Carib Scope

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  • Suriname Business & Innovation Pavilion opent tijdens Kwaku Summer Festival 2026

    Suriname Business & Innovation Pavilion opent tijdens Kwaku Summer Festival 2026

    A new milestone in Suriname’s global economic outreach is set to unfold this month, as the Suriname Business & Innovation Pavilion prepares for its official opening at the 2026 Kwaku Summer Festival on July 12. This collaborative initiative brings together Suriname’s public sector agencies, private enterprises and civil society organizations to showcase the nation’s commercial, innovative and tourism potential to a broad audience of Dutch and international attendees.

    Backed by a diverse coalition of key stakeholders, the project counts participation from Suriname’s Ministries of Transport, Communication and Tourism, as well as the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing. Additional supporting partners include the Consulate General of the Republic of Suriname in Amsterdam, Surinam Airways, the Suriname Tourism Foundation, and SITA, creating a whole-of-economy framework for the pavilion’s programming.

    At its core, the initiative is designed to strengthen Suriname’s international positioning across four key pillars: entrepreneurship, innovation, tourism, and foreign investment. Visitors to the space will gain firsthand exposure to authentic Surinamese products, cutting-edge local ventures, underrated tourist destinations, and untapped business opportunities. To deepen connections, the pavilion will also host a series of industry presentations and networking sessions, aimed at expanding and solidifying economic cooperation between Suriname, the Netherlands, and the broader European market.

    A key highlight of the pavilion’s showcase is the lineup of products and services developed by local Surinamese entrepreneurs, which leverage the nation’s unique natural raw materials, traditional craftsmanship and modern innovative capacity. Both public and private sector organizations have contributed to building the pavilion’s event schedule, united by the shared goal of driving inclusive economic and tourism growth across Suriname.

    Project initiator Patrick Rechards, who developed the pavilion in close partnership with Consul General Roseline Daan, emphasized that the space will do more than showcase Suriname’s existing strengths. By increasing the nation’s international visibility, the initiative is poised to open entirely new market opportunities for Surinamese entrepreneurs looking to expand into Europe, Rechards noted.

    The official opening ceremony will be led by Ambassador Ricardo Panka, with veteran presenter Jörgen Raymann serving as master of ceremonies for the event and ongoing programming.

    Organizers frame the pavilion as more than a temporary festival attraction: it is designed to serve as a long-term sustainable platform that unites entrepreneurship, innovation, tourism, and cross-border collaboration. The initiative underscores Suriname’s broader ambition to establish itself as a leading competitive and attractive partner for international trade, investment, and sustainable economic development, while strengthening long-standing ties between Suriname, the Netherlands, and the European Union.

  • American Airlines expands Miami-St. Kitts service with two daily winter flights – WIC News

    American Airlines expands Miami-St. Kitts service with two daily winter flights – WIC News

    One of the largest carriers in the United States, American Airlines, is ramping up its seasonal service between Miami International Airport and St. Kitts, adding two daily non-stop flights to meet growing travel demand during the Caribbean peak winter tourism season. The expanded schedule will run from December 17, 2026, through April 5, 2027, with all flights operating through St. Kitts’ Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport, according to an official announcement from tourism authorities of St. Kitts and Nevis.

    Marsha Henderson, Minister of Tourism for the twin-island federation, highlighted that the additional daily flights come at a critical time for the country’s tourism sector, coinciding with the busiest travel window of the year and the annual St. Kitts and Nevis National Carnival, popularly known as Sugar Mas. The festival, a major cultural draw for the destination, consistently draws a sharp uptick in international visitor arrivals each winter. Tourism leaders project that the boosted airlift will not only accommodate this seasonal surge but also drive sustained growth in visitor numbers throughout the entire operating period.

    For travelers, the expanded service brings far greater flexibility when planning winter getaways to the Caribbean, eliminating common scheduling constraints that often limit trip planning. Unlike the previous limited service between the two locations, two daily departures will allow visitors to align travel plans with personal schedules, connecting seamlessly to American Airlines’ extensive global network through its Miami hub.

    St. Kitts has emerged as a top destination for travelers seeking high-end Caribbean vacations, blending untouched natural landscapes, rich cultural history, and world-class luxury accommodation. Visitors to the island can explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, relax on the powdery white sands of South Friars Bay and Cockleshell Beach, or take a short scenic ferry ride to the neighboring island of Nevis, creating a two-island vacation experience in a single trip. The destination’s luxury hospitality offerings include prominent properties such as the Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour, St. Kitts Marriott Beach Resort, and Belle Mont Sanctuary Resort, catering to a range of traveler preferences from family getaways to romantic retreats.

    Industry analysts note that the expanded service represents a vote of confidence from American Airlines in the long-term growth of St. Kitts and Nevis’ tourism sector, which has rebounded strongly post-pandemic and continues to see rising demand from North American travelers. For the local economy, which relies heavily on tourism as a core source of employment and government revenue, increased visitor arrivals are expected to generate widespread benefits across hotels, restaurants, local tour operators, and retail businesses throughout the peak season.

  • Antigua and Barbuda Hands Over ECCB Monetary Council Chairmanship to Dominica

    Antigua and Barbuda Hands Over ECCB Monetary Council Chairmanship to Dominica

    A key leadership transition is set to take place in 2026 for the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), as the top post of its Monetary Council prepares to change hands in a formal, public ceremony. On July 9, 2026, starting at 5:00 p.m. local time at the Trafalgar Ballroom of the InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort located in the Commonwealth of Dominica, current chair Gaston Browne, the council’s representative for Antigua and Barbuda, will officially transfer the gavel to incoming chair Dr. Irving McIntyre, Dominica’s representative to the decision-making body.

    As the highest governing and decision-making authority of the ECCB, the Monetary Council is composed of the finance ministers from all eight of the ECCB’s member jurisdictions across the Eastern Caribbean. Following long-standing institutional rules, the council’s chairmanship rotates on an annual basis, with the role passing to the next representative in alphabetical order of the member territories: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. This rotational system ensures equal representation and shared governance across the Eastern Caribbean currency union.

    Beyond the formal leadership handover, the 2026 ceremony will carry special historical significance: it will host the public unveiling of a fully redesigned series of Eastern Caribbean (EC) banknotes and coins, created to mark the 50th anniversary of the EC dollar’s fixed exchange rate peg to the United States dollar.

    The process to update the regional currency began years before the launch. During the Monetary Council’s 105th meeting held on July 21, 2023, members approved a landmark change: the removal of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait from EC currency, a shift that aligns with the region’s evolving sovereign identity. The council also directed the ECCB to lead a period of public consultation to gather input from residents across member territories on what imagery should replace the former portrait. These public engagement sessions ran from July through December 2023, and the results were clear: an overwhelming majority of respondents supported featuring local national heroes and foundational nation builders on the newly redesigned currency.

    For those unable to attend the ceremony in person, the entire event will be broadcast for free via live stream on two platforms: the official ECCB Connects platform and the ECCB’s public YouTube channel, allowing residents, financial stakeholders and interested observers across the region and globally to follow the proceedings.

  • BEEP Awards 22 Small Businesses $5000

    BEEP Awards 22 Small Businesses $5000

    On July 7, 2026, 22 emerging small business entrepreneurs across Belize walked away with transformative $5,000 grants each at the closing cohort ceremony of the Belize Enterprise Empowerment Project (BEEP), a nationwide initiative designed to fuel growth for local maturing enterprises.

    Hosted on the morning of the ceremony by the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE), in formal partnership with the CARICOM Development Fund, the program combines targeted business training with seed capital investment to help small, locally owned businesses scale their operations and expand their market reach across the country. This cohort’s successful grant recipients represent a diverse cross-section of Belize’s private sector, spanning everything from sustainable agriculture and local food processing to hospitality and tourism, creative content services, and digital marketing.

    Ishmael Quiroz, Executive Director of BELTRAIDE, walked attendees through the program’s rigorous competitive selection process. The initiative drew 127 initial applicant businesses, he explained, with eligibility hinging on the submission of a complete, high-quality business proposal. From the initial pool, just 30 ventures were shortlisted to move forward and participate in the program’s comprehensive structured business training curriculum. To advance to the final grant pitching stage, participating entrepreneurs were required to complete a minimum of 80% of the training coursework.

    From that group of 30 trained candidates, 22 ultimately won the grant awards after successfully presenting their business plans to an independent evaluation panel, which assessed each venture based on viability, innovative potential, and long-term prospects for growth. “Twenty-two were successful in completing the program and in successfully pitching and convincing the evaluation panel that their business was viable, innovative, and stood a good chance of success,” Quiroz confirmed during the ceremony.

    For recipients like Darlon Usher, the grant represents a pivotal turning point for his growing enterprise. “This is definitely a major step for me and my business in that it provides and allows me to provide better, quality service for my clients,” Usher said. “I’m able to expand my equipment and in doing so, I’m able to provide more services for the clients.”

    Fellow recipient Dawn Humes noted that while the application and training process was rigorous, it delivered lasting value beyond the financial grant. “I have to say the process was a little vigorous, right? We got to learn about the business from the beginning to the end, which is a good thing. And one thing I could say that each of us know now how to manage and how the steps it will take for us to have a prosperous business,” Humes explained.

    Quiroz added that the program is structured to support long-term success, not just one-time funding. The $5,000 grants are disbursed in two separate disbursement phases, paired with ongoing monitoring from BELTRAIDE to ensure the funds are used accountably and that recipients continue to receive the guidance they need to sustain growth after the award. This online report is a transcript of a television evening newscast, with Kriol language comments standardized using an official spelling system for accessibility.

  • BNSI pushes phased metric move with public campaigns, tools

    BNSI pushes phased metric move with public campaigns, tools

    Half a century after Barbados first launched its transition to the metric system, the island nation’s national standards regulator is calling for an urgent end to the lingering use of imperial pounds in local commerce, warning that incomplete conversion is dragging down trade performance, creating operational friction, and confusing consumers.

    The Barbados National Standards Institution (BNSI) laid out its case this Tuesday, stressing that full adoption of the kilogram as the primary mass measurement unit for all commercial activity is a critical step to modernize the country’s trade practices and cement its standing in the global economy.

    Barbados first kicked off its metric shift back in 1973, joining a broader regional and global push toward standardized international measurement systems. By 1977, the government formalized the transition, passing a new Weights and Measures Act that made metric units the official standard for all government and regulatory use. However, decades on, elements of the old imperial system have stubbornly persisted: while service providers such as fuel stations already sell gasoline by the liter, most retail grocers and traders still list product weights in pounds, creating a patchwork dual measurement system that creates inconsistencies across nearly every sector of the local economy.

    BNSI’s statement points out that even though the kilogram is the globally recognized official unit of mass under the International System of Units (SI), pounds remain embedded in day-to-day local commerce. This ongoing dual usage creates a cascade of avoidable challenges that undercut trade efficiency, complicate business operations, and leave consumers confused.

    Because nearly all major international trading partners operate exclusively on the metric system, Barbadian businesses that rely on pounds for internal operations are forced to spend extra time and resources converting measurements for import, export, and cross-border commercial documentation. These repeated conversions do not just add unnecessary labor costs for packaging, labelling, and record-keeping – they also raise the risk of costly calculation errors and miscommunications between trading partners that can lead to delayed shipments and extra compliance burdens for local exporters looking to access global markets.

    Within Barbados’ own borders, the mixed measurement system creates mismatches between commercial practices and the metric standard already used across the country’s education, science, engineering, and technical industries. For consumers, the discrepancy makes it far harder to compare prices and product sizes across brands that use different units, eroding market transparency. A uniform kilogram-based system would make shopping far simpler, clearer, and fairer, BNSI argues, allowing shoppers to immediately identify which product delivers the best value for money.

    To help the country complete the transition smoothly, BNSI has already rolled out a structured phased strategy to expand metric adoption across all sectors of the economy. The plan includes targeted consultation sessions with industry stakeholders and widespread public awareness campaigns. Since 2023, the regulator has hosted a regular series of stakeholder webinars centered on the theme “Pounds to Kilograms” to answer business questions and address conversion concerns.

    Moving forward, additional support will include practical conversion tools, step-by-step guides, and accessible communication resources to help both businesses and consumers complete unit transitions without disruption. Outreach efforts will also include in-market informational signage, radio advertising, social media campaigns, and local community engagement programs to build widespread buy-in for the shift.

    BNSI emphasized that full conversion to kilograms will deliver long-term, meaningful benefits for Barbados’ economy by aligning the country’s trade rules with globally accepted norms. Widespread adoption of metric measurements will streamline cross-border imports and exports, improve accuracy in all commercial transactions, create consistent measurement standards across all domestic industries, and boost consumer and business confidence in Barbados’ marketplace.

  • Moon Gate Hotel & Spa Construction Update with Cameron Fraser June 2026

    Moon Gate Hotel & Spa Construction Update with Cameron Fraser June 2026

    In the latest June 2026 development update on the highly anticipated Moon Gate Hotel & Spa project, lead project executive Cameron Fraser has shared comprehensive insights into the current state of construction, milestone achievements, and forward-looking timelines for the luxury hospitality development.

    Fraser, who has overseen the project from its initial planning phase through to on-site execution, confirmed that structural framing for the main hotel building and adjacent spa facility is now 100% complete, putting the development six weeks ahead of the original adjusted schedule. Early site preparation and favorable weather conditions in the first quarter of 2026 allowed contractors to accelerate excavation and foundation work, creating a buffer that has offset minor supply chain delays for specialty finishing materials that arose earlier in the year.

    According to Fraser, the next phase of work will focus on interior finishing, facade installation, and site landscaping for the 120-key beachfront property, which will feature a 15,000 square-foot full-service spa, three farm-to-table dining outlets, and 10,000 square feet of flexible event and conference space. The project team has prioritized sustainable building practices throughout construction, incorporating solar panel arrays for on-site energy generation, a rainwater harvesting system for landscape irrigation, and low-VOC building materials to improve indoor air quality for guests and staff.

    Fraser noted that pre-leasing for group events and private bookings has already exceeded early projections, with multiple corporate retreats and destination wedding events locked in for the first six months of operation. The current timeline targets a soft opening in the first quarter of 2027, with a full grand opening scheduled for mid-2027, aligned with the peak summer travel season. Fraser emphasized that the project team remains committed to delivering a world-class hospitality destination that aligns with the original vision for Moon Gate, while maintaining strict adherence to budget and safety standards on site.

    Looking ahead, Fraser confirmed that the next public progress update will be released in September 2026, when the project team expects to complete facade installation and begin major interior fit-out work for the spa and dining facilities.

  • Guyana searching aggressively for new rice markets

    Guyana searching aggressively for new rice markets

    Against a backdrop of oversupplied global rice markets and persistently depressed international prices, Guyana is actively pursuing new export destinations to absorb a projected 2026 domestic rice output expected to hit 820,000 tonnes, the country’s Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha announced Tuesday. Speaking at a farmer subsidy distribution event held at the National Track and Field Facility in Leonora, West Coast Berbice, Mustapha outlined the government’s multi-pronged strategy to shore up the key national agricultural commodity sector, which has faced growing pressure from expanded production from major global rice exporters.

    Currently, Guyana’s largest regional export customers are member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), with Jamaica and St. Lucia purchasing more Guyanese rice than any other Caribbean markets, the minister told Demerara Waves Online News in a post-event interview. To diversify its customer base, the government is actively negotiating access to three new key markets: Mexico, Haiti, and Cuba. Talks with Mexico’s ambassador to Guyana are already in an advanced stage, while a small initial shipment of paddy has already been sent to Haiti, with expectations for much larger volumes following the country’s 2026 second harvest, Mustapha added. The country will continue existing rice exports to Europe, though Mustapha acknowledged that prices on the continent remain unprofitably low due to global market conditions.

    As of mid-2026, Guyana has already harvested 414,000 tonnes of rice, putting the country on track to meet its full-year output target, according to the minister. The global rice glut, driven by increased production from large exporting nations including India, Indonesia, and Malaysia, has driven down farmgate prices dramatically: millers currently pay farmers just GY$2,500 per bag of paddy, down from GY$4,000 per bag in 2023. To offset this drop and keep the sector viable, the Guyanese government has rolled out an extensive package of subsidies and support measures totaling GY$2.763 billion.

    Under the support scheme, the state-owned Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) has waived the annual GY$650 million to GY$700 million export commission that millers are required to pay, with the government covering the resulting revenue shortfall. So far in 2026, the government has already transferred GY$430 million of the GY$807 million total required funding to GRDB. Additional direct support includes a GY$300 per bag subsidy paid to farmers for paddy sold to millers, plus one free bag of fertilizer per cultivated acre. For Region Three (West Demerara-Essequibo Islands) alone, 560 farmers who planted 15,636 acres in the last growing cycle will receive a total of GY$401,696,055 in support. Payments are tiered to prioritize smaller operations: farmers cultivating 50 acres or less receive GY$15,000, while operations over 50 acres receive GY$10,000.

    In addition to direct price supports, Mustapha called on private landowners to roll back what he described as exorbitant land rental rates that are driving up production costs for already strained farmers. While public land providers – the Mahaica-Mahaicony Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission – charge between GY$1,000 and GY$3,500 per acre including drainage and irrigation services, some private landowners are charging as much as GY$30,000 per acre in rent. Mustapha urged private owners to lower these rates to help reduce the overall cost burden on rice producers.

    To improve long-term sector productivity, the government is also investing heavily in agricultural infrastructure for key growing regions. Region Three has recently received seven new irrigation pumps, and plans are moving forward for construction of a large-scale drainage canal modeled after a successful existing facility on the East Coast Demerara, alongside upgrades to farm-to-market road networks. The government is also supporting producers to adopt more efficient practices including drone fertilizer application, and encouraging diversification by integrating paddy cultivation with livestock rearing and high-yield alternative crops. “We don’t want to see you only depend on rice,” Mustapha told farmers.

    Despite the market challenges, Guyana has seen consistent growth in rice output over the past five years, rising from 550,000 tonnes in 2020 to 825,000 tonnes in 2025. Unlike 2025, when Essequibo Coast farmers resorted to paddy dumping due to lack of off-take, Mustapha confirmed that no unprocessed paddy has been discarded this year. All surplus paddy has been purchased by the government, with some currently stored in Essequibo awaiting milling and future distribution. To expand national storage capacity, the government is constructing a new public storage facility in Onderneeming, Essequibo, to complement existing privately owned storage sites.

  • New Regulatory Council to safeguard quality and authenticity of Dominican cigars

    New Regulatory Council to safeguard quality and authenticity of Dominican cigars

    SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS — The Dominican Republic has launched a landmark new institutional framework to safeguard one of its most celebrated cultural and economic exports, formally inaugurating the Regulatory Council for the “Dominican Cigar” Geographical Indication (GI). This dedicated governing body was created to defend the authenticity, consistent quality, and worldwide standing of the Caribbean nation’s world-famous tobacco product, a staple of global premium cigar markets for decades.

    Founded in accordance with two existing national legal frameworks — Law 20-00, which governs industrial property rights, and Law 34-18, the primary legislation regulating the country’s tobacco sector — the Council carries a core mandate of overseeing full adherence to the strict standards required for any product to carry the Dominican Cigar GI designation. Its scope of oversight extends to protecting the traditional production techniques, officially demarcated tobacco-growing regions, and one-of-a-kind sensory and structural characteristics that set authentic Dominican cigars apart from imitation products.

    To deliver on this mandate, the body will enforce two specific national standards, NORDOM 481 and NORDOM 482, by implementing end-to-end monitoring across every phase of cigar production. From the initial cultivation and harvesting of tobacco leaves in the Dominican Republic’s designated growing zones to the hand-manufacturing process and final packaging, every step will be reviewed to ensure consumers around the globe receive only genuine, premium-quality products bearing the Dominican Cigar label.

    As a multi-stakeholder entity designed to bring together expertise from across the public and private sectors, the Council is chaired by the Dominican Tobacco Institute (INTABACO). It also includes voting representatives from a range of relevant national bodies: the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, the Dominican Cigar Producers Association (PROCIGAR), the country’s investment and export promotion agency ProDominicana, the national standards body INDOCAL, and the national office of industrial property ONAPI, alongside direct representation from independent tobacco growers, manufacturers, and exporters. This broad membership structure enables the Council to deliver comprehensive technical, regulatory, and legal oversight of the GI designation.

    Beyond its core compliance and verification work, the new Regulatory Council will also take an active role in expanding the global footprint of the Dominican cigar brand. It will back targeted international marketing initiatives, develop and deliver specialized training programs for all registered producers and operators working with the GI designation, and coordinate with trade bodies around the world to raise awareness of the product’s unique value. Industry and government leaders note that the new structure brings the Dominican Republic’s $1 billion tobacco industry fully into alignment with international best practices for geographical indication protection, while cutting down on fraudulent misuse of the Dominican Cigar name and boosting the sector’s global competitiveness for years to come.

  • TNR and Intabaco partner to modernize Dominican tobacco farming

    TNR and Intabaco partner to modernize Dominican tobacco farming

    SANTO DOMINGO — Two leading Dominican agricultural institutions have announced a new collaborative agreement designed to transform the country’s iconic tobacco export sector through targeted upgrades to irrigation infrastructure and farmer capacity building. The National Irrigation Technology Directorate (TNR) and the Tobacco Institute of the Dominican Republic (Intabaco) formalized the partnership this week, with shared goals centered on boosting productivity, cutting environmental harm, and embedding long-term sustainability across one of the nation’s top agricultural export industries.

    Under the terms of the agreement, TNR will take the lead on delivering specialized technical expertise and hands-on training for tobacco producers. This training will cover every stage of working with modern pressurized irrigation systems, from initial installation to ongoing operation and routine maintenance, to ensure farmers can leverage these tools effectively long-term. For its part, Intabaco will act as a liaison between independent producers, training opportunities, public and private financing options, and government subsidy programs designed to lower barriers to adopting new irrigation technology.

    A core component of the partnership is the development of on-ground demonstration plots scattered across key tobacco-growing regions of the country. These plots will serve as living test cases, allowing local farmers to see firsthand the performance and benefits of upgraded irrigation systems. They will also give researchers and institutions the opportunity to collect rigorous data on how modern irrigation impacts both total tobacco yields and the overall quality of the harvested crop, providing actionable evidence to guide future sector improvements.

    Dominican agricultural officials project the partnership will deliver far-reaching economic benefits beyond on-farm productivity gains. The Dominican tobacco sector already contributes more than US$1.3 billion to annual national exports, and institutional leaders expect the modernization push to strengthen the sector’s global competitiveness. Crucially, the partnership is also designed to drive widespread adoption of innovative, water-efficient farming practices that align with the country’s broader environmental sustainability goals, creating a balance between economic growth and responsible resource management.

  • Bajan-made gin captures Gold at Gin Masters

    Bajan-made gin captures Gold at Gin Masters

    Barbados’ centuries-old legacy of spirit craftsmanship has earned new global attention, after a homegrown gin produced at the island’s Stade’s West Indies Rum Distillery claimed top honors at one of the spirits industry’s most prestigious international competitions. Citadelle Bajan, a 100% Barbadian-made gin, took home a Gold Medal at the 2026 Gin Masters, an annual tasting contest organized by leading industry publication *The Spirit Business* that is widely counted among the most respected judging events for premium gins worldwide.

    What sets Citadelle Bajan apart from other gins on the global market is its deep ties to Barbados’ iconic rum-making heritage. Unlike most traditional gins crafted from grain bases, the award-winning spirit is distilled from a molasses foundation, a nod to the island’s 323-year history of rum production. It is then infused with a signature blend of Caribbean botanicals: locally grown grapefruit, hibiscus, bay leaf, and lemongrass, resulting in a bright, layered profile that reflects the island’s terroir. Notably, grapefruit itself was first cultivated in Barbados in the mid-1700s, adding an extra layer of local identity to the gin’s flavor profile.

    In a statement following the award announcement, Andrew Hassell, Managing Director of Stade’s West Indies Rum Distillery, emphasized the win as a testament to Barbados’ enduring distilling expertise. “Barbados has an extraordinary distilling culture, and Citadelle Bajan is one more expression of what can be created here,” he said, crediting the on-island production team for the achievement. “This recognition belongs to the people behind it, the teams who worked together and brought a Barbadian point of view to a French gin brand.”

    Citadelle Bajan is a regional offshoot of the globally renowned Citadelle Gin brand, which traces its origins to France. The parent brand has already cemented its reputation for excellence, collecting more than 180 international awards to date. Its past honors include Spirit and Gin of the Year at the 2024 Bartender Spirits Awards, and a Master Medal — the competition’s highest distinction — at the 2025 Gin Masters.

    Stade’s West Indies Rum Distillery itself carries a long legacy of Caribbean spirit production. Founded in 1893 in Brighton, St. Michael, the facility spent more than a century producing iconic Bajan rum before it was acquired by French spirits conglomerate Maison Ferrand in March 2017. Today, alongside Citadelle Bajan, the distillery produces a range of award-winning spirits including Planteray Rum and Stade’s Rum.

    The 2026 Gold Medal win puts a spotlight on a growing trend in Barbados’ spirits sector: the emergence of a homegrown gin industry that builds on the island’s existing rum-making expertise. Craft distillers across the island have adapted traditional rum fermentation and distillation techniques to create gins infused with native Caribbean botanicals, carving out a unique niche in the global premium spirits market. Citadelle Bajan is not alone in this space; it joins other local Bajan gin labels such as Perkins & Sons, produced by the family-run Hopewell Distillery, which also draws on rum-making traditions to craft its distinctive products.

    Industry observers note that the expansion of Barbados’ gin segment offers a new avenue for the island’s spirits sector to grow its global footprint, leveraging the existing international reputation of Bajan rum to introduce a new line of award-winning products to consumers around the world.