Barry Collymore: A Driving Force Behind Grenada’s Hospitality Industry

20.03.2024 - 11:53 / forbes.com

The Caribbean island of Grenada celebrates 50 years of independence this year. Grenada’s history is derived from a diverse array of influences, including the early indigenous Amerindian communities of which artifacts can still be found today, to the later European colonial powers. The island has changed hands between the French and British quite a lot. Therefore, the island has been mainly shaped by the hands of the French, British and later African influences.

There are many activities planned on the island for the 50th year of the destination, and Mount Cinnamon Hotel and Beach Club – a boutique hotel boasting 36 hillside suites and villas – is planning Grenada’s first international seafood festival, Grenada Sea Spice, occurring March 20-24, 2024. The festival features a variety of local hotels, restaurants, marine experts, fishermen, food vendors and other food seafood enthusiasts, along with international guest chefs. The aim of the festival is to create the best seafood culinary experience ultimately highlighting the direct benefits of sustainable marine conservation, as well as highlighting the warmth and skills of the Grenadian people and the overall Caribbean experience.

Mount Cinnamon's owner, Barry Collymore, is one of the destination’s leading hoteliers and also a co-founder of the West Indies School of Hospitality (WISH), which in collaboration with eCornell University and The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has trained over 1,000 Grenadians in various hospitality fields thus far.

Collymore recently offered opinions about the island’s hospitality industry.

Describe the mission of the West Indies School of Hospitality.

I spent a lot of time in property development, with a focus on building hotels - physical structures - and what I noticed is that we have not spent enough time building people. Hotels will open and then they have to bring in senior level staff from other countries. It’s not sustainable to keep doing this. The reason for importing skills should be to enrich your product, not because you have a scarcity of local skills. And that’s where the West Indies School of Hospitality (WISH) started. The best hotels in the world have experienced, skilled staff but also offer guests a sense of place and an insight into that destination’s culture by employing local people into their teams. WISH has collaborated with eCornell University and The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to create learning paths for Caribbean people in the Hospitality and Service Industries for a more empowered, confident and efficient workforce, and in turn a more competitive Caribbean destination. WISH has delivered 2,000 scholarships to hospitality workers in Grenada and the wider Caribbean, in various