Tourism in The Bahamas is booming right now, according to new data from the country’s Ministry of Tourism. 

Air and sea arrivals to The Bahamas are up a whopping 515.6 percent this year compared to the same period in 2021, according to tourism officials. 

The tourism surge comes as the country’s economy has made “great strides” towards reaching pre-pandemic levels. 

And more tourism growth is forecast for 2023. 

“We believe we’re tracking slightly behind 2019, but so far so good in the post-covid climate,” Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Chester Cooper tells Caribbean Journal. “Our proximity [to the US] hasn’t changed.”

Overall, the country is seeing a tourism boom, just two years after the onset of the pandemic. 

Indeed, 2019 was a banner year for The Bahamas’ tourism industry, when the country attracted 7.2 million visitors, with around 5 million cruise passengers and two million stopover visitors. 

And looking ahead to 2023, The Bahamas is expecting to exceed those levels, he said. 

“We want to see a significant increase in the number of stopover visitors,” he said.

That will be driven by a continued increase in hotel room stock, from the expansion and reopening at Sandals Royal Bahamian to the reopening of the Club Med in San Salvador, a new Ritz-Carlton Reserve in South Eleuthera and the return of Grand Bahama’s Grand Lucayan to the destination’s inventory. 

But the biggest area of growth could come from Florida, The Bahamas’ biggest — and closest – source market. 

Right now, The Bahamas is welcoming around 500,000 stopover visitors each year from Florida. 

Cooper says he would like to see that number double. 

“We have a renewed focus on Florida,” he said. “We’re attracting around half a million stopovers from Florida each year — but 22 million people live [there]. It’s a 30 minute flight, and we’re very focused on making it even easier to get to The Bahamas.”

It doesn’t hurt that the country has 16 full-fledged island destinations, said Latia Duncombe, acting director general of The Bahamas’ Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation.

And the plan is to spread that growth across the extent of the archipelago.

The country is undertaking a major investment in infrastructure, including in destinations like Exuma, which is seeing a wave of new development.

More broadly, though, Cooper says the growth will be buoyed by the Bahamian people.

“We want to foster a vibrant future focused on the Bahamian people, culture and heritage, meaningful investments and an eye towards sustainability. There’s no doubt that our culture, people and environment are the essence of our tourism offering, and we must take steps,” he says.

That includes a focus on the Bahamian people, culture and heritage, which Cooper says are the “heartbeat” of the country, with a major boost from the return of cultural events and festivals this year. 

“There is a significant amount of pent-up demand, and people do want to travel,” said Latia Duncombe, acting director general of The Bahamas’ Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation. “We’re making sure that when they make a decision to travel, The Bahamas is always their destination of choice.”

For more, visit The Bahamas. 

The post Bahamas Tourism Is Booming, With Plans For a Record-Breaking 2023  appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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The Caribbean’s leading travel conference kicks off this week in Puerto Rico. 

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s Caribbean Travel Marketplace is back in person for the first time since the beginning of 2020, gathering buyers and suppliers from around the world at the Puerto Rico Convention Center. 

It’s a strong reminder of the Caribbean’s broad tourism renaissance since the pandemic, with many destinations in the region nearing or eclipsing what had been record tourism highs in 2019. 

And it’s also a show of support to Puerto Rico, which is still recovering from Hurricane Fiona and for which the event is an injection of much-needed attention and tourism revenue. 

Billed as the region’s “largest tourism marketing event,” Marketplace, as its affectionately known, is welcoming almost 1,200 delegates to Puerto Rico’s capital this week. 

“This year’s CHTA Marketplace already feels like a turning point for tourism in the Caribbean,” said Arlene Friday, CEO of the Grenada Hotel and Tourism Association. “Our businesses can’t wait to collaborate, network and grow tourism with everyone here.”

Look to CJ for more updates from this week’s conference. 

For more, visit CHTA Marketplace. 

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It’s always been one of the most naturally beautiful places in the islands: St Kitts, the lush, green-hilled jewel in the heart of the Eastern Caribbean. 

And while the island’s hotel stock has long been dominated by major resorts like the Marriott St Kitts and the Park Hyatt (the only Park Hyatt resort in the Caribbean), it’s now home to a new luxury hotel: the charming, tiny Sunset Reef. 

Sunset Reef, set in the village of Trinity on the southern coast of the island, just west of the capital, Basseterre, features just seven suites in a villa-style setting. 

That means you all the units can be booked individually or the property can be bought out by one group. 

The suites range from one-bedrooms to four-bedrooms, all with direct sunset views, coral flooring and either kitchenettes or full kitchens. 

The centerpiece, to be sure, is the infinity pool, with striking views by day and sizzling sunsets. 

And while it’s decidedly boutique, it’s actually hone to three different dining concepts: the Drop Anchor Grill, an all-day eatery with international cuisine; and a pair of bars: one at the infinity pool and another on the beach. 

The hotel also has private dining options ranging from private sunset dinners with a table right on the beach or toes-in-the-sand beach barbecues. 

And then there’s the hotel’s “Catch and Cook” program, which takes guests on a chartered fishing trip and then brings back the catch to make your dinner. 

Another unique touch is a menu of “stocking” options: you can outfit your suite with a selection fo snacks, wines and mixers before you arrive; choose the “fully stocked” option with premium wines and spirits or even send a list of groceries you’d like in your room. 

The hotel is also focused on sustainability, with a geothermal energy system that helps power the property’s pool, AC and water filtration, among others (it’s also a plastic-bottle-free zone). 

The debut of Sunset Reef adds to a growing number of sleek new places to stay in St Kitts, including the new Koi, Curio Collection by Hilton. 

And its launch comes as the island has embarked on a major new rebranding, reorienting its tourism push with a focus on the local, the authentic and the natural. 

And Sunset Reef fits right in. 

For more, visit Sunset Reef. 

The post A Tiny New Caribbean Luxury Hotel Just Opened in St Kitts  appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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There are countless resorts in the Caribbean with PADI dive centers and drive boats on site, offering a variety of dive programs from all-inclusive to a la carte experiences.

At other resorts, you can find all-inclusive vacations where diving is included as part of the package.

These all-inclusive dive resorts range from large-scale beach resorts to tiny boutique options.

Here are some of the top resorts in the Caribbean offering all-inclusive packages combining accommodations, dining, and daily dives, too:

Fort Young Hotel and Dive Resort, Dominica This all-inclusive resort on the lush island of Dominica puts diving on par with its other included amenities, such as daily tours to island sights like Trafagar Falls and lionfish hunting. Yoga classes and spa treatments also are included, as is unlimited shore diving. The Diver’s Dream package combines seven nights of lodging for the price of six with the resort’s all-inclusive plan, with five days of two-tank diving.

The post The Best All-Inclusive Dive Resorts in the Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Following the lead of competitor Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is getting into the ultra-luxury cruise business.

The company has announced the launch of Four Seasons Yachts, a new ultra-luxe “yacht” fleet that will kick off operations in 2025.

“Four Seasons Yachts brings our legendary service and innovation to the seas with the launch of our luxury yacht experiences,” the company said in a statement. “Revel in the splendour of modern sea voyaging – marked by bespoke craftsmanship, personalized service and a dedication to excellence – offering an unmatched luxury lifestyle experience at sea.”

The yachts will have what Four Seasons calls an “unmatched crew-to-guest ratio,” with itineraries created to offer back-to-back voyage opportunities for longer stays.

Four Seasons says the yacht voyages will also include extended port stays for “deeper explorations of local culture.”

And the company’s first destinations will include both the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, “centered around breathtaking destinations that offer highly bespoke shore experiences, as well as one-of-a-kind overland adventures.”

Four Seasons says it will also offer extensions to combine itineraries with stays at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

It’s a nod to the growing demand for ultra-luxe ocean voyages, one that largely kicked off with Ritz-Carlton’s launch back in 2019. (Ritz-Carlton is sailing its first voyages this year).

So what will the ships be like?

Each “yacht” will have just 95 suites, meaning an eminently boutique experience.

Each suite will have floor-to-ceiling windows, access to private terrace decks and, in the case of the ships’s signature four-level suite, a private spa and private wading pool.

Shipbuildier Fincantieri, known for building ships for most of the world’s top cruise lines, will be crafting the ships.

And, with the new focus on health and safety at sea, the company says it has “ensured that every aspect of the Four Seasons Yacht will incorporate the very latest in state-of-the-art safety systems and technologies.”

Reservations will launch in the second half of 2023.

For more, visit Four Seasons Yachts.

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