Sandals Resorts is planning to open the vast majority of its Caribbean resorts in June, a company spokesperson confirmed to Caribbean Journal. 

“We are pleased to announce that all of our resorts (with the exception of our Bahamas resorts) are scheduled to reopen on June 4, 2020,” a spokesperson told Caribbean Journal. 

That includes Sandals and Beaches resorts in Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Turks and Caicos. 

Of course, the reopening will depend on those destinations’ choosing to reopen their borders by those dates. 

“There have been several ongoing travel restrictions, airport closures, and increased government protocols, which have caused border closure extensions. These dates are, therefore, subject to change, as they are dependent on those factors,” the company said. 

In effect, that means the company will be prepared to reopen if borders are open by that date. 

As for Sandals’ pair of branded resorts in The Bahamas (in Nassau and Exuma), the plan is for a scheduled opening date of July 1, 2020. (The Bahamas, too, currently has closed borders). 

It’s a major step for the all-inclusive brand — though much will also depend on how quickly key source markets like the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom begin to send travelers.

The announcement comes after Sandals released a broad list of changes to its operational and hygiene procedures in a nod to the new realities of travel. 

For more, visit Sandals. 

— CJ

The post Sandals Planning to Reopen Most of Its Caribbean Resorts in June appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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The Cayman Islands is launching a virtual “Happy Hour” next week, part of the destination’s latest efforts for travelers who are stuck at home. 

The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism is launching a “Live Music Happy Hour” on Friday, May 15 on its Facebook page. 

The happy hour will feature Beneil Miller, a native of the Cayman Islands who specializes in a blend of reggae, funk and soul music. 

It’s part of a broader virtual push by Cayman that will include a series of events from live panting glasses to yoga classes. 

See below for a sample of Miller’s work. 

For more. visit the Cayman Islands. 

— CJ

The post A Virtual Happy Hour in the Cayman Islands appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Turks and Caicos Islands has begun a phased reopening of the British Overseas Territory. 

Crucially, the reopening will not yet affect travel — meaning international travel to Turks and Caicos will remain closed until at least June 1, according to the government. 

The plan, which launched May 4, is headlined by the reopening of beaches — with strict social distancing in place.  

Beaches (and individual watersports) have begun for “fitness and recreation,” however with no gathering of more than four adults. 

A limited number of “key government departments” will also reopen May 11, while all retail grocery stores will open May 11. 

Hardware stores are now permitted to open, once meeting protocols established by the government, while construction and hardware stores can reopen on May 11. 

All retail grocery stores will be able to reopen on May 11, while restaurants that choose to allow takeaway service will be able to begin operating on May 11 as well. 

And office-based services that are able to maintain “strict social distancing” will be able to operate, with four or fewer people in the office at a time. 

The measures maintain a night-time curfew in place from 8 PM to 5 AM each day, through May 25. 

People over the age of 65 will have to continue to shelter in place, with those with underlying health conditions “strongly encouraged” to do so. 

The move comes after a more than month-long shelter-in place order in Turks and Caicos. 

“We are taking a phased approach to reopen certain sectors while we monitor the impact of these sectors on the spread of the virus,” said Turks ad Caicos Premier Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson. “As mentioned earlier, this may require a quick rollback where necessary. The start date and the allowable activities in the next phase of the reopening will as always continue to be guided by Health.”

The move comes after another British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean, Anguilla, lifted its lockdown after reporting no active or suspected cases of the virus.

— CJ

The post Turks and Caicos Begins Phased Reopening; Borders Remain Closed appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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