Caribbean tourism businesses must adapt to succeed, according to the President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, Karolin Troubetzkoy.

Troubetzkoy sees the upcoming Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum as an opportunity for hotels and tourism-related businesses to take stock and to “open our eyes to the bigger picture, which is so important if we want to succeed not only as individual businesses and destinations but also as a region.”

Speaking to reporters in Miami, where the CHTA is headquartered, she said the second annual forum, which is slated for the El Conquistador Resort in Puerto Rico from September 30 to October 2, 2016, will build on the success of last year’s forum.

She said the upcoming exchange is an especially important one since 2016 and proven so far to be a year of significant change and challenges for the Caribbean hospitality industry.

At the forum, hoteliers will also explore the impact of the growing sharing economy led by Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway.

With the Caribbean region poised to surpass the 30 million mark in visitor arrivals for the first time this year, Troubetzkoy believes the traditional accommodations industry must be prepared to understand shifting consumer motivations and find creative ways to make the sharing economy work to its advantage.

High on the agenda of issues currently impacting the region’s tourism sector are: the effects of Zika, the Brexit outcome, increases in global terrorism risks, high airfares, rising hotel operating costs, and effective marketing efforts.

“At CHIEF there will be a healthy dose of peer-to-peer exchanges to flush out ideas and best practices. There is no doubt that Caribbean hotels and destinations which adapt to change and are prepared to deal with uncertainty are better positioned to come out ahead,” Troubetzkoy said.

The post CHTA President: Caribbean Tourism Businesses Need to Adapt appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The fire that broke out aboard the 561-foot passenger ferry vessel Caribbean Fantasy off San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday was still active on Thursday. The fire reportedly began in the engine room of the ship and spread to other compartments on board.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A group of nine leading Puerto Rico industry and business associations are joining in an unprecedented legal challenge to a Puerto Rico Energy Commission (PREC) move to impose the first in a series of unlimited, “blank check” rate increases under the controversial…

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The Caribbean is an All-Inclusive resort hot spot but that doesn’t mean that you’ll find them in every destination. Touch down in places like Anguilla or San Juan, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a hotel that bundles your room, food, drinks and activities for a single rate. So where to go when you want to go all in? Check out our rankings of the best Caribbean All-Inclusive destinations. CJ Travel Editor Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon has the full scoop.

JAMAICA This island is famous for its profusion of all-inclusive resorts, the first of which, now known as Couples Tower Isle, debuted the concept in 1978. The company has a further three romantic all-inclusives in Negril and Ocho Rios, and is surpassed only by Sandals Resorts, which has six hotels here and offers a “stay at one, play at six” exchange program. Less than a year old, Moon Palace Jamaica Grande, beachfront in Ochi, boasts 700 rooms. At the opposite end of the spectrum, The Caves in Negril is a cozy, 12-cottage boutique with a style, charm and individuality rarely seen at all-inclusive resorts. When it comes to Caribbean All-Inclusive properties, Jamaica is king.

The post The Best Caribbean All-Inclusive Destinations appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Jamaica is hoping for a tourism bounce from the country’s Olympics performance, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said.

Jamaica has received a tremendous amount of exposure for its performance in Rio de Janeiro, led of course by global superstar Usain Bolt.

In total, the country has earned 6 medals so far, including four golds.

Holness recently returned from a trip to Rio, where the country opened its Jamaica House marketing platform in the city.

“What I witnessed were travel agents coming in, asking questions about Jamaica, about our packages and our food. I (also) met many executives who were all asking about opportunities in Jamaica. Representatives from the Jamaica Tourist Board and other government agencies were there. So, I am certain that connections were made,” he said.

In 2013, following Jamaica’s strong performance in London in 2012, the country did not see a large increase in tourism, at least in the short term, with just a 1.1 percent increase in stayover arrivals compared the previous year.

The post Jamaica Hopes for Tourism Bounce From Olympics appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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