coronavirus

How Marriott Is Changing the Way It Cleans Its Hotels

STR: Caribbean Occupancy Down 48.9 Percent in March

Hotel analytics firm STR has released the latest numbers for the Caribbean hotel industry in March, and they’re about what you would expect. Hotel occupancy in the Caribbean declined by 48.9 percent in March to 39.4 percent, while average daily …

Jamaica Creating Tourism Recovery Task Force

Jamaica is creating a “tourism recovery task force” in a bid to help the country’s industry recover from the coronavirus pandemic. The task force will consist of two layers of partners with a mission to “provide a recovery and growth …

St Kitts and Nevis Extending State of Emergency

St Kitts and Nevis is extending its state of emergency amid its fight against the novel coronavirus. The country’s government has extended the State of Emergency and its COVID-19 regulations, which include a 24-hour curfew, through April 25. “The Cabinet …

Delta Continuing Some Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic Routes

Delta Air Lines has drastically reduced its Caribbean network in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but it has maintained service to two Caribbean destinations: San Juan, Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. That means Delta Air …

Jamaica Eyes Key Role in Global Travel Comeback

Jamaica will be playing a key role in the restoration of global tourism when the coronavirus pandemic ends, according to Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett. The country is not just working to help its own tourism sector recover, he said, …

Marriott CEO: “We Will Travel Again”

As the world fights the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the world’s largest hotel company, Marriott International, is shifting to help healthcare workers and caregivers, Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson said. Marriott has launched a new initiative called “Rooms for Responders,” which gives …

St Kitts and Nevis Extends 24-Hour Curfew

The twin-island federation of St Kitts and Nevis has continued its strong measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic. St Kitts and Nevis has extended its full 24-hour curfew through at least Thursday April 16, officials said. The extended State of …

This Is When Jamaica Expects Its Tourism Recovery to Begin

Jamaica tourism officials anticipate that the tourism industry could begin to recover in five months, according to Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett. “I think at about September, we will begin to see the turnaround and I think borders will begin to …

CDC Extends “No Sail Order” For All Cruise Ships

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has extended its “No Sail Order” for all cruise ships amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “We are working with the cruise line industry to address the health and safety of crew at sea …

Costa Cruises Extends Suspension of Operations to May 30

Italy-based global cruise line Costa Cruises has extended the suspension of its cruise operations to May 30, the company announced in a statement. The company made the move “Due to the continuation of the emergency situation linked to the global …

How These Jamaican Hotels Are Stepping Up in the Coronavirus Fight

A number of hotels in Jamaica have launched major efforts to help the country in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The Jamaica Ministry of Tourism is calling it “generous and courageous efforts of Jamaican properties in the collective fight …

How Two Dominica Hotels Are Feeding Healthcare Workers

Dominica’s Secret Bay and Fort Young hotels have shifted from catering to overnight guests to feeding frontline healthcare workers amid the coronavirus pandemic. Dubbed “Koudmen Kitchen,” an homage to the Creole term that translates to “helping hand,” and led by …

CJI Conversation: Mark Durliat, CEO of Grace Bay Resorts

By Joe Pike, Special Contributor As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to keep the Caribbean hotel industry at a standstill, many hotel developers and investors are struggling to keep existing projects afloat, and are also uncertain about how long the recovery …

Belize Closes Borders in Coronavirus Fight

Belize has closed down its borders in the country’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced. That means the country’s borders are now closed both to foreign visitors and Belizeans seeking to re-enter the country, he said. …

Grenada Distilleries Step Up to Make Hand Sanitizer

A group of distilleries in Grenada has stepped up to the plate to produce hand sanitizer amid the island’s fight against coronavirus. Doing their part to help residents stay safe, Grenada Distillers Limited, Blue Light Gin and Westerhall Estate, Grenada …

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line Says It Will Relaunch in May

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line says it is planning to resume sailings on May 8, the company said this week. Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, which operates cruises to destinations in The Bahamas including Grand Bahama and Nassau, has canceled its sailings …