Antigua and Barbuda has launched a major new effort to ramp up foreign direct investment to the twin-island country, specifically in the services sector, according to Investment and Tourism Minister Asot Michael.

The announcement came during Michael’s recent presentation at the opening of Invest Caribbean, a conference aimed at highlighting the advantages of investing in the Citizenship by Investment Program in Antigua and Barbuda.

“As the economy is largely services based, and given the government’s commitment to diversification into sectors which do not compel as intensive brick and mortar investments as does tourism, consideration must also be given to encoding relevant incentives into the investment framework that will attract services investments,” Michael said.

He added that a greater push must be made towards improving the ease of doing business within the twin island state, and that already the government has implemented several regulatory and legislative interventions he said will set it on the path to improved rankings on the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index.

The steps taken in this direction include changes to the Customs Control and Management Act, which eliminated the need for importers to produce Certificate of Good Standing; the launch of the ASYCUDA World Manifest module, which permits electronic filing of ship manifests pre-arrival of vessels; and the launch of the Public Access Module by the Land Registry, which encourages further facilitation of the search for land records and relevant ownership information through online platforms.

“Every effort has to be made to explain the genuine purposes of the CIP — to show to those who fear it the benefits that it brings, and to assure those who question it of its integrity and safety,” Michael said.

Michael noted the importance to the overall success of the country’s CIP is the government’s thrust towards continuously safeguarding its integrity and sustainability.

“The CIP is not about ‘selling passports’ as its detractors proclaim. To deserve citizenship and a passport, applicants have to satisfy very high standards of behavior– behavior that is closely examined by professional bodies schooled in investigations that leave no stone unturned,” Michael said. “The reason that this scrutiny is so intense and the investigation so penetrative is precisely because we place the utmost value on our citizenship and passport.”

— Dana Niland, CJ Contributor

The post Antigua Looking to Increase Foreign Direct Investment appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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BY ALEXANDER BRITELL

The impossibly-white sands of Grace Bay Beach in Providenciales are lined with myriad resorts and hotels, each offering a gateway to one of the world’s greatest stretches of sand.

But one is different.

The Sands at Grace Bay is one of Turks and Caicos’ venerable resorts, an institution of the tourism product on the island. And there’s a reason for that.

The 114-studio-and-suite resort has distilled the art of the beach hideaway, thanks to that remarkable alchemy that turns a great beach into a great beach resort.

This pool is lined with waterfalls and little nooks perfect for relaxation.

There’s a level of overarching calm here you simply won’t find at many other places on the island or the Caribbean; an extremely quiet, almost meditatively relaxed atmosphere that is delivered without pretension or arrogance, a rarity these days.

Here, the formula is simple: spend the morning in your oversized studio or suite; take a lap at one of two pools (the second happily lined with small waterfalls); head for the mini-palapas on Grace Bay and then order some drinks at Hemingway’s, the resort’s on-site restaurant that’s one of Provo’s best beach eateries.

Hemingway’s, a popular spot for guests, locals and travelers on the island, has some of Provo’s best seafood.

While The Sands has long been one of the best places to stay in Turks and Caicos, it’s recently gotten even better, thanks to a $4.5 million resort upgrade project that transformed much of the property, from the rooms to Hemingway’s.

Plainly, this is a special resort — it’s a place offering the true Caribbean vacation experience, the one without noise and crowds and the inauthentic.

Here, it’s all about quiet enjoyment of a beautiful place. And that’s the way it should be.

See more in the video at the top.

The post Why You Need to Visit The Sands at Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Apple Vacations has added new flights to its Exclusive Vacation Flight charter program out of Lansing, Michigan.

The company will operate nonstop flights from Lansing to Cancun, Punta Cana and Jamaica starting Dec. 23.

The Cancun flights will operate on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays; Punta Cana flights will operate Wednesdays and Saturdays and Montego Bay, Jamaica flights will operate on Mondays.

Apple Vacations will be operating the flights on Swift Air through April 5, 2018.

The new non-stop Exclusive Vacation Flights include complimentary non-alcoholic beverage services and snacks, one carry-on bag and one checked bag free of charge with AV-OK. Premium Class seating and Preferred Perks Plus upgrades are available from $29 and $39, respectively, according to the company.

— Caribbean Journal staff

The post Apple Vacations Adds New Michigan-Caribbean Flights appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Barbados boasts some of the best golf options in the Caribbean, and now one resort on the island is looking to create the perfect golf getaway.

Elegant Hotels Group’s Turtle Beach Barbados all inclusive will be offering complimentary rounds of golf beginning Oct. 1, 2017.

Guests will have daily access to the Barbados Golf Club facilities, part of the company’s “Elegant Inclusions.”

The 6,805-yeard, par 72 championship course is located on Barbados’ southern coast in the parish of Christ Church, just minutes away from Turtle Beach.

The all-inclusive, all-suite hotel is set on one of Barbados’ most beautiful beaches.

The beach at Turtle Beach.

The golf inclusion features complimentary club rental, one round of golf per day and complimentary transfers between the resort and the course.

Rooms at Turtle Beach start from $301 per night on an all-inclusive basis. Click here for more information.

— CJ

The post How to Golf for Free in Barbados appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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There’s a new music festival to visit in the Caribbean this summer: Roots and Soul.

The artist is dedicated to musicians “setting new trends” in genres including reggae, conscious hip-hop, Afro-punk and R&B, with concerts accompanied by master classes and encounters with artists.

The festival, part of St. Lucia’s new “Soleil” music series this summer, will be headlined by Grammy-winning reggae legends Morgan Heritage.

The two-day event takes place June 17-18 at the Pigeon Island National Landmark.

The June 17 lineup will feature artists including Chrycee ft Dynamics Band, Kayo, Fourth World and Christopher Marin.

The Sunday lineup will include Diana Philip, Rob Zii Taylor and Phyness, Musiq Soulchild, Etana and Morgan Heritage.

The post Morgan Heritage to Headline Roots and Soul Music Festival in St. Lucia appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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