Cenus Hinds
GRANT WINNER • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
When Tourism Stopped, He Found a New Way Forward
Cariway Tourism
How a Hunter's Grant recipient tripled revenue at his travel agency during the COVID-19 pandemic
Cenus Hinds has always been ambitious. The St. Vincent native and self-proclaimed "serial entrepreneur" won a grant from Hunter's Fund in 2020 for his company Cariway, a boutique travel agency that connects travelers to local hosts in popular island destinations. Cariway isn't your average travel agency , it's specifically focused on supporting local economies by highlighting community businesses that offer unique activities from kayaking to volcano tours and even adventures in rum tasting.
But when the COVID-19 pandemic brought travel to a near standstill, Hinds pivoted Cariway's strategic plan. Instead of focusing on attracting tourists, the company would concentrate on providing tourism experiences to locals living on the island. In doing so, Cariway's average monthly revenue increased by more than three-fold, all during the ongoing pandemic.
"We live in a society where tourism experiences and fun things have been reserved for foreigners," Hinds says. "But foreign travel just isn't happening right now with COVID-19."
In recent months, 90 to 95 percent of Cariway's customers have been locals on the island.
What your support made possible:
Business resources that helped Cariway adapt and continue developing tourism services through a difficult period.
Because of you... Cenus can keep testing the idea, learning from the next step, and discovering what Cariway Tourism might become.