Month: April 2015

Beach Journal: The Joy of the Sand on Playa Bavaro, Punta Cana
Above: the beach at the Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe hotel in Punta Cana BAVARO — Sometimes we forget. We forget how beautiful Caribbean beaches can be. How quiet. How relaxing. How perfect. There are so many wonderful things about the …
LATEST NEWS
Jamaica Eyes Expanded Trade With Cuba, Costa Rica
Above: Jamaica Industry Minister Anthony Hylton during a media briefing at Jamaica Promotions Corporation’s offices in New Kingston (JIS Photo) By the Caribbean Journal staff Jamaica is looking to expand and strengthen its trade ties in the wider Caribbean Basin. …
Sunwing Keeps Adding Cuba Flights
Above: Memories Holguin By the Caribbean Journal staff Sunwing’s Cuba expansion continues to gain steam. The Canadian vacation giant has added a series of new flights to Cuba, the company announced this week. The company announced that it would be …
Belize Is Getting Faster Internet
Above: the signing ceremony in Belize City By Gerard BestCJ Contributor Sometimes the best solution to a technical problem is social engineering. After a journey of two years, that’s exactly how Belize has come to a major milestone in its …
Why This is the Caribbean’s Coolest New Hotel
Above: the JW Marriott Santo Domingo (All photos by CJ) By Alexander Britell SANTO DOMINGO — I am floating above Santo Domingo. I am walking on air, held up only by a thin sliver of glass extended from the lobby …
In Barbados, An Eye Toward Innovation
Above: Barbados (CJ Photo) By the Caribbean Journal staff Entrepreneurship and innovation are critical for promoting competitiveness and diversifying the economy, according to Barbados Industry Minister Donville Inniss. The Minister, who was speaking at the opening of the recent Inter-American …
InselAir Launching New Service From Aruba to Santo Domingo
Above: Santo Domingo (CJ Photo) By the Caribbean Journal staff InselAir is launching new service to the Dominican Republic. The carrier announced Wednesday that it would begin operating two flights per week from Aruba to Santo Domingo beginning July 1. …
Rebranded Holiday Inn Launches in Montego Bay, Jamaica
Above: the relaunching ceremony this week By the Caribbean Journal staff The former Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort in Jamaica has relaunched with a new name and a new look. The property is now called the Holiday Inn Resort Montego Bay, following a …
The 10 Best Jamaica All-Inclusive Resorts
Jamaica’s first “year-round” all-inclusive resort, now known as Couples Tower Isle, opened its doors nearly four decades ago. Today, Jamaica continues to raise the bar with a slew of extraordinary all-inclusives that offer everything from catamaran cruises to caviar bars for …
The Caribbean’s Largest Tourism Destination Is Off to a Strong Start in 2015
Above: Dominican Republic Vice Minister of Tourism Radhames Martinez Aponte (CJ Photo) By Alexander Britell PUNTA CANA — After a very strong year in 2014, the Caribbean’s largest tourism destination is continuing its growth so far in 2015. The country …
Rum Journal: A Hidden Bar on the Caribbean’s Oldest Street
Above: the lobby bar at the Hostal Nicolas de Ovando in Santo Domingo (All photos by CJ) This bar isn’t very old. But the building is. It’s been aging for half a millennium, a place that was once home to …
Dominican Republic Tourism Conference Launches in Punta Cana
Above: Punta Cana (CJ Photo) By Alexander Britell PUNTA CANA — The largest tourism conference in the Caribbean’s most popular destination is now underway. DATE, the Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange, officially launched its 2015 edition on Tuesday night with a …
Starwood Planning to Open Sheraton Hotel in Cozumel
Above: Cozumel By the Caribbean Journal staff Starwood Hotels and Resorts is expanding in Cozumel. The company announced this week that it had signed an agreement with Inmobiliaria Punta Tormentos to open a Sheraton hotel on the island off the …
What Do Economic and Social Change Look Like in Jamaica?
By Dennis ChungCJ Contributor PERHAPS the question I get asked most frequently is about the economy and the prospects for it. One of the things I hate the most is when people engage you on the economy and ask about …
Carnival Adding New Cruises From San Juan, Puerto Rico
Above: Carnival Victory By the Caribbean Journal staff Carnival is repositioning its Victory cruise ship to San Juan, the company announced Tuesday. The company will be offering week-long southern Caribbean cruises on Victory beginning Nov. 6, 2016, according to a …
Expanding Intra-Regional Caribbean Travel
Above: Antigua (CJ Photo) By the Caribbean Journal staff How can intra-regional travel in the Eastern Caribbean be expanded? That was the question at a recent summit in Antigua and Barbuda to discuss an OECS-commissioned study on the factors inhibiting …