventually brought him to Antigua. He was truly a self-made success story in his own right, ultimately building what became Elite Island Resorts.
But what struck me was that his story was about so much more than building successful resorts.
Following his passing, Elite Island Resorts spoke about the thousands of employment and business opportunities he created throughout Antigua and the Caribbean.
They also highlighted the Wishing Well Foundation, which he established in Antigua to assist children and adults with lifesaving surgeries, scholarships, and disaster relief. He was also a significant supporter of the Antigua and Barbuda Humane Society and its Donkey Sanctuary.
I later had the distinct honor of bringing groups of Travel Advisors to visit a school and an adult program that had received support through the Wishing Well Foundation.
That experience left a lasting impression on all of us.
On the day of one of our visits, some of the adults had been taken to a beach area to collect shells that they would use to create artwork. The artwork was then sold to help support the program.
There are moments in life that have a way of putting everything into perspective. That was one of them.
Our group of Travel Advisors made cash donations and brought school supplies. In the grand scheme of things, they may have seemed like small gifts, but they were given with tremendous love, prayers, and genuine care.
Experiences like these ground me. They remind me how blessed we are and why I try to live my life with service at the forefront.
Elite Island Resorts said of Sir Robert Barrett:
“Sir Barrett will always be remembered for his many contributions to Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism and business sectors. He helped countless young people develop successful business and hospitality careers. To many, he was a lifelong mentor.”
My experiences in Antigua also introduced me to incredible people whose names may never appear on the side of a resort but whose stories are every bit as meaningful.
It truly is the people behind the hospitality industry that make the destination.
Travel became different for me when I started asking about the people behind the experience.
Another person who became part of my Antigua story is Radley, who runs a transportation company on the island.
Radley took such wonderful care of our guests, and over time I had the opportunity to really get to know him.
He told me about his children, what they were doing, and where they were living in the United States. These weren’t simply conversations between a travel advisor and a transportation provider anymore. We were getting to know one another as people.
One day, Radley took me to a place called The Landing.
Suddenly he said:
“Kim, grab your phone! Take the picture—that is your group!”
I looked at him like, How in the world do you know that’s my group?
He explained that the flight only came in once a day at that particular time.
“Now we wait five minutes, then we head over to get them.”
I still remember that moment.
There was something so special about standing there, seeing the plane carrying my guests arrive and realizing that this man knew his island, knew his business, and cared enough about my travelers to make their arrival feel important.
Those little moments matter.
Travel isn’t only about where we go.
It’s about the people we meet.
It’s about listening to their stories instead of simply passing through their world.
It’s about relationships, service, compassion, and sometimes realizing how much we take for granted.
The resorts are beautiful. The beaches are breathtaking. The Caribbean Sea is unforgettable.
But when I think about Antigua, I also think about Sir Robert Barrett on that golf cart. I think about the people supported through the Wishing Well Foundation. I think about Radley watching the sky for my guests’ plane.
Those are the experiences that changed me.
Those are the experiences that remind me why I continue to put service at the forefront of what I do.
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Kimberly Simpson is a certified travel agent with InteleTravel. You can connect with her online for her Destinations Design journey on Facebook.
