Markets

Is Business Confidence Up in Jamaica?

A Caribbean Free of Roaming Charges?

Above: St George’s (CJ Photo) By the Caribbean Journal staff What if you could travel from island to island in the Caribbean, without being charged a roaming fee on your mobile phone? That’s the idea recently put forth by Grenada …

The Return of Caribbean Island Hopping?

Above: Dominica (CJ Photo) By the Caribbean Journal staff It’s a romantic notion of Caribbean travel — arrive in one destination, then travel to another two or three islands by sea or small plane. And the OECS regional subgrouping wants …

Aruba Continues Push For 100 Percent Green Energy By 2020

Above: Aruba By the Caribbean Journal staff Aruba’s government is continuing its push to achieve energy independence by the year 2020. The government announced Tuesday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with BYD Company Limited on a zero-carbon …

British Virgin Islands Planning to Open Representative Office in Hong Kong

Above: Hong Kong By the Caribbean Journal staff The British Virgin Islands plans to open a representative office in Hong Kong, Premier Dr Orlando Smith announced this week. The office would be part of the territory’s strategy to improve ties …

JetBlue to Launch Service to Haiti

Above: a JetBlue plane By Alexander Britell Continuing its Caribbean expansion, New York City-based air carrier JetBlue announced Thursday that it would begin service to Haiti’s Port-au-Prince. The flights, which will include one daily nonstop flight between New York’s John …

Barbados Plans “Hotel Innovation Fund”

Above: Bridgetown (CJ Photo) By the Caribbean Journal staff Barbados is planning to create a “Hotel Innovation Fund” that would provide low-cost financing to hoteliers and other tourism providers. The government is currently meeting with tourism stakeholders to design the …

PetroCaribe Member States Agree to Establish “Economic Zone”

Above: the summit in Caracas By the Caribbean Journal staff The seventh PetroCaribe summit in Caracas concluded this weekend with an agreement by member countries to establish a PetroCaribe “economic zone.” The move would expand the PetroCaribe oil agreement, which …

Antigua, China Talk Tourism

Above: Tourism Minister John Maginley and Ambassador Ren Gongping By the Caribbean Journal staff Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Minister John Maginley met with newly-appointed Chinese Ambassador to Antigua Ren Gongping during a courtesy call on Thursday. Maginley, who will speak …

Expedia: Travel Demand For Jamaica Rising, Particularly From Brazil

Above: the Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall in Jamaica By Alexander Britell Travel demand for Jamaica is on the rise, according to the latest report from Expedia. More than 230,000 room nights in the country were booked through Expedia’s platforms in 2012, …

Trinidad’s Stephen Cadiz Suggests Regional Forum on Tourism

Above: Port of Spain (CJ Photo) By Alexander Britell PORT OF SPAIN — Echoing the recent call of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Minister Stephen Cadiz suggested Thursday that the Caribbean’s political leadership hold a …

Moody’s Upgrades Belize Credit Rating, Warns of “Debt Overhang”

Above: Parliament in Belmopan By the Caribbean Journal staff New York-based Moody’s has upgraded the credit rating on Belize’s government bonds, the firm announced Monday. The rating has been lifted to Caa2 from Ca, with a “stable” outlook. The move …

St Lucia’s Kenny Anthony Heads to Grenada For ECCB Meeting

Above: St Lucia PM Dr Kenny Anthony By the Caribbean Journal staff St Lucia Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony will be on hand in Grenada for the upcoming Special Meeting of the Monetary Council of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank …

Cape Air, Regional Carriers Step Up As American Eagle Departs Caribbean

Above: a Cape Air plane in Vieques (CJ Photo) By Alexander Britell The last flight from Tortola on Sunday night marked the end of the American Eagle era in the Caribbean, a process that has been in the works for …

American Eagle Takes Final Flight from British Virgin Islands

Above: the last American Eagle flight By the Caribbean Journal staff American Eagle launched its last flight from the British Virgin Islands on Sunday, after almost 27 years of service. The move is part of the carrier’s gradual phaseout from …

From Curaçao to Cuba, 10 Caribbean Baseball Players to Watch in 2013

Above: Andrelton Simmons The Caribbean’s supreme baseball talent was on full display last month at the World Baseball Classic, when the global tournament’s final game pitted two Caribbean teams against each other: Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. And while …

OECS Assembly Holds First Session

Above: Antigua PM Baldwin Spencer at the OECS Assembly By the Caribbean Journal staff The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States held its first-ever session on Tuesday in Antigua. The assembly is made up of appointed members from both the governments …

Jamaica Foreign Minister Urges New Definition of “Middle-Income” Country

Above: Jamaica Foreign Minister AJ Nicholson By the Caribbean Journal staff Jamaica is likely to be graduated from receiving grant funding from the World Global Fund and other funding agencies, due to its status as a “middle-income” country. But the …

Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Begins Search for New CEO

Above: Dominica (CJ Photo) By the Caribbean Journal staff The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association has launched its search for a new Chief Executive Officer, the organization announced Monday. The CEO is the top position in the CHTA, with responsibilities …