By the Caribbean Journal staff

One of the Caribbean’s fastest-growing regional airlines has launched another big expansion.

Turks and Caicos-based InterCaribbean Airways has officially begun operating its new service from Dominica to Tortola.

Flights between Dominica and Tortola will operate Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, while Tortola-Dominica flights will be running on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays.

InterCaribbean has also launched Dominica-St Lucia flights, which will operate Mondays Thursdays and Sundays with inbound flights on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.

The service will operate through mid-November, according to the company.

“interCaribbean is giving Dominicans new choices to fly to and from Dominica and more connections to more places, the service is very timely and very welcome,” said Colin Piper, Dominica’s Director of Tourism. “We look forward to the launch and anticipation of service to further islands.”

Even better? It creates the opportunity for one of the great island hopping getaways — the natural wonders of Dominica, combined with the spectacular beaches of the British Virgin Islands.

The post InterCaribbean Launches New Dominica-Tortola Flights appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Even in the face of heightened travel warnings, Cancun continues to see a surge in visitor activity.

Cancun International Airport reported a total of 2.08 million passengers in March, a 14.5 percent increase in traffic compared to the same month in 2017.

And it wasn’t just internal traffic — Cancun Airport reported a 10.7 percent jump in international traffic, with a total of 1.56 million passengers in the month, according to the latest data from Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, or ASUR, which manages Cancun’s hub.

Last year, Cancun’s airport reported total traffic of 5.97 million, a 9.6 percent increase over the previous year.

The post Cancun Airport Sees Traffic Surge appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

It’s an almost corner of St Barth, another way to see this jewel of the Caribbean.

It’s not pretentious, free of attitude. It’s you and the beach, from your own private bungalow.

Yes, in the heart of one of the Caribbean’s greatest luxury destinations is a classic beach bungalow hotel.

And it’s open again.

The island’s post-Irma recovery has continued with this month’s relaunch of the Les Mouettes boutique hotel.

The tiny Les Mouettes is made up of a charming little collection of seven air-conditioned one-bedroom, one-bathroom bungalows, all of which include their own terrace kitchenettes, Wi-Fi, phones, and most of which are on the beach or the edge of the sand.

“Finally, after seven months of hard work the hotel is now reopened,” the L’orient-area beachfront property announced on Facebook.

Long one of the island’s closely-guarded secrets, Les Mouettes is a portal to the Old St Barth, the barefoot-chic French Caribbean fishing village that was St Barth in the beginning, the place where a morning starts best with a ti’ punch, and an evening just lazing on the terrace.

The latest in a line of St Barth hotels to make their returns, including Le Village (long a CJ favorite), the wonderful little Les Ilets de la Plage and the reimagined Manapany, among others.

But it’s every bit St Barth, meaning all of the wonderful sophistication, culture, charm and beauty are within easy reach.

That is, if you ever want to leave the beach.

(And even better? They’re one of the island’s best values, with rates of beachfront bungalows starting at just € 150

in the summer).

For more info, visit Les Mouettes.

— CJ

The post How to Stay in a Beach Bungalow in St Barth appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Sun Country Airlines is expanding its flight service to the Mexican Caribbean destination of Cancun.

The Minneapolis-based carrier has added a pair of new routes to Cancun for this summer.

Beginning June 15, Sun Country will operate new nonstop service between Austin and Cancun three times per week through Aug. 13,

The carrier will also be launching service between Minneapolis and Cancun via connection in Austin.

“At Sun Country, we pride ourselves on delivering convenient, safe, reliable, and friendly service at an affordable price,” says Jude Bricker, president and CEO of Sun Country Airlines. “We look forward to bringing that value to more customers through this route network expansion.”

Planning a visit to Cancun? Check out the best hotels in Cancun.

The post Sun Country Airlines Is Expanding Its Cancun Flights appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Former United States President Bill Clinton’s Clinton Global Initiative has launched a major initiative aimed at spearheading recovery efforts in islands affected by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria last fall.

The new Clinton Global Initiative Action Network on Post-Disaster Recovery has announced a series of eight unified programs that seek to help islands that were hit particularly hard, including Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Dominica.

“In the wake of the terrible hurricanes, the people of these islands have shown a remarkable resilience and a resolve to do long-term work and build back better,” Clinton said at the launch event held at the University of Miami.

The network of hundreds of regional and global leaders has launched a series of programs include a drive to replant more than 750,000 trees and restore Puerto Rico’s natural habitat; restoring school infrastructure and housing in Dominica; improving mental health in Puerto Rico; a move to improve children’s health in the US Virgin Islands; a $600 million climate resilience agency in Dominica; primary healthcare for school-aged children; solar power for primary health clinics in Puerto Rico and medical supplies for Puerto Rico’s elderly.

Clinton speaks at the launch in Miami.

Dominica’s is easily the largest project in the group, a plan that is part of Dominica’s stated commitment to build the “first climate resilient nation in the world.”

But the work is not just about previous storms — it’s about working to improve readiness for the next ones.

The announcement comes in the wake of a high-profile visit by Clinton to the region to examine recovery efforts.

“When I went to Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Dominica, I was struck by both the determination and the positive attitude of the people there,” Clinton said. “We are here to do what we can to help these people build communities that are stronger, safer, more prosperous, and more resilient.”

Accordingly, Clinton also announced a “Commitment to Action” in development, urging members of the new Action Network to preposition relief supplies for this upcoming hurricane season, which will begin in June.

According to estimates, every $1 spent on storm preparedness saves $4 in response and recovery spending.

“If we do not address the fundamental issues contributing to climate change, we’re going to see a greater intensity of disasters like Hurricane Maria and Irma,” said Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica, who was on hand for the launch. “If the world continues to fail to address climate change, we must not only build back better, but we must improve the national resiliency of our islands. This meeting of the Clinton Foundation is helping to ensure that our efforts to become the first climate resilient nation in the world are system-wide, integrated and coordinated.”

Particularly in recent years, Clinton has become one of the Caribbean’s most outside advocates.

That was highlighted by an initiative launched in 2015 aiming to help the Caribbean in its push to develop green energy regionally.

The post Bill Clinton Is Spearheading a Big Caribbean Recovery Effort appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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