SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Coast Guard, US Customs and Border Protection and Puerto Rico Police maritime law enforcement units interdicted and seized a drug smuggling vessel Monday with 1,608 kilograms of cocaine aboard and apprehended four suspected smugglers off the coast of Rio Grande.

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Bahamas-born Sammi Starr, Sony Music recording artist, has announced the launch of “#Bahamas, Your Best Picture Deserves My Best Song,” a grassroots social media campaign aiming to share with the world Sammi’s love his country and the sounds of its Junkanoo festival through his song “Jump in Da Line,” a single produced and remixed by Latin Grammy winner, DJ Buddha.

Sammi Star launched “#Bahamas” on Tuesday, March 28 on his website www.sammistarrmusic.com and on Instagram.

Sammi will search for his favorite photos and videos posted on Instagram with the hashtag #Bahamas and share them back with a soundtrack, his Bahamian Carnival anthem “Jump in Da Line” as well as an invitation to visit his web page.

“When you come to The Bahamas you are surrounded by beauty, music, culture, history and great vibes,” Starr said.. “I find thousands of pictures on Instagram of Bahamians and visitors having the time of their lives here. They inspired me to add my song “Jump in Da Line” as the soundtrack to their most vivid memories as we all celebrate together Junkanoo style through #Bahamas!”

“Jump in Da Line” is inspired by Junkanoo and it describes the Bahamian Junkanoo festival including the groups in formation and lines all moving to the sound of the rhythm.

— Dana Niland, CJ Contributor

The post How Sammi Starr Is Giving a New Soundtrack to Bahamian Travel appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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The head of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association is calling on the region to work together to ensure the Caribbean remains one of the world’s leading destinations.

Delivering the keynote at the Annual General Meeting of the U.S. Virgin Islands Hotel and Tourism Association earlier this month, CHTA President Karolin Troubetzkoy said that while Caribbean destinations are very different, they share many of the same challenges– from the impact of climate change to the high cost of operations.

Troubetzkoy, who is the executive director of operations at St. Lucia’s Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain resorts, said she believed a collective resolve is needed, leveraging the strength of diversity and the commonalities of the region’s countries and territories to fulfill tourism’s true potential.

She pointed to some of the issues many regional destinations are facing, such as improving intra-regional travel, the high costs of airlift to the region as well as importing food, taxes and the growing activity of the sharing economy.

Troubetzkoy indicated she is encouraged by recent movements towards greater public-private sector collaboration to address the region’s tourism competitiveness and development.

She cited a recent presentation by CHTA and the Caribbean Tourism Organization at the CARICOM Intersessional meeting where the leaders gave the green light to the organizations to draft a plan for submission to the CARICOM Summit in July for a “sustained region-wide tourism development and marketing initiative.”

Quoting from a recent CTO report on the industry’s 2016 tourism performance, Troubetzkoy observed that while the Caribbean reported its seventh consecutive year of growth with an increase of visitor arrivals by 4.2 percent and a total of 29.3 million stay-over visitors to the region, that growth was unevenly distributed, with Cuba and the Dominican Republic being the primary beneficiaries.

Similarly, despite the increase in visitor arrivals, many regional hotel properties did not experience a successful 2016, as measured in terms of key performance indicators such as Occupancy, average daily rate and revenue per available room.

Underscoring the need for integrated regional approaches, Troubetzkoy reminded attendees that the United Nations World Tourism Organization expects the Caribbean region’s tourism share to decline from 2.1 percent to 1.7 percent by 2030.

The CHTA president issued a call to tourism professionals across the region to work together to make their destinations more competitive on the global market: “We also must keep an eye on the many international tourism destinations out there that perform better than us– destinations that have been able to offer 5- and 6-star products at a cost that probably would buy a 3- or 4-star holiday in the Caribbean.”

She called for stronger partnerships between the public and private sectors at the destination and regional levels to tackle the difficult issues of increased airlift, air travel costs, taxation, improved inter-regional connectivity and figuring out together how to price products more competitively in the global marketplace.

“Our discussions may be uncomfortable and sometimes heated but they must take place because, in the end, we are in this together.”

Pointing to the rapid growth of the alternative accommodations sector through online platforms like Airbnb, she asserted, “Rather than fighting the trend we have much to gain by working with [them] to find ways of cooperating for the benefit of our visitors, our dedicated hoteliers and tourism professionals, as well as our hospitable citizens who are willing to share their homes with visitors from abroad, and from within our destinations.”

Key issues related to the sharing economy’s participation in the hospitality industry include the need to ensure safety and security for guests, and to establish policies that require the homestay community to make a reasonable contribution to each destination’s infrastructure maintenance and construction costs.

Noting that people are key to competitiveness, Troubetzkoy urged destinations to develop and fine-tune “every aspect of our customer service experience, enhancing our product itself– whether we are talking about availability of real, authentic Caribbean cultural and culinary offers, locally made products or renovated and enhanced hotel accommodations that have taken into account changing customer expectations.”

None of this can be achieved, she said, without well-trained and informed people in the sector.

“We have to ensure we are training people who will continually improve our product as they make fulfilling careers in tourism, and we need to also provide these stalwarts of our sector with continuing education and training,” she said. “Because, let’s face it – our landscapes, adventures and beaches will draw travelers to our shores – but it is our Caribbean people who will keep them coming back.”

The post Troubetzkoy: People Are Key to Caribbean Tourism Success appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Many of the best beaches in Jamaica are either totally hidden or private, tucked away for a special few. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find some of the island’s best beaches for yourself,  too.

Because while Jamaica is known as the land of rum, reggae and rastas but it’s also home to some of the Caribbean’s best beaches.

From Portland’s eastern shores to Negril famous western strip and several spots in between, there are plenty of places to spread your towel and soak up the sun.

So CJ Travel Editor Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon brings you some of our favorites: in other words, your best beaches in Jamaica.

Seven Mile Beach, Negril This (almost) seven-mile-long strip on Jamaica’s northwest coast is as famous for its laidback bohemian vibe, beachfront hotels and colorful parade of local characters as it is for its white sands and warm, clear water.

The post The 7 Best Beaches in Jamaica appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Turks and Caicos’ The Sands at Grace Bay resort has completed a $4.5 million upgrade project.

The extensive resort refresh includes the updating of guest rooms and enhancements to the resort’s common areas as well as updates to the property’s terrific on-site restaurant, Hemingway’s.

“We are thrilled to unveil our newly-renovated resort as the busy winter season gets underway,” said Mona Beeson, The Sands at Grace Bay General Manager. “Our prime location on the World’s #1 Beach along with our spacious guest suites and studios – most with complete kitchens – affordable luxury rates, and value-added extras truly set us apart from other beachfront resorts.

“Guests are raving about these contemporary updates that provide them with a fresh new resort look to enjoy and plush comforts, while maintaining the property’s beloved sophisticated yet relaxed ambiance,” she said.

The major focus of the transformation is showcased throughout the resort’s 114 studio and suite guest rooms in varying sizes from 1,000 – 1,600 square feet, featuring full kitchens and granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances, and private screened-in patios.

Led by interior designer Rose Kelly of Inter Décor, updates include new furnishings evoking an airy-modern style and abstract artwork showcasing coastal Caribbean colors.

Further upgrades feature custom-made teak patio furniture by Asmayda Furniture Group of Miami and a new luxury bedding collection designed by Atlantic Hospitality.

The refresh enriches the resort with new furniture, drapes and sheers, sofa sleepers and arm chairs, bar stools, and new lighting in living room, dining room and kitchen areas of all suits and studios.

Additionally, furniture hand-crafters have updated the property’s desks, tables, and dining room furnishings to complete the overall new look of the resort’s accommodations.

Hemingway’s restaurant has completed enhancements to the restaurant’s facilities, including new flooring and walls, and a kitchen expansions to support the ever-increasing popularity of Hemingway’s.

The post The Sands at Grace Bay Completes Major Renovation Project appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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