WI Kulcha making travel easier for Caribbean people

By Coretta Joe

As we approach the almost two-year mark since the COVID-19 pandemic uprooted life as we know it, one Caribbean company has devised a way to come out of it on top—with affordable, hassle-free travel.

Dominican-born Montserrat-raised Jarrell Fenton is the man at the helm of WI Kulcha, which had its origins as an entertainment company at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus. Now based in London, the chief executive officer (CEO) spoke to Barbados TODAY on the importance of travel for Caribbean people and what to expect during WI Kulcha’s highly anticipated 2022 summer trip to Tulum, Mexico.

Fenton told Barbados TODAY that after moving to the United Kingdom (UK), his eyes became open to travel within the event space, hence the company’s evolution. Noting that the company’s management team is scattered throughout the Caribbean and the diaspora, he explained that many Caribbean people do not necessarily see themselves as tourists since travel is usually tied to visiting family and friends overseas and, of course, shopping.

In the UK, Fenton observed that tourism is big business and that the country is leading in terms of holiday-goers. He also took note of the hassle-free way in which trips were planned. This observation planted a seed, and the team was confident that this was something that Caribbean people could benefit from and embarked on months of planning to roll out the first experience.

“It’s a big world with a lot of cultures, and we want to make it hassle-free for Caribbean people to travel and enjoy new experiences. Myself and one of the other members, just before the pandemic, went to Barcelona, and it was just such an eye-opening experience. For the trips that we are planning, we’re starting with Mexico. That was an easy decision for us because Tulum is a hotspot for tourism, and it checked off a lot of the boxes that we were looking for, especially coming out of the pandemic,” he revealed.

Fenton further explained that the major selling point of the trip is about experiencing a new culture, having fun with friends, the community, and travel.

The trip, which begins on August 18 and ends on August 22, 2022, is tailored specifically for Caribbean people and features a packed itinerary, which includes a welcome party, a day at the beach, a bar crawl, an adventure day, a club night, a catamaran day, and a farewell masquerade party. Barbadian photographer Kristopher Streek has been selected as the official photographer for the trip.

The entrepreneur told Barbados TODAY that the response has been quite overwhelming in terms of interest and bookings, largely due to the relatively affordable packages, including airfare, accommodation, experiences, and photography. He also noted that after the extensive lockdowns due to COVID, people are excited to be a part of an experience that is catered to them.

Fenton advised persons who are new to travel to plan as early as possible, and start small, even if it is a staycation in their own country.

“There is a quote that I really like: ‘the world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page’. And no matter how I really, really love West Indian culture; I love everything about it: our food, our culture, in terms of the events . . . everything about West Indian culture is unmatched. But it’s a wide, wide world, and various cultures have hundreds and thousands of years of history, and there are some things we can learn from each culture, something that you can experience for the first time. There are some things you will like and certain things you won’t like as much, but it just opens your thinking,” he said.