LONDON – Caribbean & Co. has released a new infographic that highlights United States presidential visits to the Caribbean region.
In the aftermath of the recent visit by President Barack Obama to Jamaica, the Caribbean focused digital platform has uncovered information detailing the frequency of United States presidential visits to the region.
“We normally write about Caribbean culture, lifestyle and luxury brands, but we were so intrigued by the excitement surrounding President Obama’s visit, not just in Jamaica but also across the region, that we decided to undertake this research”, says Caribbean & Co. Founder Ursula Petula Barzey.
Starting with the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt in 1901, the research compiled in the new infographic, reveals that 14 different United States presidents have made a total of 36 visits to the Caribbean. Included in these numbers are visits to Bermuda in the Northern Caribbean and the South American territory of Suriname, both members of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM).
Fourteen (14) Caribbean countries have had at least one visit, with the most visited countries being Bermuda with eight (8) visits, Bahamas with six (6), Trinidad & Tobago with five (5), and Jamaica with four (4) visits. President Franklin D. Roosevelt holds the distinction of most frequent visits to the region, recording a total of 14 trips. About half of those visits were informal or for holiday purposes, as Roosevelt was known to be fond of fishing in The Bahamas.
All United States presidents since Jimmy Carter have visited the region at least once, with the exception of President George W. Bush. However, the elder President George H. W. Bush made four (4) trips to the Caribbean, while President Ronald Reagan visited on three (3) occasions. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, William (Bill) Clinton, and Barack Obama have all visited the region twice.
The first visit by President Barack Obama was to Trinidad & Tobago on April 17-19, 2009, when he attended the Summit of the Americas. The infographic by Caribbean & Co. was compiled based on information from the United States Department of State, Office of the Historian.
