You’re on a Caribbean trip, you’re fully vaccinated or boosted, and yet, much of the last day of your vacation is spent trying to take a Covid test just to be able to return home.

Right now, the US CDC requires all inbound travelers, including US citizens (and even the vaccinated), to have a negative Covid taken 24 hours before their flight home. 

The above is a story with which many travelers to the Caribbean are very familiar.

Increasingly, the test has become a significant hurdle for travelers and, more importantly, a large tax of sorts on Caribbean destinations, which have had to significantly expand testing for travelers and have to deal with long-term quarantine logistics for travelers who otherwise would have already been back home.

Critics are calling for a change to exempt vaccinated Americans from the requirement — chief among them the American Society of Travel Agents, the leading global advocate for the travel industry. 

To learn more about how the test is impacting travel to the Caribbean and the broader industry, Caribbean Journal talked to Zane Kerby, president and CEO of the American Society to Travel Agents. 

What are the CDC testing protocols for returning citizens?

Currently, the CDC requires that in-bound travelers to the United States have a negative covid test, taken on the day before their departing flight. 

What are the impacts of this policy on travel?

In a word, chilling.  While some US travelers are intrepid, many have postponed or cancelled trips abroad.  They do not want to risk being quarantined in a foreign country for 5 – 10 days at their own expense.  They don’t want to risk having to navigate a foreign country’s healthcare system. They don’t want to risk ‘false positive’ covid tests.  They don’t want to risk losing pre-payments for vacations they may not be able to take.  I recently tested positive and quarantined for 5 days in a room with my wife and 4 teenage children.  It was, not optimal.   

How is this affecting Caribbean travel destinations?

The Caribbean has welcomed a growing number of US tourists. In fact, according to the US Department of Commerce, the share of outbound tourists from the US grew from 3.65M in 2000 to 9.9 million in 2019.  The Caribbean was the fastest growing outbound market over that 20 year span.  While we’re encouraged by the increasing number of travelers to the region, the in-bound testing rule is severely limiting the overall number of tourists who are able to enjoy their favorite Caribbean spots. 

Is the CDC considering changing the rules?

We’re hopeful that the CDC will revise the rule soon, but are unaware of any plans to do so at this time. 

What sort of feedback are you getting from the administration?

Currently, the Biden administration has not responded to ASTA’s call to remove the inbound testing requirement for vaccinated travelers.  In addition to sending our own letter, ASTA joined with other hospitality and travel industry groups including Airlines for America, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the U.S. Travel Association and many others to ask that the requirement be rescinded for vaccinated travelers. 

What are the rules in other countries?

Other countries including the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Portugal, Greece and others are dropping their in-bound testing requirements for the vaccinated. Studies have proven that testing doesn’t slow the spread of the omicron, and does little to curb hospitalization rates.  Vaccinated travelers are much less likely to become hospitalized as a result of Covid.  

What is ASTA doing to try and help?

Petitioning our own government, and working with like-minded associations around the world to bring clarity and consistency to public policy.  Our position is clear: masking, social distancing, and vaccinations are powerful tools in place that severely limit hospitalizations from Covid-19.  As such, the in-bound testing requirement for vaccinated travelers should be discarded.   Once rescinded, we’re confident that millions more travelers from the United States will plan and enjoy travel to the Caribbean.  

What can our readers do to help? 

Contact your local elected officials.  Ask them to work with their diplomatic counterparts in the US.   Pressure from both sides will help compel the Biden Administration’s CDC to rescind this onerous regulation. 

The post ASTA: CDC’s Return Test Requirement Is “Chilling” Caribbean Travel  appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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A new Caribbean rum event is coming to the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire.

It’s called Bonaire Rum Week, and it’s a celebration of the world of Caribbean rum, featuring cocktail competitions, exquisite rum pairings, cigar events and the chance to taste some of the world’s finest rums.

Set for June 14-17, 2022, Bonaire Rum Week is hosted by Tourism Corporation Bonaire and organized by Caribbean Journal, the world’s leading Caribbean travel media company and the team behind the annual Caribbean Rum Awards in St. Barth.

Bonaire Rum Week was announced last week in the presence of the CEO of TCB Miles Mercera, Commissioner of Tourism Hennyson Thielman, and from Caribbean Journal editor and publisher Alexander Britell and managing editor and EVP Guy Britton.

“We’re so excited to bring a high-end rum event to one of the most authentic, naturally beautiful and eco-adventurous islands in the Caribbean,” said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal. “Bonaire has long had a world-class culinary scene, and this week of rum-fueled fun is the perfect way for the destination to help spotlight it while elevating it to the next level.”

Bonaire Rum Week Partner Tourism Corporation Bonaire CEO, Miles B M Mercera, “We are proud to introduce Bonaire Rum Week as a new signature gourmet experience on the island. Besides being known as the world’s divers’ paradise, we are also being discovered and recognized by foodies around the world for our culinary offerings. Our first annual Bonaire Rum Week serves as our invitation to adventure seekers around the world to come and experience our authentic cuisine, local rum and our island life.”

The festival will kick off with an opening celebration, followed by an island-wide cocktail competition at the island’s premier cocktail bar, Tiki & Co, featuring Bonaire’s top bartenders; a rum-infused lunch; a spiced rum Happy Hour; a multi-course rum-pairing culinary experience followed by a rum-and-cigar pairing event.

“This event is a great way to showcase another side of Bonaire, as one of the Caribbean’s foremost destinations for foodies and spirits lovers alike,” said Guy Britton, managing editor and EVP of Caribbean Journal.

Bonaire has a thriving cocktail culture, from signature rum punches to microbreweries and beach bars.

The island is also home to the Cadushy Distillery, which makes Rom Rincon, Bonaire’s sought-after, award-winning and locally-made rum, which is the event’s Host Rum.

Bonaire Rum Week Partners include Tourism Corporation Bonaire; Caradonna Adventures; Delfins Beach Resort Bonaire; Captain Don’s Habitat; Buddy Dive Bonaire; Harbour Village Beach Club; Bellafonte Bonaire; Tiki & Co; Cadushy Distillery; JC Herrera; Bottles Bonaire; The Wine Factory Bonaire; Best Cellars and Best Brands Bonaire.

For more information, visit Bonaire Rum Week or contact rum@caribjournal.com.

The post Bonaire to Host New Caribbean Rum Festival in June  appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville is debuting its newest resort brand at the edge of the Caribbean next month, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

Margaritaville, in collaboration with Karisma Hotels and Resorts, is opening the new Margaritaville St Somewhere by Karisma Punta Coco on Holbox Island in Mexico in March. 

The property, which is already taking reservations, will welcome guests on March 1, according to the property’s Web site. 

It’s the first-ever Margaritaville St Somewhere resort, and the latest collaboration for Margaritaville with Karisma; the two companies have partnered on two new resorts in the Caribbean in the last year, both under the Margaritaville Island Reserve brand, set in Cap Cana and the Riviera Maya, respectively. 

While both of those resorts are all-inclusive, St Somewhere Holbox is not. 

And while both of those resorts are on the large side, the Holbox property is decidedly boutique, with just 39 suites, set over mangrove gardens and wooden bridges, some with their own private plunge pools. 

St Somewhere “marries warm hospitality and easygoing vibes with personalized luxury,” according to Margaritaville. 

It’s set on Holbox Island, the tiny, pristine island at the far northeastern corner of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Caribbean Sea. 

The property, set on more than 3,000 feet of beachfront, will have two eateries with a la carte options, with amenities like a swim-up bar. 

For more, visit Margaritaville St Somewhere Punta Coco, Holbox Island. 

The post Margaritaville’s New Resort Brand Is Opening Soon in Mexico  appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Trinidad and Tobago’s hotel room stock is set to receive a boost with the Brix, Autograph Collection by Marriott, opening this weekend.

The 161-room US$51 million hotel, located at Coblentz Avenue, Port of Spain, will feature art from local artists and artisans.

The Brix pays homage to the country’s once prosperous sugar industry and derives its name from the measurement “Brix” which is a measure of the Sugar Content in a Solution.

Formerly the Carlton Savannah hotel, the property was set to open its doors in 2019, but delays stepped in and, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, T&T’s construction sector was halted by the Government to help curb the spread, which caused further delays for the completion of the hotel.

“We believe that beauty without heart is meaningless, therefore our Hotel in Port of Spain brings thoughtfulness and purpose to our exquisite facilities,” the property said in a statement. “Our contemporary spaces are marked by the sleek and the textured, the polished and organic, the bold and the subtle. Our spacious and well-appointed guest rooms and suites are inspired by our passion for eclectic, offering cozy spaces that guarantee a night of endless tranquility.”

Guests can come and discover locally inspired food options that extend the culinary experience in the hotel’s restaurant and enjoy crafted cocktails while enjoying panoramic views of the skyline at the Sugar High Rooftop Bar. 

Trinidad and Tobago Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell told Caribbean Journal that a large selling point for destination Trinidad and Tobago is having the types of rooms that will attract the right types of visitors. 

“As the tourism sector reopens, with additional flights and the restart of entertainment and events, room stock quality becomes of utmost importance in boosting destination attractiveness for Trinidad and Tobago.”  

“This hotel will be a major boost to Business Tourism as its meeting space will accommodate 220 persons,” Mitchell said. “The restaurant can accommodate 90 persons and has a roof top feature with space that can host 60 persons seated.”

He explained that after the opening of the Brix by Marriott, the country is expecting that Radisson Blu in Port of Spain and Comfort Inn and Suites in Tobago will follow soon after. 

“Trinidad and Tobago is on an aggressive thrust towards developing our tourism product so that the visitor experience is a memorable one.”

Mitchell said his ministry along with its destination marketing arm Tourism Trinidad Limited has embarked on a programme that will see new sites and attractions, new airlines and new hotels enhancing the visitor experience.

For more, visit The Brix.

The post Marriott Opens New Hotel in Port of Spain, Trinidad appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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It was home to one of the hottest beach scenes in the Caribbean before Irma; an always-hopping, party-filled stretch of sand renowned for one-word beach bars: Kontiki; Waikiki; Bikini. 

And then the storm came, and Orient Bay, St Martin as we knew it was no more. 

But the area has very quietly experienced a renaissance in recent years, once again trending toward the beach bar-heavy, culinarily vibrant destination it used to be. 

And now that includes a brand-new hotel, of the sort that frequent Caribbean travelers love: tiny, intimate, boutique and authentic. 

It’s called Les Galets SXM, and it’s a boutique bungalow hotel that’s home to five standalone bungalows, each with a clean, chic beach decor. 

Each bungalow is named for a different hue, and each comes with a flat screen TV, Wi-Fi, a high-design bathroom and a private terrace. 

There’s also a three-bedroom, three bathroom villa available. 

That’s along with a heated pool and pool deck in the heart of the property. 

The culinary option includes a French table d’hotes, with dinner three times a week, with service on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. 

The menu, led by a veteran chef from mainland France, is ever-changing, from truffle-focused dinner lineups to a culinary journey with scallops. 

It’s another cool new addition to the French side, long largely free of large hotels; adding to a unique hotel stock of course led by the island’s top hotel, signature Grand Case Beach Club and other ultra-boutique options like LTC Beach Hotel and Sol e Luna, among others.

For more, viist Les Galets. 

The post There’s a Tiny New Bungalow Hotel in St Martin  appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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