Meet Our CEO
IC Caribbean and the Captain Behind It!
IC Caribbean was founded 18 years ago, but the idea for an online Caribbean hub for tourists was first conceived in 2005 by IC Caribbean founder, Icen Collins.
Who is Mr. Icen Collins, and what exactly is the vision behind IC Caribbean?
Marketing Intern, Lillian Hsiao, takes a deep dive into the history of IC Caribbean, its inspiration, plans for the future, and more in an interview with Mr. Icen. This blog communicates the content of that interview including Mr. Icen’s connection to the Caribbean, how he nurtures company culture, and more.
FOUNDER, CEO
The Caribbean: Beautiful Beaches, Distinct Cultures, Rich History
Who is Icen Collins? Mr. Icen Collins is the CEO and founder of IC Caribbean. He is a native of Saint Kitts and Nevis, growing up in St. Thomas Usvi in the eastern Caribbean Cea, 40 miles east of Puerto Rico. His childhood there fostered a deep connection between him and the Caribbean. Today, however, Mr. Icen’s love for the Caribbean is not only because it is his homeland, but also because it embodies beautiful and diverse people and cultures. He shares,
The Caribbean is [broken] down into … your French Caribbean islands, then you have your Dutch Caribbean islands, … your British. Then got you the United States, Caribbean islands. And then you have a bunch of independent islands… [The] French [are] kinda owned by France and they have their own French Caribbean culture. Then you have the Dutch owned by the Dutch. They also have their own culture, music. … it’s a whole mix-up.
The Caribbean is also rich in geography, with over 700 islands and 30 territories. Based on its colonial history, each territory today is uniquely different due to its respective blend of European, Native, and other influences. Mr. Icen says that for him, traveling back is “to meet the people.”
Other than the people and culture, the simple beauty of the islands also draws Mr. Icen to them. He shares:
It’s tropical. [Our] region [is] always hot, [it] is always 84-85° in the day and then 68° in the evening… You’ve got those beautiful beaches.
Start of the Caribbean Travel Startup
Working on Manchester Ave in LA, and then managing Kinney Shoes in Inglewood, Mr. Icen’s coworkers would ask him about the Caribbean. They knew that he often visited with his wife and wanted to know what the islands were like from a native’s perspective. It was then that Mr. Icen first realized the lack of familiarity that non-natives had with the Caribbean. To him, someone who loves and wants others to love the islands, this lack of knowledge about the Caribbean presented itself as an opportunity. Mr. Icen says in the interview,
“That’s one of the reasons [that] got me started with this IC Caribbean… I was saying, “I could start a company and educate tourists who want to go to the Caribbean and have Caribbean native[s] speak to them about the Caribbean because now you have people who live it [and] … would know it from A to Z.”
What is IC Caribbean?
IC Caribbean is an online travel agency and Caribbean hub. It includes blogs and travel guides full of information about the different Caribbean islands. It even has a podcast that explores different topics with locals. IC Caribbean also partners with different organizations, both large and small, to provide the best services to its audience. Some of IC Caribbean’s partners include TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Booking.com to offer deals to site visitors. We also partner with local tour guides to promote authentic, quality tours while also supporting the local businesses of the Caribbean. He explains,
“We just [got] a partnership with MSC cruise line where we have a direct partnership with them to promote … their company and also promote their promotion[s] …So each time they have a promotion, we get a lot of the first information [for us to] place on our website.”
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