Elite Island Resorts’ portfolio of Caribbean all-inclusive resorts now requires all guests 16 and over to show proof of vaccination. 

The new policy, first announced last month, officially took effect this week. 

The company had initially set the threshold at 12 years of age, but increased the limit to 16 and up “to better accommodate regional differences in vaccine availability, travel requirements, and ongoing health studies,” according to a statement from the company. 

“Our goal, as always, is to help protect and conserve local medical resources, and thereby keep travel and tourism open and enjoyable in all our island destinations,” Elite Island Resorts said in a statement. 

Elite Island Resorts’ portfolio includes resorts in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines in Panama. 

That includes an island-leading five properties in Antigua: Hammock Cove, Galley Bay, Verandah, Pineapple Beach Club and St James’s Club; The Club, Barbados; Palm Island, St Vincent and the Grenadines; St James’s Club Morgan Bay in Saint Lucia; and the Los Establos Boutique Inn in Panama. 

That includes St James’s Club, Morgan Bay in Saint Lucia, which reopens its doors on Oct. 1.

It’s an industry-leading move by Elite Island Resorts Chairman Rob Barrett, one that sets a new standard for the Caribbean region; we’ll see how many properties in the Caribbean now follow suit. 

It’s also a nod in particular to Antigua and Barbuda’s strong tourism reopening, one that kicked off in June 2020 and has been a model for the wider region. 

For more, visit Elite Island Resorts. 

— CJ