Speaking to Breaking Travel News at the inaugural Global Tourism Resilience Conference in Kingston, Jamaica, last month, Nicola Madden-Greig, president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), discussed the methods used by the region to get through the COVID-19 pandemic and come out the other side poised to thrive. Chief among them was close collaboration among the public and private sectors, multiple industries, and various island destinations.

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, is calling on the global community to support a tourism resilience fund to help countries cope with disruptions like pandemics. 

HAMILTON, Bermuda – The owner of the Fairmont Southampton resort is applying to build more than 130 residential and tourism units that will cover 34 acres of the 100-acre site, according to an advertisement placed in the Royal Gazette newspaper.

The new Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau in the Bahamas has been described as ‘a gem’ in downtown Nassau by Joy Jibrilu, CEO of Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board (NPIPB).

CASTRIES, St. Lucia – An online Embarkation/Disembarkation (ED) form that allows for the electronic processing of travelers will be introduced here on Wednesday.

Charlestown, Nevis - On February 15th, Nevis and Cape Air celebrated the launch of the leading regional airline service to Nevis by welcoming the inaugural Cape Air flight from St. Thomas to Nevis at a ceremony befitting the occasion.

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – The longstanding ban on jet skis in St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be reviewed this year, Tourism Minister Carlos James announced following comments from the head of the  country’s Tourism Authority that the ban made “no sense”.

BARBADOS – Former president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism and Association (CHTA) Patricia Affonso-Dass believes the 41st annual Caribbean Travel Marketplace, to be held in Barbados May 9-11, can be a defining moment for the travel trade body.

As Curaçao continues to shatter tourism records, one of the region’s leading tourism executives opines that the Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB) might be a model for others to follow, given its significant achievement in using data and analytics to overcome market challenges.

MIAMI, FL - Unique Vacations Inc. (UVI), an affiliate of the worldwide representative of Sandals® Resorts and Beaches® Resorts, today announced the appointment of Tony Cortizas as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), effective immediately.  Cortizas brings more than three decades of creative storytelling and strategic brand building expertise for global hospitality names.  He will report to CEO Jeff Clarke,  strengthening his leadership role within the organization where he is charged with directing research, creative, and brand marketing for the hospitality brands under the UVI umbrella, particularly all-inclusive trailblazer Sandals Resorts and sister brand, family-friendly Beaches Resorts.

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James, is undergoing significant modernization designed to transform it into a world-class facility.

Two of Antigua and Barbuda’s major source markets are driving a robust tourism recovery for the twin-island destination.