It’s one of the most important source markets for Caribbean travel you never hear about: California. 

While it doesn’t send as many travelers to the region as major markets like Miami and New York, the California market, particularly Southern California has long been an important feeder for the region, particularly for many of the Caribbean’s ultra-luxe hotels and resorts. 

And now one Caribbean destination is capitalizing on that demand in a big way. 

The Cayman Islands’ national flag carrier, Cayman Airways, has officially launched nonstop service between Los Angeles, Calif. and Grand Cayman. 

The first-ever flight between Grand Cayman and Los Angeles took off this weekend, with weekly nonstop service operating on Saturdays out of Owen Roberts International Airport. 

More notably, it’s the only nonstop service connecting Los Angeles with a Caribbean island.

The service departs Grand Cayman on Saturdays, with the LAX-Cayman flights operating on Sundays. 

“Opening an air bridge to new markets such as this one, will drive inbound visitation and grow tourism opportunities for our country because our national airline is making it easier for travelers to get to our Islands,” said Cayman Islands Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan. “Over the longer term however, the routes success will depend on the continued collaboration between the Ministry and Department of Tourism, and our partners in the tourism industry, including the CI Film Commission, the financial services sector, and a host of other essential industry sectors working collaboratively together to leverage business and leisure opportunities.”

The new LAX service “brings Cayman closer to Hollywood,” as officials are branding the route. 

That means both more travelers and more opportunities for LA-based production companies to capitalize on Cayman as a location for film, television, music video and other productions. 

While in Hollywood for the launch events, Cayman’s Department of Tourism held a “Cayman Reception” showcasing local musicians, Carnival models and dancers to promote the new route. 

“I wholeheartedly offer my gratitude to the teams at Cayman Airways, the Airports Authority, Civil Aviation and the Department of Tourism for all their hard work throughout the process of transforming this new route to Los Angeles from a dream to a reality,” Bryan said. 

For more, visit Cayman Airways. 

The post New Nonstop Flights Between Los Angeles, Cayman Islands appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Sandals has an opening date for its highly-anticipated new resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

The new Sandals Dunn’s River is officially opening its doors on May 24, 2023, Sandals Resorts International confirmed. 

The resort will be a dramatic reimagining of the former Jewel Dunn’s River resort, a property that was actually in the Sandals portfolio three decades ago. 

The new Sandals will include unlimited dining at 12 different eateries; nine bars, including a swim-up bar, a PADI=certified dive operation, five pools and even two “lengthy” river pools. 

It will also be home to the company’s popular Beachfront Skypool Suites, which first made their debut at the Sandals Grenada. 

The Skypool Suites will be the first of their kind in Jamaica, with private pools stretching across the length of the room’s balcony.

In another first, Sandals will be debuting “Coyaba Sky Rondoval Villas,” with their own “oversized” swim-up pools and open-air rooftop terraces. 

“This was an extraordinary project and the last I worked on with our founder and my late father, Gordon “Butch” Stewart’, as his final masterpiece,” Sandals Resorts International Executive Chairman Adam Stewart told Caribbean Journal. “He handpicked this location more than three decades ago for its white-sand coastline, cool breeze, azure waters and its close proximity to the destination’s archetypical falls. It will not only serve to breathe new excitement into a corner of Jamaica loved and cherished by so many, but it will set a new standard of luxury for tourism right here in our backyard with a next-generation resort worthy of its nostalgic past.”

Sandals acquired the property in 2020, and plans a total of three new resorts in the Dunns River area.

It will be the centerpiece of what Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett calls a “great comeback year” in 2023 for the island’s tourism sector, with both earnings and arrivals projected to surpass pre-pandemic levels. 

More importantly, the new resort will be a significant addition to the tourism product in Ocho Rios, a destination that will be getting new nonstop service next year from Miami on American Airlines. 

“Ocho Rios is the place where my father grew up, where he first learned to fish and felt the breeze blow along the West-facing beach and where he first saw the pure joy of the island on the faces of visitors,” Stewart said. “Here along Jamaica’s North Coast, he witnessed a blossoming tourism industry and became aware of how to please and serve a new Caribbean customer. Every touchpoint at the new Sandals Dunn’s River is designed to do that and more.”

For more, visit the Sandals Dunn’s River.

The post Sandals Sets Opening Date for New All-Inclusive Resort in Jamaica  appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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In what is the most anticipated debut in Saint Lucia in years, AMR Collection’s Zoetry brand is set to open its doors next month. 

The new Zoëtry Marigot Bay St. Lucia, a reimagining of one of the Caribbean’s signature resort properties, will officially welcome guests on Dec. 1. 

The 124-suite Hyatt-portfolio resort is set on the iconic Marigot Bay, long considered one of the most stunning bays in all of the region. 

It immediately becomes one of the top all-inclusive resorts on an island known for its collection of high-level, everything-included properties ranging from Sandals-branded resorts to the recently-rebranded Stolen Time by Rendezvous.

The boutique-style resort also represents the first-ever Zoëtry in the Eastern Caribbean, part of a broad expansion push for parent company Apple Leisure Group. 

Amenities range from a world-class marina to a pair of pools, one infinity and one lagoon-style, to one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated spas. 

There’s also access to the spectacular, palm-filled stretch of sand in the middle of Marigot Bay that can only be reached via boat. 

It’s a dramatic transformation for a signature Saint Lucia property, and a testament to ALG’s ability to take luxury resorts to the next level — while converting them to all-inclusive in the process. 

Zoëtry Marigot Bay St. Lucia is part of the Hyatt portfolio; Hyatt acquired Apple Leisure Group last year.

Saint Lucia tourism is in the midst of what officials are calling a “strong” recovery, one that has seen arrival numbers near what the destination was reporting before the onset of the pandemic.

The numbers have been even better since the island made the decision in early September to remove all testing and vaccination rules for travelers, part of a Caribbean-wide trend.  

For more, visit Zoëtry Marigot Bay St. Lucia.

The post Major All-Inclusive Resort Brand Set to Debut in Saint Lucia  appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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American Airlines has launched a new nonstop route to the island of Grand Bahama in The Bahamas. 

The world’s largest airline has kicked off new service between Charlotte, North Carolina and Freeport, Grand Bahama. 

The inaugural flights was welcomed this weekend with a red carpet, a Junkanoo band and Bahamas Goombay Punch for the arriving visitors. 

The new nonstop route will be operating weekly on Saturdays, in a major boost for the island’s tourism fortunes. 

American is operating the service on CR9-Canadair RJ 900s with 90 seats. 

It’s one of two new routes launching from North Carolina to The Bahamas, along with soon-to-debut service on Bahamasair between Raleigh and Grand Bahama. 

“We’ve been in North Carolina recently with the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation promoting Grand Bahama Island and this new flight that is direct from Charlotte, we have Raleigh coming up soon as well, so we’re so excited about the opportunities for Grand Bahama Island for this new increased airlift,” said Ginger Moxey, The Bahamas’ Minister for Grand Bahama. 

In the medium term, new service is also coming to Grand Bahama from Toronto, Montreal and Orlando, according to Bahamian officials. 

“We want people to know that there’s so much to do on this island,” Moxie said. “There are so many hidden gems and I believe the people that are here today are going to be able to experience that. Grand Bahama, things are looking up,” Moxie said. “It’s been needed, we’ve been through so much.”

The new service was the result of months of negotiations, according to Nuvolari Chotoosingh, Manager of Niche Markets at the Ministry of Tourism in Grand Bahama.

“Charlotte is a major airline hub out of the United States and so to get a flight out of there, particularly with an airline such as American Airlines that puts someone from the Midwest into Charlotte and then from Charlotte directly into Grand Bahama, that’s phenomenal,” Chotoosingh said. 

The post American Airlines Just Launched a New Route to The Bahamas  appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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All-inclusive resorts are not quite newcomers to Curaçao — the now defunct Breezes Curaçao debuted in 2001 —  but the concept of paying one price for all of your lodging, dining, drinks, entertainment, and activities has gone from niche to commonplace quickly on this Dutch Caribbean destination in recent years.

With the opening of a new Sandals in Curaçao in the summer of 2022, Curaçao now has more than half a dozen all-inclusive resorts, which Curaçao Tourism Board marketing director Rebecca Marval says reflects growing demand from travelers in North America.

“With the growth in U.S. visitors the demand was growing and now supply is as well,” says Marval. “Of course every traveler has their own preferences when it comes to hotel selection, and while we’ve always had a diverse assortment of boutique hotels, villa accommodations and some larger hotel developments, there was an opportunity in the market for the all-inclusive segment. The new additions fill a gap.”

The diverse array of all-inclusive options now available to Curaçao-bound travelers include:

Sandals Royal Curaçao

Sandals Resorts opened its first property in the Dutch Caribbean in June 2022; the 351-room, adults-only resort is billed as a “super luxury” property where perks include use of a Mini Cooper to tour the island when you book at Kurason Island Poolside Butler Bungalow or Awa Seaside Butler Bungalow. The resort has 11 on-site restaurants and 13 bars, and top-tier guests also have the option of dining at other restaurants on the island. A long list of included amenities is topped by golf at the Pete Dye designed Old Quarry course.

Mangrove Beach Corendon Curaçao

Part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, this 399-room all-inclusive resort has leveraged the Hilton name to attract a growing percentage of U.S. travelers. Opened in 2020, a highlight is the resort’s water park with its six water slides and splash playground; other amenities include a dozen restaurants, four pools, a private beach, a PADI-certified dive center, and family friendly guest rooms — some with a king and two twin beds to accommodate families of four.

Zoëtry Curaçao Resort & Spa

Looking for an all-inclusive resort with a few less guests at the pool? The boutique Zoëtry Curaçao has just 72 luxury suites but a full range of included resort activities with pools and a private beach, on-site spa and fitness center, and water sports and other activities shared with the nearby Dreams Curaçao. Each suite at the Hyatt affiliated resort has a bathtub big enough for two and a balcony or terrace with ocean or garden views.

Dreams Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino

The “Unlimited Luxury” all-inclusive experience promised by this 197-room AM Resorts property (also affiliated with Hyatt) extends from standard hotel rooms to Club Level suites with access to a private lounge and bar. Seven restaurants include Italian, seafood, and buffet style dining as well as a brewpub with Tex-Mex food and a sports bar. Kids clubs are available for ages 2-17, and weekly activities at this family friendly resort include movie nights and beach parties.

Kunuku Resort

Seven pools add a splash of blue to the multicolored, three-story hotel buildings at this Trademark Collection by Wyndham all-inclusive resort. The property is off the shore, but offers a shuttle to a trio of Curaçao’s best beaches: Porto Marie, DaaiBooi, and Pirate Bay, as well as other local attractions. Relatively limited dining options include a buffet restaurant, pizzeria, and beach bar. Bigger families will appreciate the three-bedroom apartments that have one double and four single beds.

Sunscape Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino

This Hyatt affiliated resort, the third member of the AM Resorts collection on Curaçao, has 341 rooms on a long beach with calm waters protected by a breakwater. Cheerful pastel rooms have garden or ocean views, with upgrades to club level junior and full suites available. Dining and drinks options include a sports bar/nightclub and a swim up bar as well as Asian, Italian, and seafood restaurants. A rock climbing wall, sumo wrestling, and bouncy boxing are along the family-friendly activities available.

The post The Best New All Inclusive Resorts in Curaçao appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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