British Airways is expanding its flights service to The Bahamas next year, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

The air carrier will be adding a new weekly Tuesday flight between London Heathrow and Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport. 

That service is slated to begin March 29, 2020, according to a statement from the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. 

The new flights will mean British Airways will be offering nonstop flights between London and Nassau on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. 

It’s part of a wider Caribbean expansion for British Airways.

— CJ

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The Caribbean’s fastest-growing hotel company is making its debut on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba. 

Apple Leisure Group’s AMResorts company is bringing a Secrets-branded resort to Aruba’s Baby Beach. 

The 600-key Secrets Baby Beach Aruba is slated for completion by the fourth quarter of 2021, according to a statement from the company. 

It will be Apple Leisure Group’s first-ever resort in Aruba. 

“The Caribbean region remains a main focus of expansion for ALG and we are thrilled to be adding the destination of Aruba to our growing branded portfolio,” said Javier Coll, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of ALG. “The island continues to be in high demand, with over one million yearly visitors and the recent emergence of a major luxury eco-tourism market. These factors, along with the Caribbean’s overall forward momentum, give us great confidence in the short and long-term potential of the destination.” 

The adults-only, all-inclusive Secrets Baby Beach Aruba will include all of the all-inclusive brand’s signatures, from reservation-free dining to 24-hour room service to nighttime entertainment. 

It’s a particularly significant development for southern Aruba, which is home to San Nicolas, the island’s cultural capital but a destination that has yet to attract a major hotel project — until now. 

It’s the latest in what has been a busy year for Apple Leisure Group, which has signed a host of new resort management deals in the last year. 

The company now has more than 9,000 rooms in its regional portfolio.

In the next few months, Apple Leisure Group and AMResorts will open two new Caribbean resorts: the Dreams Curacao Resort, Spa and Casino in Curacao, and the highly-anticipated Secrets St Martin Resort and Spa. 

Those new hotel properties come as Apple Leisure Group has a wave of new resorts in the pipeline in Mexico, particularly on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. 

For more, visit Apple Leisure Group. 

— CJ

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Three generations of Puerto Rican hit makers join forces this … air on Thursday, three of Puerto Rico‘s G.O.A … ; celebrates the uplift of the Puerto Rican people through music — a mission … , Henry Cole was inspired by Puerto Rico‘s rich drum history …

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The venerable Eastern Airlines brand is back, and it’s about to launch its first regularly-scheduled flights to the wider Caribbean region. 

Eastern will soon begin regularly-scheduled services between New York and Guyana’s capital of Georgetown, according to Joseph Harmon, director general of Guyana’s Ministry of the Presidency. 

Eastern has already applied to Guyana’s Civil Aviation Authority and been approved, he said. 

The company requested to operate regular flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Guyana’s Cheddi Jagan International Airport. 

Eastern Airlines will be operating the flights on Boeing 767-200ERs and 767-300ERs aircraft. 

The new Eastern Airlines was formerly known as Dynamic International Airways; several years ago it acquired the license to the branding from the now-defunct, classic airline that once flew across the Caribbean.

— CJ

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Marriott is ramping up its Caribbean all-inclusive expansion in a big way 

The company, which several months ago announced plans to enter the increasingly competitive all-inclusive market, had already announced five new projects and plans to purchase Barbados’ popular Elegant Hotels brand. 

Now, it’s adding two more high-profile projects in Jamaica and Curacao, respectively. 

That will include an 800-room Marriott-branded all-inclusive in Jamaica, and a 283-room Autograph Collection-branded hotel in Curacao. 

The 800-room Marriott Al Amaterra in Jamaica will be set in a mixed-use development in the Trelawny area of Jamaica, with plans to launch construction early in 2020 and complete construction in 2022, according to the Jamaica Tourist Board. 

“The Amaterra Group is excited to welcome Marriott International as our Hotel Management Operator,” said Amaterra Group Chairman Keith Russell. “The Marriott brand is internationally renowned and well respected and we couldn’t be happier to have them on board and be one of their first all-inclusive properties globally. This is a great step not only for Amaterra but also the Jamaican tourism industry and we look forward to partnering with Marriott’s other iconic brands as we go forward.” 

Jamaica Tourism Minister said Marriott’s all-inclusive entry in Jamaica was “a major step in the right direction.” 

It’s yet another new project for what has become the hottest hotel investment in Jamaica: Trelawny, set just outside Montego Bay and home to a slew of new projects like the recently-opened Excellence Oyster Bay.

Indeed, prior to the Amaterra deal, Trelawny already had some 6,000 new hotel rooms in development, according to Bartlett.

Marriott’s Curacao project will be set in the Pietermaai district of Curacao’s capital of Willemstad, with plans to begin construction in June 2020. (Completion is targeted for 2024). 

“The signings for these two incredible, all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica and Curacao underscore the tremendous momentum for our all-inclusive platform, which leverages Marriott International’s iconic brands, leading business support systems and Marriott Bonvoy travel program,” said Laurent de Kousemaeker, Chief Development Officer, Marriott International Caribbean and Latin America.

The two new Caribbean projects join four previously announced all-inclusive hotels in Mexico, along with a 650-room Autograph Collection all-inclusive in the Dominican Republic. 

In a statement, Marriott International said the signings were part of a goal of “growing a global portfolio of resorts in popular vacation destinations by leveraging the company’s operational and development expertise, its Marriott Bonvoy travel program with roughly 137 million members and seven of its iconic hotel brands.”

— CJ

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