Caribbean tourism stalwart George Myers, who passed away last week, was remembered by the chief executive of the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board (NPIPB), the organization he helped form several decades ago.
“George was truly a legendary figure here in The Bahamas – a place he loved so deeply,” said Joy Jibrilu, NPIPB’s CEO. “He had that rare ability to touch and shape the lives of so many people throughout our country, the Caribbean region and beyond.
Indeed, George was equally comfortable in the presence of royalty and world leaders as he was with frontline hotel and restaurant workers,” she recalled.
Jibrilu, the former Director General of Tourism in The Bahamas, said it would be impossible to overstate Myers’ impact on the growth of Nassau Paradise Island and The Bahamas during a long and illustrious career that spanned more than 50 years. The businessman was literally born into the hospitality industry, working in his family-owned hotel in Jamaica before coming to The Bahamas in 1963.
He rose from bar manager to vice president and general manager of the Nassau Beach Hotel before playing a major part in the development of Paradise Island in his role as president and chief operating officer of Resorts International (Bahamas). Myers was founder of both NPIPB and the Paradise Island Tourism Development Association, which brought the hotel industry together to market and help further develop the destination.
He was the driving force behind the creation of Caribbean Travel Marketplace, in his work with the Caribbean Hotel Association (now the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association). Marketplace continues today as the region’s premier tourism marketing event – a great testament to his vision. Myers created The Myers Group Ltd. in 1992 and built an organization that, in addition to hotels, became the leading restaurant operator in the destination. Through this work, the company became a top employer in The Bahamas with an employee base of more than 1,000.
Jibrilu recalled that giving back to his community, whether as an employer, a board member, or philanthropist, was of paramount importance to Myers: “It’s no wonder he received so many honors and accolades throughout his incredible career – from Hotelier of the Year to Lifetime Achievement Award winner and more.”
