COURTESY GARAGE is contributing important foreign exchange to the Barbados economy and injecting funds to ensure the Crop Over Festival is a success.
This was underscored by the Wildey, St Michael automobile dealership’s senior general manager Nicholas Mackie as the $126 000 Nissan X-Trail to be driven away by this year’s Pic-O-De-Crop monarch was unveiled at the launch of a new partnership with festival organizer the National Cultural Foundation (NCF).
In the case of foreign exchange contribution, Mackie said Courtesy Garage, through its subsidiary Courtesy Rent-A-Car, played a role in directly injecting foreign exchange into the economy through an affiliate agreement with Hertz, the global rental car giant.
The partnership with Hertz meant that European and North American visitors for Crop Over can choose, and pre-book, from one of the biggest and youngest fleets of rental cars on the island and have their vehicles awaiting them at the airport on arrival.
Through a new partnership between agents Courtesy Garage and the National Cultural Foundation, the king or queen of social commentary calypso will be presented with the Nissan X-Trail SUV on finals night at Kensington Oval on August 5.
Mackie said: “the X-Trail is really an exceptional prize that carries the very latest in technology and will be a good fit for the champion calypsonian”.
“We are elated to partner with the NCF in such a unique opportunity to support the arts and culture in Barbados and recognise the amazing talent we have on the island,” he added.
Noting that Nissan and Courtesy were not new to supporting Crop Over, having supported artistes, tents and fetes over the years , Mackie said they were proud to play a bigger role in the festival which helps the country to earn millions of dollars in valuable foreign exchange.
NCF chief executive officer Cranston thanked Courtesy Garage for supporting and recognising the value of the art form and for partnering with the NCF to provide the next Calypso Monarch with the prize. (PR)
