By Dana Niland and Alexander Britell

The  Cyril E. King Airport in St Thomas will soon begin a major transformation project.

The plan, revealed by the Virgin Islands Port Authority this week, is estimated to cost around $230 million.

The existing airport.

“We’re living in a world now where security regulations have altered how you run your operations and also have a customer base that’s evolved over time, with increasingly higher expectations,” Schnetzer said. “Airpots are competing with each other. Communities and cities are competin gwith each other for business, for tourism. We’re trying to accomplish a number of things at one time – we’re repairing damage that was done to the facilities last year, taking a look at the functionality of the building, and what sort of an image does this facility have for people as they arrive and as they leave.”

The vision for the project includes new jet bridges, parking garages and restaurant expansions, along with a connected ferry terminal that would expedite maritime travel for travelers after exiting the terminal (something that could be a boost for both St John and St Croix and for the nearby British Virgin Islands).

Retail areas will get a major upgrade.

The designs for the ferry terminal include a pedestrian bridge that would allow arriving passengers to walk toward the nearby Lindbergh Bay Hotel and Villas over traffic to the newly-built terminal.

The wider expansion will include an upgraded airline ticketing area, concessions, restrooms, baggage screening, baggage claim and, perhaps most importantly, enclosed loading bridges.

The first phase of the expansion project will include a second level with views of the surrounding area, along with new retail and duty free offerings and a new roof.

The project began several years ago with a master plan process, according to Tom Schnetzer, head of long term projections for the Cyril King airport.

The existing terminal was built 30 years ago when airports functioned differently, Schnetzer said.

“That can be a powerful thing,” he said.

Perez & Perez is the architectural team behind the project, which has designed a number of major aviation projects, including Concourse H at Miami International Airport.

The repairs will not detract from repair and recovery efforts, however, officials cautioned.

“We will continue doing repairs to all of our facilities in relation to the hurricane damage, but in the mindset we want to do for today that which can be useful for tomorrow,” said US Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth Mapp.

The initial design plans were revealed during a presentation at the University of the Virgin Islands this week.

The post St Thomas: USVI Plans $230 Million Airport Modernization Project appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

The Guyana Tourism Authority says it has been laying the groundwork to support a push to promote community tourism in Guyana.

The agency’s director, Brian Mullis, highlighted several primary objectives, including raising the profile of the organization, undertaking a needs assessment and conducting training sessions in the regions, as well as drafting a community-led tourism framework.

“The leading authorities in tourism say that nature and travel tourism represent 20 to 25 percent of the world tourism market, and that is our market,” Mullis said.

He said that the GTA has been working closely with indigenous communities to restructure and develop plans to further promote tourism in communities across the regions.

An initiative between Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs and the Ministry of Business has seen several hinterland communities benefiting from major supports in an effort to develop eco-tourism.

This is part of what the government says is a plan to promote economic growth and community development through the creation of nature-based and community-based eco-tourism businesses in indigenous communities.

The government also said it had allocated funding this year to build eco-tourism lodges, benabs, nature trails, and to provide training of tour guides, customer service, and hospitality in several areas across the country.

That’s a natural progression, given that the vast majority of leisure visitors to the country are doing so for its vast eco-tourism offerings, most notably lodges like the Surama Eco Lodge and the country’s famous Kaietur Falls.

—CJ

The post Guyana Plans to Focus on Community Tourism appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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… children return from Puerto Rico on Aug. 25.
FEMA gave Puerto Ricans like Beard the option to return to Puerto Rico.
… Florida, Maria Baez, another displaced Puerto Rican living in Florida with her …

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By Alexander Britell

On an island where luxury is standard, it isn’t always easy to stand out.

But that’s what makes the newest hotel in St Barth just so exciting.

This is the Manapany Hotel, a 43-room-and-suite luxury resort that is the hottest new hotel to debut on the tiny French Caribbean island in years.

It’s the brainchild of France-based boutique hotel collection B Signature Hotels and Resorts, which transformed what was one of the island’s older properties into a stunning hotel that oozes personality and French Caribbean cool.

The latter is particularly important — this is a hotel that’s clearly making an effort to be an authentically French Caribbean, and it pulls it off, from an impressive menu of rhum agricole from Martinique and Guadeloupe to thatched-roof palapas for the beachfront bungalows.

This is a French hotel with a Caribbean soul.

The bungalows are some of the best beachfront rooms in St Barth.

But there’s more — the Manapany is a full-fledged eco-hotel, from an all-electric fleet of on-property vehicles to solar-powered water heating to environmentally-friendly toiletries.

The rooms are terrific, whether you’re staying in one of the beachfront bungalows on the spectacular Anse des Cayes or the hillside rooms that offer some of the most striking vistas in St Barth.

They’re filled with delightful little touches — the modern-style rotary phones, the clever corner lighting, the ultra-fast Wi-Fi. (The built-in screen mirroring was another nice innovation — allowing you to watch any videos on your phone or computer on the room’s large-screen televisions).

The dining offerings range from a cocktail-forward bar (make sure you try of the signature drinks like the “Back to the Roots.”) to the the eponymous restaurant, where Chef Edouard Fabius serves up a fresh, original menu of French and Creole concepts, with some great local seafood.

And then there is the spa — which has its own adults-only pool perched just above the beach and  treatment rooms with the soundtrack of the waves, that’s instantly one of the best spas in the Caribbean region. Yes, it’s that good.

It all adds up to a hotel that has the luxury one expects in St Barth — but with a fun, cool, light-hearted personality that’s a welcome change for the island.

In short, it’s the hottest new hotel in St Barth — and the best place to stay in St Barth right now.

For more, visit the Manapany.

HOW TO GET HERE: The best way to arrive in St Barth is by flying to San Juan then hopping on the outstanding Tradewind Aviation, which operates multiple flights daily. Anse des Cayes beach is just a five-minute drive from St Barth’s Gustaf III Airport.

The post VIDEO: The Manapany, St Barth’s Hottest New Hotel appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

The latest Caribbean Photo comes from Caribbean Journal reader Gerard Sturrock, who sent in this lovely shot of West Bay Beach in Grand Cayman.

Have you taken a great photo in the Caribbean?

Send it to news@caribjournal.com with CPOTW in the subject line, including your first and last name and the location of the photo.

And tell us where you’re from!

— CJ

The post Caribbean Photo of the Week: West Bay, Grand Cayman appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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