South Florida’s Caribbean Community reacts to the ICC World Cup

This blog post gives the uncut reaction of 4 prominent members of the Caribbean community to the region’s hosting of the ICC World Cup as contributed by Teshie Jones of Well-Written Words.


From March 5 to April 28, 2007, the Caribbean is set to host the ninth ICC Cricket World Cup. The nine Caribbean countries selected to host this international sporting event are Antigua/Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. The Caribbean community in South Florida expresses their opinions about the impact that the Cricket World Cup will have on their home countries, the Caribbean at large, and South Florida.

Honourable Ed Bushell, Consul General of Barbados:
On Barbados: How can I count the ways! The international exposure will be phenomenal for Barbados with one million people watching. We’re a tourist industry, so the upgrades and expansion of infrastructure will increase and improve the facilities which will help the development of Barbados and will expose the area as a tourist destination.
On the Caribbean: There will be national benefits as far as tourism and improved infrastructure as well.
On South Florida: I am sure Miami will benefit also from the people in transit to the Caribbean who will travel through Miami.

Saran Stewart, 2004-2005 President, University of Miami Caribbean Student Association
On Jamaica: The Cricket World Cup will generate a lot of revenue for Jamaica in terms of tourism, hotels, employment, labor, and infrastructure. Increasing the revenue for the economy definitely will be significant because of the popularity, the fan base that follows the Cricket World Cup internationally, so we’ll have international recognition from that.
On the Caribbean: Right now the Caribbean is seen as a tourist industry, and there is a stigma of violence that surrounds the Caribbean. When the World Cup goes to the Caribbean in March, it will have a positive impact basically on the world wide community, on what the Caribbean can offer more so than just a tourist stop. It will have a very positive impact on the reputation of the Caribbean as a whole, and it will not just be seen as a tourist landmark but seen more as a sports entity which is universally and internationally known. We are hosting the Cricket World Cup! We are becoming more renown as a sports Caribbean world and not just a tourist destination or violent place.
On South Florida: Because of the magnitude of the amount of people attending the World Cup, South Florida will also get a lot of revenue from this. World Cup ticket holders will stop in Florida and have their accommodations here in South Florida and then fly to the games. It’s highly possible that if all the accommodations within the islands are taken up, then South Florida will benefit significantly from tourism because they will be looking for accommodations.


Irvine Headley, Sr., Past President, Trinidad and Tobago USA Chamber of Commerce
On Trinidad: Trinidad and Tobago is coming up from a tremendous success from our World Cup Soccer, and I think if we can get half of the exposure that we got from World Cup Soccer from World Cup Cricket, it will be a positive thing for Trinidad and Tobago. I feel that with the influx of visitors who will be coming to the country, who have probably never been to Trinidad and Tobago before, it will give them exposure and insight into our twin island republic. I hope that we create that positive impact that will encourage people to want to come back to Trinidad not only during cricket but for Carnival and for some of the other activities that take place in Trinidad and Tobago throughout the year.
On the Caribbean: As a whole, it will be a positive experience for the entire region. I know that some of the smaller islands have put a lot of money into putting the best foot forward with regards to building some infrastructure and improving some of the conditions with regards to cricket. I certainly hope those investments will be rewarded. I’m positive about the whole thing. I certainly hope that everything goes well, and the region gets a positive report card from its visitors and the press.
On South Florida: A lot of the people, I would think, would be passing through Miami to get down to the Caribbean. You’ve got people coming from the UK, from India, from Pakistan, and from all over the world. Any opportunity to stop in South Florida, in Miami, which is one of the hottest tourist destinations in the world, in addition to the Caribbean, if they can kill two birds with one stone, get a taste of Miami as well as a taste of the Caribbean with one shot, I think a lot of people will take advantage of that making a positive impact for South Florida and the Caribbean in general.

Dale Holeness, Vice Mayor, City Of Lauderhill
On Jamaica: I believe the Cricket World Cup will bring exposure, it will bring tourist dollars, and the publicity it will bring will be positive publicity rather than negative. It’s good to be able to host sports teams. That’s why so many countries vie to get the Olympics because beyond the immediate dollars that are brought in, people form long term attachments to those areas, and I’m certain that some of that will happen in Jamaica.
On the Caribbean: I believe it will be positive in particular for those countries that are playing host. It will highlight the good things about the Caribbean. People will go there, enjoy themselves, and have a good time and more than likely revisit the island as a tourist destination. There might even be business ties that are developed as a result.
On South Florida: We’re going down from Lauderhill, and we’re meeting with members of the West Indies Cricket Board to finalize an agreement to have an international tournament at the opening at the stadium that’s being built in Lauderhill at the end of this year, in November. We already have a good tentative conversation and some agreement to bring in the major cricketing countries to play: England, Pakistan, India, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Zimbabwe. It might be a little different than the long game, a faster paced cricket that would suit the American palate. We have a large Caribbean population here, and seeing us as a place where cricket can be played will be a very positive thing for us, where in the future we’ll get even more requests than we’re already getting as a result of this.

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