Storytelling starts the journey, says airline CEO | News
Trevor Sadler, CEO of interCaribbean Airways
Trevor Sadler, CEO of interCaribbean Airways, believes what inspires travelers to choose one Caribbean destination over another begins with storytelling.
In last week’s Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Allied Member Insights blog, Sadler explained that before a traveler chooses a destination, something has to make them care about it.
“For many Caribbean islands, the challenge is not a lack of beauty, history or experiences. It is a lack of stories reaching the people who would value them,” he wrote.
Four years ago, interCaribbean Airways moved away from the familiar promise of sun, sand and sea, and began building its destination storytelling around three pillars: culture, cuisine and community.
“Culture is how people live, celebrate and hold on to who they are. Cuisine carries memory, migration and family tradition. Community gives each story its human voice,” explained Sadler.
He highlighted the airline’s storytelling around Grenada’s national dish as an example of this approach. “Oil down is the country’s national dish, but a list of ingredients cannot explain what it means. The deeper story lives around the pot. It is found in who prepares the meal, how knowledge passes between generations, the conversations shared while it cooks and why the dish belongs so deeply to Grenada. That story does more than introduce a meal. It helps someone understand the destination before arriving,” he said.
Sadler asserted that when local stories receive the care they deserve, they spark curiosity about islands, communities and traditions audiences might otherwise overlook. “The Caribbean does not need to reduce itself to one familiar image. Our strength lies in the differences between our destinations and the shared history connecting them.”
