Royal Caribbean International is predicting a massive surge in its cruise tourism business in the Caribbean over the next decade. 

Speaking at the recent Caribbean Tourism Outlook forum in Antigua, Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley said he was predicting the company’s Caribbean cruise tourism business to grow by 50 percent by 2030. 

“The Caribbean was, is, will always be, the number one cruise destination in the world,” Bayley told the gathering of ministers, chief executives, policymakers and other senior Caribbean tourism professionals organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization in Antigua. 

Indeed, eight of the top 10 cruise destinations in the world are in the Caribbean, he said.

“There are considerations that we need to take into account in terms of some of the destinations’ ability to absorb the growth that is coming – in some places the growth is perhaps already at a critical mass – but we need to find a way to accommodate the growth that is inevitably coming to cruise tourism in the Caribbean,” the chief executive said.

He pointed to recent projects by the company like the newly-launched $250 million private-island destination in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, as “the perfect example of collaboration that benefits both the destination and the cruise line.”

“Once we put this product into the market in the US and globally, our phones went crazy. The demand we have seen for our ships and our products that go to Cococay has been amazing,” he said.

Bayley said that the demand for similar private-island destinations and public-private partnerships was strong. 

“There is a lot of demand for these products and if we can figure out how to collaborate together to create these experiences, they don’t always have to have this shape and form, they can be other types of experiences,” he said. “As we evolve in terms of our ship design and experiences and what we are creating for our customers we really believe there is a huge opportunity to take all that knowledge…and transfer it into the destinations in a very meaningful way.”

That’s precisely the plan with Royal Caribbean’s newest project, a $275 million project in partnership with ITM to transform the Grand Lucayan Resort in Grand Bahama into a new model for its destination development. 

The post Royal Caribbean Cruises Set to Surge appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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The BVI’s renowned Charter Yacht Show is coming back again for its 38th annual edition. 

The show, which will be hosted at the Nanny Cay Marina from Nov. 7 through Nov. 10, is a venue for charter yacht crews to display their vessels and engage with more than 100 charter brokers. 

The industry-only event also features more than 30 local businesses, from eateries and provisioners to taxis and florists. 

There’s also a “yacht hop” with on-board cocktails and entertainment for brokers. 

Organizers say this year’s Charter Yacht Show will be the biggest in the BVI since Hurricane Irma. 

It will feature approximately 50 of the top fully-crewed charter yachts, two-thirds of which are BVI-based. 

Members of the BVI’s Charter Yacht Society generate an estimated $30 million in economic impact in the BVI. 

For more, visit the Charter Yacht Show.

— CJ

The post The BVI Charter Yacht Show Is Back appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Saint Lucia tourism is surging so far in 2019, and the Eastern Caribbean paradise just set another new record. 

Saint Lucia reported a total of 36,342 stayover arrivals in August, making it the seventh record-breaking month for the destination in 2019. 

Double-digit arrival growth was reported in all of Saint Lucia’s primary tourism markets: the United States, which rose by 13 percent; the United Kingdom,, which saw 12 percent growth; and Canada, which reported 17 percent growth compared to August 2018. 

August’s totals represented a 6.4 percent increase over the same month last year. 

“This sustained growth trajectory is a clear indication that our carefully crafted and well targeted programs, policies, and signature entertainment events are resonating and are gaining traction with consumers in the region and international marketplace,” said Saint Lucia Tourism Minister Dominic Fedee. “As we commence the 2019 winter season and more and more of those initiatives continue to bear fruit, we have no doubt the robust growth will continue.”

For the year, the United Kingdom has been the island’s strongest source market, posting 11 percent growth. 

Saint Lucia has seen a 9 percent jump in arrivals from the United States for the year. 

— CJ

The post Saint Lucia Tourism Just Set Another Record appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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