Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines is adding a new nonstop route to the Caribbean coast of Colombia. 

Spirit will be launching a new thrice-weekly flight from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to Barranquilla, Colombia. 

The new service, which launches April 23, will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. 

Spirit’s new Barranquilla flights are also being joined by a new route from Fort Lauderdale to Bucaramanga in Colombia’s interior. 

“We are very proud of our service growth in Colombia, connecting many Colombian cities to multiple U.S. Gateways over the last 10-plus years. Colombia is considered home to many in Florida and it is also a destination that has gained so much interest in the past years from the leisure traveler,” said Ted Christie, President and CEO at Spirit Airlines. We are very excited to add Bucaramanga and Barranquilla to our Spirit Family and continue with our mission to offer the best value in the sky to those looking to visit family and friends and those looking for their next adventure.”

The new routes will complement existing flights from Fort Lauderdale to Colombia’s most popular Caribbean destination, Cartagena. 

Spirit also runs flights from Orlando to Cartagena on Tuesdays and Saturdays. 

“These two new routes confirm that Spirit Airlines sees Colombia as a major destination,” said Flavia Santoro, President of ProColombia, the economic agency of the Colombian government that primarily promotes the country’s tourism. “Air connectivity is one of the government’s priorities and with this announcement we see progress toward our goal of enabling tourists and foreign investors to enjoy the numerous advantages Colombia has to offer, including its strategic geographical location and business opportunities.”

— CJ

The post Spirit Adding New Flights to Colombia’s Caribbean Coast appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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It’s the newest all-inclusive in the Barcelo resort portfolio, the sparkling new, adults-only Barcelo Maya Riviera, part of now six-resort compound on the Caribbean coast of Mexico that includes the Barceló Maya Palace, Barceló Maya Colonial, Barceló Maya Tropical, Barceló Maya Caribe and Barceló Maya Beach. 

I knew I would like it based on my most recent visit to the Bacelo Beach Resort in Punta Cana — and I was not disappointed.

The resort, which just opened its doors last month, has a mix of 850 junior suites and suites, some 500 of which have an ocean view, and 110 of which are full swim-up suites (the latter are in addition to four pools at the property). 

In a welcome touch, every room has a hydro massage tub on the balcony, a definite perk in an age where more and more resort brands are adding private tubs and pools to their units to meet rising customer demand. 

The rooms are crisp and sleek, something that has become a signature in the Barcelo experience: when you stay at a Barcelo, you know you’re going to be staying at a well-manicured, very good looking resort — and that’s even more true at the Maya Riviera. 

The dining options are broad: there’s the Terraza Miramar buffet, which has an extensive variety of cuisines for both breakfast and lunch; the hibachi-style Sapporo Nikkei eatery; La Dolce Vita, a terrific Italian spot that notably includes not just a salad bar, but a full-fledged antipasto bar. 

And then there’s the lovely La Comedie French eatery. 

The Maya Riviera’s position in the wider complex mean you get the best of both worlds: the adults-only serenity you’re looking for coupled with access to the adjacent properties’ amenities, which include a water park, a sports bar, a bowling alley, a basketball and a host of entertainment options, including the Maya Riviera’s own 24-hour club. (If you’re looking for more adventure, the nearby Ventura Fly & Ride Park is a must for any vacation here, with a very cool zip line and go-karting as well.)

If you want to check out the five other resorts, Barcelo has regular shuttle service every 10 or 15 minutes to shepherd guests around the Barcelo Maya Grand complex. 

And as an adults-only property, weddings are a big factor: and the Maya Riviera has its own beautiful open-air chapel, with beach wedding options as well — right on the sand. 

One of the most significant elements of the all-inclusive Barcelo Maya Riviera is the compound’s new convention center — with 190,000 square feet of customizable event space, and a huge part of the resort’s meetings push going forward. 

This is a lovely all-inclusive — and a wonderful addition to the Barcelo collection and the Riviera Maya. 

For more, visit Barcelo Maya Riviera. 

Susan Barlow is one of Caribbean Journal’s all-inclusive editors. 

— CJ

The post Checking in to the Newest Barcelo All-Inclusive in Mexico appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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St Kitts and Nevis continues to see sizzling tourism growth, according to the latest numbers from the twin-island federation. 

St Kitts’ Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport reported 163,453 passengers in 2019, a very strong 7 percent improvement compared to the previous year. 

The news comes as St Kitts saw a record-breaking total of more than 1 million cruise passengers in both 2018 and 2019. 

St Kitts is also in the midst of a hotel development boom, with a new Curio by Hilton-branded hotel called Koi that just came on stream this month. 

Another hotel, the Ramada, will also be opening this year. 

That comes after the launch at the end of 2017 of the celebrated Park Hyatt St Kitts, that brand’s first-ever hotel in the Caribbean. 

— CJ

The post St Kitts and Nevis Keeps Up Sizzling Tourism Growth appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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The real estate market in Turks and Caicos is seeing record-breaking performance, according to the newest report from Turks and Caicos Sotheby’s International Realty. 

Indeed, Turks and Caicos real estate hit a record $334.7 million in sales volume in 2019, according to the report, itself an increase of almost $76 million compared to 2018. 

The data represents dramatic growth in the last decade: in 2010, real estate sales volume in Turks and Caicos totaled just under $59 million — meaning almost 570 percent growth over 10 years. 

That was buoyed by almost $220 million in single-family home sales, up from $124 million in 2018 — accounting for nearly 52 percent of sales volume. 

On the luxury side, Turks and Caicos saw nearly 21 home sales over the $3 million mark, with the highest recorded home sale at $27 million for an existing. (Those home sales also included the purchase of the Turtle Tail-area home of late music icon Prince).

“We are seeing unprecedented sales activity with a massive spike in median house prices and overall sales volume from 2018 to 2019,” Ian Hurdle, managing partner of The Agency Turks and Caicos, told Caribbean Journal.

He pointed to sales like that of Bruce Willis’ estate on Parrot Cay this year and Triton on Long Bay as prime examples.

And prices have followed suit — the average price rose by 36 percent over the previous year, according to Sotheby’s; overall, Turks and Caicos villas sold for an average price point of $1.98 million, a number Sotheby’s called “stunning.”

The growth of Turks and Caicos’ strong villa market has also had a significant impact on the destination’s tourism offering, meaning a new wave of luxury travelers staying at villas like those in the WIMCO portfolio.

That’s only broadened what has always been the fulcrum of Turks and Caicos’ tourism industry: its large portfolio of condo and residential resorts — making it a destination where real estate and tourism are particularly intertwined.

That’s a trend that continues to grow across the wider Caribbean, as more and more developers include residential components in their projects or develop full-fledged residential resorts, from in-development projects like the Rosewood Half Moon Bay in Antigua to the luxe Port Ferdinand in Barbados.

Turks and Caicos’ “resort and residential condominium models which have successfully proven to be the core of the Turks and Caicos tourism offering,” Sotheby’s said in the report.

“Turks and Caicos has tremendous momentum and a lot of potential growth as we remain humble and grateful for our wonderful position in the Caribbean and the greater region,” Sotheby’s said in a statement. 

The sales surge in Turks and Caicos arrives as a host of new inventory is set to come on stream, from the soon-to-be-completed Ritz-Carlton Residences on Grace Bay; the Bight Hotel and the highly-anticipated Rock House cliffside development, along with the new Andaz residential resort. 

And Hurdle said it’s likely a sign of even stronger things to come.

“There is no current signs of abatement in demand for product and with surging tourist numbers and a number of luxury pre-construction Villa vacation development projects now fully underway we forecast another strong real estate season not just through Q2 but Q3,” Hurdle said.

— CJ

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