Antigua and Barbuda was one of the first Caribbean destinations to reopen its borders for tourism when it did so back in early June 2020. 

Now, that decision is continuing to pay off, with tourism to the twin-island destination bouncing back and then some — with some tourism indicators eclipsing the same period in 2019, before the pandemic. 

Antigua and Barbuda is reporting a “steady” increase in tourism arrivals from the United States, along with a surge in bookings from the United Kingdom. 

“This is good news for the country’s economy, as our main source markets re-open to international travel and we see our airlift and hotel occupancy levels increase,” said Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Minister Charles “Max” Fernandez. “Antigua and Barbuda is open, and we are delighted that consumers can have confidence in traveling to our shores. We have worked steadfastly to ensure the safety of our people and our visitors, and we are pleased and proud that this resulted in a lower number of COVID cases and by extension, reduced the negative impact on our economy.”

Arrivals in June were at 14,503, buoyed by 12,205 visitors from the United States. 

That represented a 9.8 percent increase over the total of U.S. visitors to Antigua in 2019 — when 11,115 Americans visited the country. 

“This was until now our best June ever for USA arrivals to Antigua and Barbuda. The hard work of the tourism teams in the overseas markets to remain engaged and active during and after the pandemic has now begun to bear fruit,” said Colin C. James, CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority. 

Long one of the Caribbean’s top luxury destinations, the islands are also seeing a rum pin private jet services. 

In the first half, there were 1,219 private jet flights to Antigua and Barbuda, an 18.6 percent increase compared to the same period in 2019. 

And that’s manifesting itself in the hotel sector, where some hotels are nearing 100 percent occupancy. 

July occupancy is now projected at 71 percent, according to the ABTA, compared to an earlier prediction of 35 percent. 

For more on how to visit Antigua, see here.

— CJ

The post Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Is Bouncing Back appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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People are traveling again. Driven by vaccinations, traveler confidence is as high as it’s been since the onset of the pandemic — and it’s borne out in the numbers in the Caribbean, where June was the highest-arrival month for the region since March 2020. 

So where to go? 

While individual travel protocols vary, it needs to be said that every destination in the Caribbean is open for tourism right now. 

So where are our favorites for July? They range from luxury hotspots to the perfect spots for those seeking to socially distance on their vacation — in other words, something for everyone. 

Jamaica Jamaica is seeing a full-fledged tourism rebound, driven by a simple and easy-to-understand travel protocol (here’s what you need to know) and an impressive tourism reopening — from dazzling luxury resorts like the new Eclipse at Half Moon to brilliant outposts of cool like the Rockhouse in Negril. Jamaica is open — and it’s time to come back. 

The post From Jamaica to The Bahamas, The Best Places to Go in July appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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There are jaguars in the cane fields. 

In the heart of a rainforest in southern Belize, one of the Caribbean’s newest rum companies is doing something very special. 

It’s a sustainable rum, a sugarcane rum and — and most importantly, a very good rum. 

It’s called Copalli, and it’s the next big from Belize. 

Despite a spectacular Caribbean coastline and what has always been a sizable sugar industry, Belize has never been known as a rum powerhouse. 

But that’s changing. 

In recent years, more and more producers have launched rums in Belize, beginning with Tiburon back in 2013, and now, most recently, with the particularly fascinating Copalli.

Copalli would be interesting enough for its environment. 

The rum is produced in southern Belize in the heart of a rainforest, with a focus on sustainability and, as Copalli’s Conservationist, Will Meheia, is quick to point out, is the kind of eco-conscious, natural environment where jaguars regularly walk around the plantation.

“No other sugarcane farm has that, because of the chemicals,” says Meheia, who is also the only on-staff conservationist at a Caribbean rum company. 

But it’s not just the jaguars. 

Uniquely for Belize, and for much of the Caribbean outside of Martinique and Guadeloupe, this rum is made from cane juice. 

That means it has a real terroir, and it’s a kind of Western Caribbean rhum agricole.

“We believe firmly in the idea of terroir in spirits,” says CEO Mark Breene. “When you smell the sugarcane juice, you can smell all the flowers in the fields. In the finished rum, you can often taste the wild vanilla that grows near the sugarcane.”

And as any agricole aficionado will tell you, that’s true. 

The rums of Martinique and Guadeloupe have real terroir, and when you make rum from cane juice as opposed to molasses that’s exactly what you get. 

And it makes sense when you’re making rum in such a rare environment — you want it to be part of the rum, not just a story. 

You might call this rainforest agricole.

Copalli has two expressions so far: a White Rum and a Barrel Rested Rum (a cacao rum, made from cacao nibs grown on site, is on the way). 

For this review, we tried the Barrel Rested Rum, a 44-degree pot still expression — a divergence from the typical use of column stills in the vast majority of sugarcane-juice rums. 

There’s no age statement; it’s lightly aged in ex-bourbon American oak barrels. 

So what’s it like? 

Copalli Barrel Rested has an aroma of butterscotch, confectioner’s sugar, dried apricot and cane stalk. 

The flavor profile is marked by black pepper, orange peel, licorice, vanilla and tobacco, and a lingering, lasting essence of cane. 

It’s remarkably balanced for such a young rum. 

But what really stands out is that this tastes like an agricole. No, it’s not from the French Caribbean. But it’s true to the essence of an agricole, a rum that has terroir, a rum that has soul. 

Plainly, this is an outstanding effort — and we’re excited to see what more aging brings. 

And I’m sure the jaguars would agree. 

Rum Journal Rating: 93 Points 

— CJ

The post Rum Journal: Copalli, An Outstanding New Rum from Belize appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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There’s another new way to fly to one of the Caribbean’s buzziest destinations: St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands.

JetBlue has officially begun its newest service to St Thomas, with four flights each week from Newark Liberty International Airport and St Thomas.

The new flights, which began July 1, are operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

St Thomas has been one of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean amid the pandemic; it was one of the first destinations to reopen for tourism in the summer of 2020 and its Travel Screening Portal has set a standard for the region.

The tourism surge in the USVI has led to a wave of new airlift options, with new routes on carriers ranging from American Airlines to Frontier Airlines.

So how do you travel to the USVI?

All visitors need to show a negative PCR or antigen test result taken and received within five days before traveling to the USVI.

Alternatively, visitors can show proof of a positive result from a COVID-19 antibody finger stick or blood draw test taken and received within four months of traveling to the USVI.

Notably, because the USVI is part of the United States, travelers don’t need to take a test to return home to the mainland US.

JetBlue also operates service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

For more on how to travel to the USVI, see here.

— CJ

The post There’s a New Way to Fly to St Thomas appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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World-renowned Chef Marcus Samuelsson is opening its first-ever restaurant in the Caribbean, Caribbean Journal has learned.

The culinary superstar will soon debut his new Marcus at Baha Mar Fish + Chop House, set at the Baha Mar resort in Nassau, The Bahamas. 

The six-time James Beard Award winner’s menu focuses on “finding the freshest Bahamian ingredients and local seafood,” along with the chef’s take on comfort food classics. 

It’s set on the beachfront overlooking Cable Beach — along with a venue called Marcus Up Top, a rooftop bar. 

The eatery will officially open its doors on July 12. 

“The Bahamian people, the culture and, of course, the access to fantastic Caribbean ingredients is extremely exciting to be around,” said Chef Marcus Samuelsson. “Baha Mar has built an incredible culinary program of world-class restaurants, which I am proud to join and looking forward to opening this Summer.”

It’s the latest celebrity chef-backed restaurant to launch at Baha Mar, which also recently welcomed a restaurant by leading chef Daniel Boulud. 

The menu will notably feature a number of conch dishes, highlighting the Bahamian favorite — with everything from conch fritters to conch salad. 

The eatery will also include “Cornbread for the Table,” made with hot buttered Bahamian rum. 

“The incredible career and talent of Chef Marcus Samuelsson is an inspiration to the entire Baha Mar family, and we are delighted to introduce Marcus at Baha Mar Fish + Chop House to our guests and the local community of The Bahamas,” said Graeme Davis, President, Baha Mar. “Chef Marcus’ elevated culinary take on Bahamian cuisine will introduce a distinctive dining experience with delicious, inventive food in an incredible setting.”

Samuelsson first gained fame with his Red Rooster Harlem and Ginny’s Supper Club in New York City. 

His culinary portfolio also includes a Red Rooster in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood and Gorda in Sweden. 

The post Marcus Samuelsson Is Opening a New Restaurant in the Bahamas appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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