By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

Headed to Jamaica? If you’ve already seen the sunset in Negril and soaked up the rays on Doctor’s Cave Beach in Montego Bay, why not spend a few days in Ocho Rios? The north coast hotspot has long been a popular weekend getaway for locals, and staying here means you’re “thisclose” to Jamaica’s two most popular attractions, the cascades at Dunn’s River Falls and the bobsled-themed rollercoaster at Mystic Mountain. Clearly, there’s no time like the present to start planning a trip to this St. Ann standout. And here’s where we recommend you stay when you get there. Here are the five best resorts in Ocho Rios.

Jamaica Inn This 67-year-old Ocho Rios classic offers the rare combination of refinement without pretension, delivered in a tranquil beachfront garden setting that feels far removed from hubbub of town but is only minutes away. Relax in its elegant suites; take afternoon tea on the terrace; and find your bliss in the waterfront Ocean Spa.

The post The Five Best Ocho Rios Resorts appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Bahamas has become the latest Caribbean tourism destination to sign a high-profile agreement with home-sharing giant Airbnb.

The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding this week focusing on areas like the sharing of aggregate Airbnb Bahamas data, provision of information to Airbnb on Bahamian laws and the exploration of Airbnb’s collection and remittance of applicable taxes.

“In acknowledging this reality and seeking to manage and shape it for the benefit of all stakeholders involved, the Ministry has sought out partnership with Airbnb Inc., a key player in the global home sharing economy,” said Bahamas Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar.

There are currently around 1,900 listings on Airbnb’s platform, with the average Airbnb host earning around $6,000 per year, according to Airbnb.

The average Airbnb guest in the Bahamas stays for 4.6 nights, according to the data.

“When we consider the entire home-sharing market in The Bahamas, the actual numbers of operators of vacation home rentals are much higher, taking into account that Airbnb is not the only booking website that hosts use,” D’Aguilar said.

The Bahamas is currently crafting new legislation to regulate the home-sharing sector, the Minister said, aimed at clarifying many of the “murky issues now plaguing this sector.”

“It will set the standards and best practices to facilitate the sector in preserving the reputation of our destination brand,” he said. “In short, the new legislation will put in place a modern regulatory framework within which vacation home rentals can operate as an integral part of our tourism sector.”

The post Bahamas, Airbnb Sign Memorandum of Understanding appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

Rolling out of bed and into the water is a beautiful reality at these Caribbean resorts, where swanky swim-out suites, which open directly onto lap pools or lazy rivers, put guests mere steps from a refreshing dip. So check out these six options, where there’s no quicker way to go from pillow to pool. Swim right up.

Colony Club Barbados The plush Luxury Poolside rooms (with everything from Nespresso machines to REN toiletries) at this Barbados classic let you step right out into the property’s beautiful lagoon pool.

The post Six Caribbean Hotels With Swim-Out Rooms appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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It’s never been easier to get to the French Caribbean – and it’s never been cheaper, either.

And right now, you can fly to the island of Martinique, one of the most exotic and fascinating destinations in the Caribbean, for one-way fares starting at $79.

It’s part of low-cost European carrier Norwegian’s “Get French Kissed By the Sun” package, which applies to flights in October, November and December.

Norwegian operates flights to Martinique out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Providence’s TF Green Airport.

Even better? The carrier is also offering the same fare on flights from those Northeastern hubs to the other French department in the Caribbean, the archipelago of Guadeloupe.

They’re fares as cheap as any you’ll find on a major carrier in the Caribbean right now.

You’ll have to find the right dates, as fares tend to range from $79 to $149 each way. (Click here for flight information)

So what’s Martinique like?

The French Caribbean island south of Dominica is one of the most developed countries in the Caribbean, with world-class European-standard infrastructure, high-level gastronomy and beautiful stretches of sand.

Perhaps most importantly, it’s the de facto Caribbean capital of rum, with 11 distilleries on an island of less than 400,000 people that’s created the Route des Rhums, the Bordeaux of rum.

But Martinique is a host of destinations in one island, from the vibrant urban hub of Fort-de-France to the town of Saint Pierre, the site of a massive volcano eruption in 1902 that has turned it into the Pompeii of the Caribbean.

In other words, it’s one of the Caribbean’s great destinations still largely undiscovered by US travelers.

And it’s never been cheaper to get there.

Heading to Guadeloupe? The island on the northern side of Dominica is a raw, lush archipelago perfect for island-hopping getaways (and with some great rum destinations of its own like Marie-Galante).

You may want to check out the charming little island of Terre de Haut or the increasingly popular culinary hub of Deshaies (you may recognize it from the BBC show Death in Paradise).

The post How to Fly to Martinique for $79 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association is partnering with travel associations around the world to strengthen the tourism sector in the region.

CHTA President Karolin Troubetzkoy announced that the association has joined forces with close to a dozen regional travel organizations to advocate for the sector among governments, legislators and economists.

The National Travel Association Coalition – which comprises travel associations from Australia, Canada, the Caribbean, Egypt, Europe, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States – provides a forum for national travel associations to support each other and ensure the sustainable growth of travel and tourism.

CHTA and its regional public sector partner, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, are both founding members of NTAC.

“We have also agreed to leverage NTAC to amplify the voice of the travel and tourism industry, and emphasize the sector’s significant role as a major force for economic development, employment and sustainability to ensure it is considered more seriously at the policy table,” said Troubetzkoy, executive director of the Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain resorts in St. Lucia.

Highlighting the importance of working together, she said there was much to gain by sharing best practices, including how advocacy for travel and tourism is enacted across the globe, particularly during election season.

The CHTA president said the coalition is considering centralized funding and collaboration on similar projects to improve cost efficiency, as well as the benefit of jointly seeking other sources of support.

“As we continue to build this resourceful network of associations, we can also support each other on common issues and share relevant reports and global perspectives on innovation disruptive models such as the sharing economy,” she asserted.

As one of the largest economic sectors, contributing more than ten percent to global GDP, the tourism industry supports one in ten jobs on the planet– and its impact is even greater in the Caribbean.

— Dana Niland, CJ Contributor

The post CHTA Strengthening Global Travel Partnerships appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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