BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – OWNER of Island Paradise Tours, Rosevelt Taylor declared that his company would continue to be committed to the excellent service it has been offering over the years to tourists and other visitors to the twin-island of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Taylor made this pronouncement shortly after he was honoured with the People’s Choice Award for being a professional inbound tour operator with a goal to exceed the guests’ needs and desires.
He was honoured on November 17 at the St. Kitts Experience Awards Ceremony held at the Carambola Beach Club, which was attended by a wide-cross section of the society, including Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, Minister of Tourism and International Transport Ricky Skerritt, other Government Ministers and representatives of various sectors of the St. Kitts tourism product.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, the St. Kitts Experience Awards is an annual event that is part of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority’s efforts to elevate service standards in the island’s hospitality industry and encourage the development of uniquely Caribbean visitor experiences, in order to enhance St. Kitts’ competitive position in the regional and global tourism arena.
That was the third time in just over two years that Taylor had been recognised for his highly-rated contributions to the Tourism Industry of St. Kitts and Nevis.
His first recognition came from Jim Abney, Director/Principal Project Manager of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, who, after a visit to St. Kitts with his wife on November 3, 2010, posted a review on TripAdvisor for Business about his island-wide tour with Island Paradise Tours, which he highly recommended to tourists who intend to visit St. Kitts.
Following on the heels of Abney’s endorsement, Island Paradise Tours was awarded a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor for Business.
Taylor, a native of St. Kitts, grew up in the town of Sandy Point where the closest beach to his home was a mere 100-meter away. Since the beach was so close, swimming, collecting sea shells, catching crabs, digging in the sand, bird watching and fishing along the shore of the Bay were common activities during his formative years.
At age 13 his parents, who were residing in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, returned to St. Kitts and took him and his siblings to live with them. Shortly after his arrival there, he moved to Indiana where he completed his high school and trade school education. On graduation from high school, he moved to Texas where he attended the Texas College in Tyler.
At that College, Rosevelt was conferred with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and became a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and also a member of the International Student Association.
Since that time, he gave 10 years yeoman service to the US Army and was afforded the opportunity to travel around the world to five continents.
Upon leaving the army, taylor was employed at Tandy Corporation in Houston, Texas as a District Manager. This was followed with his employment at Hargest Vocational and Technical College in Houston, Texas as a College Recruiter/Counsellor.
With the entrepreneurial spirit rising to the fore, Rosevelt decided that the time was right for him to establish his own business. That he did in 1990 when he opened a used car dealership called R. T. & T. Auto in Tomball, Texas.
On his return to his homeland in 2002, Taylor was encouraged by the then Minister of Sports and Culture, Jacinth Henry-Martin, to get involved in the Tourism Industry. And after sometime in deliberation, he decided to start his own business in that sector and established Island Paradise Tours in 2004.
Island Paradise Tours is a Professional Inbound Tour Operator, tailored to suit the guests’ needs and desires. It offers a creative and new way to see any or all of the many interesting and historical sites as well as the fauna and flora on the island of St. Kitts; also, for tourists to enjoy a taste of the island’s cuisine and unique cultural activities.
Taylor told SKNVibes that he truly enjoys his job, as he gets numerous opportunities to meet people from all walks of life. He also stated that he had the privilege of driving the royal family of Dubai and the CEO of Disney World Pictures, among other dignitaries and popular personalities.
His work takes him on a regular basis to Port Zante, where the cruise ships normally dock.
He vividly remembers one particular day earlier this year when he was welcoming guests to St. Kitts and was surprised to have found four of his children among them. This experience, he noted, is among the many unannounced arrivals of his family members and also close friends, including his military buddies and fraternity brothers whom he had not seen in many years.
Rosevelt says that he dearly loves his country and demonstrates that love on every tour he conducts. Evidence of this revelation lies in the remarks made by a number of tourists, who were overheard saying, “We have enjoyed the tour of St. Kitts more than any other island in the Caribbean.”
To this end, Rosevelt said, “Hearing that is a reward within itself. I never rush my tours...I only do one tour a day and I do it to the best of my ability."
