… plans for Minnesota, Tennessee and Puerto Rico under the U.S. Domestic … registered with the MDA.
Meanwhile, Puerto Rico is the second territory approval …
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It’s just 18 minutes from Cancun by boat, just 4.3 miles long and less than half a mile wide — and the tiny island of Isla Mujeres still remains something of a well-guarded secret.
It wasn’t until a few decades ago that the island was more than a small fishing village, and now Isla Mujeres is a refreshing oasis just across the water from the massive tourism engine of Cancun and the Riviera Maya.
“It feels quite away from the dense tourism and all-inclusive hotels of Cancun and the Riviera Maya and what most travelers perceive as the Mexico experience,” says Jeffrey Alan, owner of the Coco B Isla and Casa Coco By Isla boutique resort, the island’s top small hotels. (Along with a selection of private Isla Mujeres villas).
In recent years, though, the island has evolved, Alan tells Caribbean Journal.
“‘Isla’ has not lost its roots, with its local fishing fleet cutting through the waters every morning before sunrise, “ he says. “But as the sun rises it has evolved into a bustling enclave of water based tourism and Mexican Caribbean life.”
And Isla Mujeres quietly reopened last month as part of a wider relaunch of the Mexican Caribbean.
“The island is waking up from its recent nap and many restaurants, hotels, and private villas are open,” Alan says. That’s along with dive shops and other tour operators.
And what hasn’t changed, either, is the marine environment, which has drawn lovers of scuba diving, snorkeling and the water to its shores.
Isla Mujeres even offers the opportunity to swim with whale sharks and with sailfish (the latter even brought Sir Richard Branson to the island, Alan says).
As for Casa Coco and Coco B Isla, the property’s team is “COVID-19 trained,” having completed state certification on top of the property’s existing protocols.
“The property has great open air spaces, that are not crowded and we have created ample amenities, procedures, spacing, and options to eliminate concerns for our guests,” Alan says. “The same cleaning and proactive practices are implemented for guest rooms, and we also offer pre check-in via web or mobile device.”
“We are an upscale bed and breakfast style offering but with a Caribbean chic feel,” he says.
And amid the new realities of travel, a tiny, spaced-out beachy destination is just what many travelers are looking for.
For more, visit Coco B Isla.
— CJ
The post Mexico’s Isla Mujeres Is Open for Tourism appeared first on Caribbean Journal.
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Puerto Rico’s Wyndham Grand Rio Mar has named a new director of golf and tennis, Caribbean Journal has learned.
The property has tapped Seth Henrich to oversee its extensive program, which includes two 18-hole championship courses designed by Tom and George Fazio and Greg Norman, respectively.
Both courses are managed by Troon Golf.
“We are thrilled to welcome back Seth Henrich to Puerto Rico and have him join our family here at Wyndham Grand Rio Mar,” said General Manager Nils Stolzlechner. “In the midst of our reopening phases, Seth will be instrumental in creating the best golf and tennis experience for our members and guests at our award-winning courses.”
Henrich will officially oversee the Rio Mar Country Club, which includes the club’s membership, tennis center, management of golf courses and Pro Shops.
He comes to the property after having served most recently as director of golf at the World Golf Hall of Fame’s golf courses in St Augustine.
— CJ
The post Puerto Rico’s Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Names New Golf Director appeared first on Caribbean Journal.
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In federal bankruptcy court, meanwhile, Whitefish has been fighting to get paid. PREPA, which is going through bankruptcy, has paid Whitefish $36.9 million and still owes the company an additional $106.4 million, according to the utility’s most recent …
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Media Release – The OECS and The Caribbean Export Development Agency launched a Technical Assistance and Coaching Programme on July 8, 2020, with the aim of strengthening the entrepreneurial and leadership skills of 14 selected young entrepreneurs from six countries of the Eastern Caribbean namely, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint-Lucia and Saint-Vincent and the Grenadines.
In her remarks at the virtually held launch event, Caribbean Exports’ Services Specialist – Allyson Francis, underscored the importance of the private sector and youth-owned businesses, in particular, for sustainable economic growth in the Caribbean.
“Youth are the future. Their businesses are a critical foundation for sustainable economic growth in the region and so we must invest in them and their businesses. Caribbean Export implemented a similar coaching programme for women-owned businesses which was very successful, and so I encourage the participants to leverage the knowledge and expertise of the coaches and to build a network between one another.”
In his remarks, Mr Ricardo James, Senior Technical Specialist and Officer in Charge of the OECS Competitive Business Unit (CBU) highlighted:
“The initiative forms part of a broader set of actions being developed and pursued by the OECS Commission to foster entrepreneurship across the region including strengthening the capacity of entrepreneurs and their enterprises, the ecosystem and the legislative, policy and regulatory framework for entrepreneurship in the region.”
Funding for this technical assistance and coaching programme comes via the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Regional Private Sector Development Programme, which the Caribbean Export Development Agency is currently implementing.
The programme pursues three main objectives, namely:
The beneficiaries of the OECS-Caribbean Export Development Agency’s Technical Assistance and Coaching Programme were targeted through national Business Service Organisations and the “OECS 30 under 30” programme. From 21 applications, 14 companies of both the services and goods sectors have been selected to participate in the three-month coaching programme.
The group of young entrepreneurs will benefit from a highly experienced team of coaches in multiple areas such as business plan development, financial analysis, operations management, sales, marketing and branding, human resource management, proposal development, product development and quality assurance, legal and regulatory environment, ethical and sustainable business trends, information and communication technologies and e-commerce, and creative industries among others.
The coaching programme also includes the completion of a comprehensive analysis of each beneficiary companies and the development of individual strategies which will address their specific issues.
In closing, OECS and Caribbean Export reaffirmed the intention to continue to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Eastern Caribbean through complementary projects which will be launched in the future.
| Company | Entrepreneur’s name | Country | Sector |
| Shop D Caribbean | Darrion Louis | Saint Lucia | Information Communication Technology (ICT) |
| LinkUp | Kenna Questelles George | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Information Communication Technology (ICT) |
| The Two Aces | Lou-anne Mauricette | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Information Communication Technology (ICT) |
| Zénaïde Aromatherapy | Zanda Desir | Saint Lucia | Manufacturing |
| Mec Designs | Mauisa Carbon | Antigua and Barbuda | Manufacturing |
| T & A Household Decor | Amy Antoine | Saint Lucia | Manufacturing |
| Adroit | Tonnie Pierre | Grenada | Agribusiness |
| Cronneit’s Forest Bows | Denny Cronneit | Grenada | Manufacturing |
| Flirt Cocktails | Hyacinth Richardson | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Agribusiness & Manufacturing |
| Mangal Trading Incorporation | Nila Mangal | Saint Lucia | Agribusiness |
| Akata Farms | Bevon Chadel Charles | Grenada | Agribusiness |
| My Crown Of Curls | Ranique John | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Agribusiness & Manufacturing |
| Emerald Solar and Wind Ltd | Nicholas Sander | Montserrat | Renewable Energy |
| Caribi Dreams | Mr. Maurice John | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Renewable Energy |
Pablo A. Arroyo Casañas (Tampa, Florida-USA)
Pablo Arroyo has over 18 years of experience in business development as an owner, business consultant and coach in the public and private sectors. He is a NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP), a Certified Marketing Executive (CME) from SMEI International and a Certified Transformational Coach from the Blue Mesa Group. During his career, Arroyo was involved in strategic market expansion for companies from diverse sectors with an emphasis on manufacturing, technology, agribusiness, food, tourism, hospitality, entrepreneurship and value-added enterprise development.
Ladi Franklin (Trinidad and Tobago)
Ladi Franklin is aCertified Value Builder
who offers group and one-on-one coaching to value-growth entrepreneur-owned businesses. She is an Entrepreneurial Thought & Action (ET&A®) Educator and Business Strategy Coach with two decades of experience providing guidance to entrepreneur-owned small and medium scale businesses. Ladi has worked with MSMEs in diverse industry sectors including manufacturing, tourism, agro-processing, creativity, retail, healthcare, personal, and professional services sectors.
Michele Kalloo (Trinidad and Tobago)
Michele Kalloo has been involved in export sales and marketing throughout the Caribbean and Latin America for over twenty years. She has been guiding and advising business executives from large companies to SME’s looking to take their products to the world.
Caribbean Export is a regional export development and trade and investment promotion organisation of the Forum of Caribbean States (CARIFORUM) currently executing the Regional Private Sector Programme (RPSDP) funded by the European Union under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Caribbean Export’s mission is to increase the competitiveness of Caribbean countries by providing quality export development and trade and investment promotion services through effective programme execution and strategic alliances.
Cuban Medical Brigade bids farewell to Saint Lucia
The post 14 Entrepreneurs to start the OECS – CEDA Export Coaching Programme appeared first on Caribbean News Now!.
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