The Bahamas has signed a memorandum of understanding with Dubai’s Emirates Group. 

The agreement was signed by Emirates Chief Executive Officer Sheikh Ahmed bin Said Al Maktoum and Bahamas Foreign Minister Frederick Mitchell at Emirates Headquarters in Dubai. 

As part of the agreement, Emirates will promote The Bahamas as a tourism destination across its global network, including developing increased connectivity to Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport from American gateways through its codeshare and interline partners. 

“I am pleased to see increased promotion of our destination in global markets,” said Bahamas Tourism Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper. “Emirates will make The Bahamas more accessible to the UAE and neighboring nations, inviting new visitors to our country. The Bahamas continues to rebound and will surely exceed all previous records.”

The MoU will also include travel packages including flights and hotels through Emirates Holidays, the Dubai-based tour company affiliate of the airline. 

Emirates passengers can currently travel to Nassau through connecting flights in Toronto, Newark, New York and Boston. 

“We are delighted to work with The Bahamas to strengthen transport links and to support

the country as it continues to welcome tourists from around the world,” Sheikh Ahmed bin Said Al Maktoum said. 

The post The Bahamas, Emirates to Partner on Tourism Initiatives appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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There’s a new U.S. hub for Caribbean travel — Austin, Texas. 

The fast-expanding US city, which has seen dramatic growth amid the pandemic, is rapidly becoming a significant source market for Caribbean travel. 

And now it’s seeing more flights, with another new launch planned by American Airlines. 

The world’s largest airline will be kicking off a pair of new routes from Austin to the Caribbean in June, with nonstop service to Montego Bay, Jamaica and the island of Cozumel, Mexico. 

Both routes start June 11; Austin-Cozumel and Austin-Montego Bay will both run on Saturdays. 

It comes after American undertook a major Caribbean expansion out of Austin last fall, with flights to destinations like Cancun, San Juan, Nassau and Punta Cana, among others.

“We’re proud to strengthen our commitment to Austin by providing local customers more options to fly nonstop to popular destinations,” says Brian Znotins, American Airlines Vice President of Network Planning. “Whether it’s to the beaches of Cozumel and Montego Bay, or the dozens of other destinations we offer from Austin, we look forward to further connecting Central Texans to our global network.”

Both route will be operated by Envoy Air on Embraer 175 aircraft; the tickets are now live in American’s system. 

The post American Airlines Launching New Flights to Jamaica, Cozumel appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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St Maarten has announced a major update to its travel protocols: the destination will waive testing for fully vaccinated travelers who have had their “booster” shot. 

More than 14 days must have passed since the booster shot for testing to be waived.

That makes St Maarten the first Caribbean destination to consider boosters in its entry protocols. 

Fully vaccinated travelers (those who have had only two shots of a vaccine) 18 years and older must provide either a negative PCR test within 48 hours of arrival in St Maarten or an antigen test within 24 hours of arrival. 

There is no test required for fully vaccinated children between the ages of 5 and 18. Children less than five years old do not need a test. 

Unvaccinated travelers five and older need to provide a PCR test within 48 hours of travel. 

All travelers need to fill out St Maarten’s EHAS form before arriving on the island (you can find it here). 

The form generates a QR code that travelers need to present upon arrival. 

For more on how to visit St Maarten, see here. 

The post St Maarten Waives Testing for Boosted Travelers appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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A journey through the rainforest to a Mayan temple. A rugged hike to a 200-foot-wide boiling lake. A dive into the heart of a blue hole. 

Far beyond the beach, there’s another side of the Caribbean, of mountains and rainforests and frontiers. Whether you’re exploring the untouched outback of Andros or venturing through the Belizean rainforest, the Caribbean’s natural environment is one of the world’s great adventure destinations, blessed with a surfeit of unforgettable experiences. 

And certain hotels in the region make adventure their specialty, both in their design and their itineraries, drawing travelers searching for new ways to enjoy the Caribbean ecosystem. 

Here are the best adventure hotels in the Caribbean. 

Small Hope Bay Lodge, Andros, The Bahamas The ultimate Caribbean adventure hotel. This legendary resort is set on South Andros in The Bahamas, a portal to every adventure you can imagine: bonefishing and deep sea fishing; diving and snorkeling; nature tours across caves and blue holes; birding; kayaking; and the feeling of discovering one of the great untouched wildernesses in all of the Caribbean. 

The post The 10 Best Adventure Hotels in the Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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The Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba has announced another update of its entry rules for travelers, now effective in January 2022.

The new rules, which apply to American and Canadian visitors, mean travelers will have two pre-testing options for visiting Aruba: an antigen test taken one day prior to arriving in Aruba; or a PCR test within two days prior to traveling to Aruba. 

Interestingly, the island also announced that visitors 12 and up who have tested positive on a PCR test between 10 days and 12 weeks prior to travel, and show no symptoms, are exempt from the requirement of providing a negative test. 

It’s a change from Aruba’s December travel update, which had given visitors only the option of a PCR test, not an antigen one. 

Aruba has also announced the launch of a new system for travelers to authorize approved laboratories to send their negative test results directly to the island’s Embarkation-Disembarkation card entry platform. 

Through a partnership with OK2Roam, travelers can take a video-supervised PCR test or go to a test center and take a PCR or antigen test. 

Children 11 and under are exempt from Aruba’s testing rules. 

For more on how to visit Aruba, see here. 

The post Aruba Adds Antigen Testing Option for American, Canadian Travelers appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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