To some, Sandals Resorts is considered as one of the trailblazers of the all-inclusive concept. To couples, they’re the architects of the ultimate honeymoon. And to The Office fans, well they’re Michael Scott’s favourite hotels.
Since launching in 1981, Sandals Resorts has put the paradisal shores of the Caribbean on the tourist map. But beyond the shine and sparkle of its five-star status, the Caribbean-owned brand is dedicated to its philanthropic efforts across the region.
Formalising the way in which the brand gives back to its homeland, the Sandals Foundation was set up back in 2009 by Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts. With Heidi Clarke at the helm of the operation, she tells Your Day, “tourism has huge, huge huge power to drive change way beyond the hotel doors.”
And these efforts go above and beyond the usual tick-boxing exercises. For Sandals Resorts, this is a symbiotic relationship which allows them to assist and advocate for the communities they work within. Splitting their projects into three main categories; education, community and environment, the foundation works closely with locals to provide the support and tools they need.
“I think people think that charity is about handing out money, but for us, it’s never been that. The community decides what we do. We don’t go into communities and say this is what we think is going to work here. Because if the community doesn’t buy it and it’s not what they want, then it will never go forward and be sustained.”
As 2024 marks 15 years of the foundation, we sat down with Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation, to hear more about what they have going on and how guests can also get involved with initiatives…
A conversation with Heidi Clarke…
Why was the Sandals Foundation set up?
“Sandals Resorts has been connecting with local communities ever since the company started 43 years ago. Mr. Stewart (Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts) always says that if we’re working in a community, if we’re existing and operating a business in the community, then we have to be operating with the people around it. So the Sandals Foundation came about as a way to formalise what Sandals was already doing and had been doing for so many years.”
And at its core, what is the Sandals Foundation?
“We focus our work around three main pillars; education, the environment and community. It’s about us using all that we have available to us to do better for our communities, and the environment.”
“The Caribbean is beautiful as it is, but I think it sits in the most vulnerable region in the world. We are so tourist dependent, but we are also just small islands. When you live in regions that are more vulnerable, you tend to see things as a handout. You know, what can we give?”
“But with the Sandals Foundation it became, how are we empowering? How are we providing opportunities? And how are we using our brand to build and make things sustainable through tourism?”
So looking at the three pillars, can you share what a typical Sandals Foundation project looks like?
“There are so many projects, and they all fall into the three pillars. Education is the foundation for everything, and building the capacity for schools starts with infrastructure. So we’ve done all sorts of things from building schools and adding computer labs and libraries, to offering teacher training and scholarships.”
And then when it comes to community?
“From community, our women’s empowerment program is a great example. We look at the ways we approach women’s health and women’s education. We work with vulnerable, pregnant teenage girls, offering them educational opportunities. In many of the islands where we operate, they have to leave school, and so we work with organisations that continue education for them. It’s about thinking of employability, and the skills training needed for that.”
“Youth has also been a big focus for us because they’re so vulnerable in the region. We run sports programmes and utilise all the Sandals golf courses for community golf, as well for young kids. We offer football, cricket, swimming and skills training. It’s about providing opportunities.”
“And then the other big one under community is health. Health is a huge thing for us. We have done everything from working with local hospitals and clinics on providing equipment, to offering doctor and nurse training and inpatient pharmacies.”
Then lastly you have environment…?
“You cannot forget the environment, it’s such a huge deal for us. When people say they come to the Caribbean for the beautiful ocean and the coral reefs, they don’t realise how many lives are dependent on it. If you look at Jamaica alone, it’s something like 250,000 people that depend on fishing and the corals. So we’re looking at environmental education, reducing solid waste and, of course, trying to find ways to recycle in the Caribbean because we’re such small islands. Then there’s also coral conservation and working directly with farmers.”
Does that include habitat restoration work?
“Our marine sanctuaries have also come a long way. There’s a commitment to have more and more of our coast protected. We’re seeing warmer climates and warmer sea temperatures, which are affecting the corals, and that affects fish habitats. We manage two of the 18 fish sanctuaries in Jamaica, and basically that includes everything from hiring the wardens and doing all the data collection, to the environmental awareness.”
Can guests get involved in any projects?
“Our guests go above and beyond for a lot of things, which is great. You know, our guests are our biggest donors and allies, and they bring awareness to what we’re doing. Many guests fall in love with our team members and want to learn more about their communities. So we offer them opportunities with things like ‘Pack for a Purpose’ where you simply look on the ‘Pack for a Purpose’ website to see what local organisations are in need of.”
“Guests can also take part in any of our outreach. We do planned outreach for groups, and then we also have tours that we run. We do a literacy tour once a week called a reading road trip, and guests can do individualised reading sessions with the kids, and then bring books for the libraries.”
“Then we’ve also worked with a tour company, Island Routes, to develop tours that showcase the culture and the nature of the islands. This includes everything from turtle tours where guests can go out to to see hatchlings come out of the sand, to bicycle riding in the Blue Mountains, fish frying in Barbados on a Friday afternoon or even street dancing in St Lucia. All of these are designed to give back. All the funding comes back to the foundation, and we are then able to reinvest that.”
Do you think the tourist mindset is changing?
“Definitely. We think travellers have become a lot more mindful. A lot more people are looking at what their accommodation is doing for their local community. How they’re connecting with their team members. And they want to know how they can get more involved. The idea isn’t to just give money, it’s to connect with their surrounds.”
And do you have any tips for travelling more consciously?
“Well, I would say first and foremost, look out for accommodation that’s making a difference. There are a lot of great ones out there. So I think that’s important, because that is a choice that you can make. That is your first step. Then I think buy local because it drives the local economy. Expose yourself to the culture and the nature of each island, get out there, see it, experience it.”
Read more about what the Sandals Foundation is doing here.
For more travel stories from Your Day click here.
