By the Caribbean Journal staff

It’s another strong year so far for Bermuda tourism, according to the latest numbers from the island’s Tourism Authority.

Leisure air arrivals to the Atlantic island are up 13.6 percent for the year, with a total of 168,005 arrivals through the end of the third quarter.

Visitor spending is also up, rising 10.6 percent to a total of $245.9 million.

It’s shaping up to be the second consecutive year of record-breaking visitor arrivals to Bermuda.

“The measurement we focus on more than any other at the Bermuda Tourism Industry is leisure visitors by air,” said Kevin Dallas, CEO of the Bermuda Tourism Authority. “Performance in that area is up 26 percent in arrivals and up 35 percent in spending since the streak of quarterly growth began back in January 2016. By any measure that is a remarkable performance that every member of our team and every one of our stakeholders can be very proud of.”

Officials seemed worried by the slowdown in airlift availability, however.

Air capacity was down 2.5 percent in the third quarter, though it is still up 4 percent for the year.

“Growing airlift has proven to be a precursor to vacation air arrival growth in Bermuda over the past several years,” Dallas said. “If that trend reverses it would be an obstacle for further growth.  It’s something we are watching closely as we do our forecasting for 2019.”

The post Bermuda Seeing Continued Tourism Boom appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico‘s governor is … significantly hinder the ability of Puerto Ricans to rebuild their homes, … almost 153,000 other Puerto Ricans participating in the program, … bankruptcy-like process for Puerto Rico agencies approved a key …

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By Melanius Alphonse Caribbean News Now associate editor melanius@caribbeannewsnow.com CASTRIES, St Lucia — Leader of the Parliamentary opposition in Saint Lucia and leader of the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP), Philip J Pierre, on Tuesday morning delivered to the clerk of Parliament a copy of a motion of no confidence in the prime minister and […]

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By Youri Kemp Caribbean News Now associate editor youri@caribbeannewsnow.com ST GEORGES, Grenada — Less than two months after accusing doctors and other hospital staff of being thieves and pilfering hospital equipment, and linking that to the challenges in the public health sector, thereby precipitating a strong rebuke from public sector unions, Grenadian prime minister, Dr […]

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

A major new hotel project is coming to the island of Saint Lucia, according to Saint Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet.

Invest Saint Lucia has completed transactions with a Barbados-based firm to buy the lands at Choc for what will be a 400-room Hyatt-branded hotel project.

Choc Beach is located in northwestern Saint Lucia, north of the capital, Castries.

The new hotel will be a mix of European Plan and all-inclusive options, according to the Prime Minister, who was speaking at Chamber of Commerce’s Encounter Series this week.

Construction on the new Hyatt project is slated to begin in the second half of next year, according to a government statement.

— CJ

The post Hyatt Is Coming to Saint Lucia appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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