BY ALEXANDER BRITELL

Before the planes land, the cars have to stop, and so do the chickens.

That’s what happens when your runway is also the Island’s main road.

There aren’t Islands left like Little Cayman, the frontier outpost of the Cayman Islands with less than 200 people. Maybe there never were any to begin with.

There’s a single main road here, the one that begins with the airport and stretches along to Point of Sand.

Lots of Islands claim to be the Old Caribbean, the ones that escaped time and mass tourism and retain their old charm.

Little Cayman is different. It didn’t need to escape.

And that’s what makes it just so perfect.

Even electricity didn’t take its wires here until about two decades ago, but there’s another kind of energy here, happy go lucky and full of quirks, the kind that puts the liquor store in the same room as the car rental office.

Everyone here knows they’ve found someplace special, a place with just a few hotels, empty sand and some of the world’s greatest diving.

There’s the Little Cayman Beach Resort, the lovely dive resort and then the colorful, delightful Southern Cross Club, or you can rent a little bungalow or villa and make a go of it.

The afternoons are simple: a beer or a bottle of Havana Club on the beach, a grill or a suntan.

Little Cayman is about what isn’t here, the crowds and the construction and the sound.

Come here for a day or two or seven.

Just watch out for the chickens on the landing.

How to Get Here: There are approximately 166 flights every week into the Cayman Islands, including 42 every week between Miami and Grand Cayman.

Little Cayman is accessed via four-times-daily flights from Grand Cayman. The Cayman Airways flight takes about 35 minutes, although some flights stop first to drop off passengers in Cayman Brac.

— Alexander Britell

The post Why You Need to Visit Little Cayman appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

 

By Guy Britton

This week saw the U.S. Virgin Islands’ 24th annual destination symposium in St. Thomas, and the takeaway was clear: the USVI has big tourism plans, buoyed by strong growth.

The United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism unveiled its new marketing plans for the coming year, with “Real Nice” as the theme for the campaign.

It follows this year’s successful campaign that focused on the 100th anniversary centennial commemoration of Transfer Day in 1917, which included the now-ongoing promotion that gives travelers large spending credits if they book trips to the territory.

Travel Industry officials including hotel and tour operators, airlines and attractions were in attendance, all on hand to get a sneak peek at next year’s creative images and videos.

USVI Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty led the marketing and public relations presentation, with a workshop-style discussion between the audience, Alani Henneman Todman, director of communications, Canika John, Director of Marketing and Luana Wheatley, director of film.

In addition to unveiling plans for “real nice” the team discussed strategies and plans currently in place and coming for the near future.

That included a report on tourism performance for the first quarter, which showed a 5 percent increase year-over-year both in occupancy and ADR.

The commissioner went on to review a 13 percent gain in tourism arrivals in the month of April year over year.

She also discussed new airlift for the summer season including United Airlines increasing their flights from 4 to 7 weekly and American Airlines’ putting larger aircraft into service into the USVI.

They also discussed in detail what could be one of the destination’s biggest growth sectors: culinary tourism.

That includes 2 food tour operations in St. Thomas, the DineVI program, which features special events and many discounts running this fall, along with the farmers market, food and farm tours in St Croix.

The latter has been perhaps the Caribbean’s fastest-growing cuilnary destination, with St. Croix becoming a hub for talented young chefs and gastronomic adventurers, most notably with last year’s debut of the Balter restauant led by Chef Digby Stridiron.

The verdict? A very optimistic outlook for the near future, thanks for what is a unique level of cooperation between the public and private sector tourism associations in the USVI.

The post The US Virgin Islands Has Big Tourism Plans appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

 

Fast-growing Panama-based carrier Copa Holdings has announced an order for 15 new Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft.

The company will be the first airline in Latin America to operate what is the newest addition to Boeing’s MAX portfolio.

“Due to the long-term success we’ve had operating 737 NG we had placed a sizable order of 737 MAX aircraft for our future, and the 737 MAX 10 provides additional flexibility for certain segments of our network,” said Ahmad Zamany, Copa Airlines’ Vice President of Technical Operations.

The MAX 10 will be introduced around 2020, with what Boeing bills as the “highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market.”

Copa provides service to 75 destinations in 31 countries through its operating subsidiaries, including much of the Caribbean.

“We are thrilled that Copa Airlines is one of the launch customers for the 737 MAX 10,” said Van Rex Gallard, vice president, Latin America, Caribbean and Africa Sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The 737 MAX 10 will be the most profitable single-aisle airplane, offering the lowest seat costs ever and will help Copa Airlines grow their business and win market share in the competitive single-aisle market.”

— CJ Staff

The post Copa Orders 15 New Boeing 737 MAX 10 Aircraft appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

 

Atlantis Paradise Island is in the midst of a major relaunch, with the biggest change set to debut on July 16 when the rebranded Coral Towers become The Coral hotel.

The Coral is a transformation of the former Coral Towers, with a new Lobby Lounge including an ice cream parlor and bakery, along with redesigned contemporary rooms and suites.

“We’ve taken a step back to look to the future of Atlantis and truly understand what motivates today’s travelers to choose a destination,” said Howard C. Karawan, President and Managing Director of Atlantis, Paradise Island.

The rooms come in either King or double queen configurations with a variety of views including terrace, harbor and water, along with bathrooms with new flooring, vanity accents and modern showers and bathtubs.

Designer Jeffrey Beers has created a new poolscape, with private cabanas, family-friendly water activities and a swim-up bar featuring locally-made Bahamian fruit.

Aimed at families, The Coral will also feature a dedicated family trip planner along with a “Coral’s Kids’ Concierge,” who will “assist families with information about the resort’s purposeful activities to connect them to local Bahamian culture and ecology, opportunities to explore the coral reefs and marine environments and to spend time together in pursuit of indelible learning moments.”

The Coral is part of a wider change that will include a transformed Marina Village set to debut this fall.

While the resort has been around for more than two decades, this year Atlantis sought to cultivate a new identity centered around the “authentic” Bahamas, something that will be a major focal point of the new Marina Village, which will feature an authentic fish fry, conch salad shacks and a local brewery.

Atlantis also recently launched Art Walk, a market where every other Saturday where guests can support local artists and sample local products.

The post Atlantis’ Big Relaunch Begins July 16 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

 

There’s a major new resort on the Caribbean coast of Mexico: The Grand at Moon Palace Cancun.

Palace Resorts’ newest project has more than 1,300 guest rooms, nine outdoor swimming pools, an adults-only “unique day club” with a live DJ spinning poolside, five swim-up bars, a beach club, a children’s waterpark, a six-lane bowling alley and more than 80,000 square feet of meeting and events spaces.

The property also has 10 new restaurants, ranging from the Asian “Jade” to a steakhouse called “JC.”

Wellness is also a focus, thanks to a new 76,876-square-foot “Awe-Spa” containing a whopping 60 spa suites, along with a hydrotherapy circuit, plunge pools, steam and sauna rooms and more.

The resort, which is located within the brand’s signature Moon Palace Cancun, was envisioned by Palace Resorts’ exclusive designer, Francois Frossard, aiming for a “new standard in “luxury all inclusive” accommodations.

“The Grand at Moon Palace Cancun is without a doubt our most unbelievable project yet,” said Gibran Chapur, executive vice president of Palace Resorts. “Palace Resorts envisioned a property that would truly take luxury, convenience, and entertainment and upscale culinary dining and combine it to surpass any traditional, luxury all-inclusive around.”

Prices start at $295 per person per night, according to the company.

Palace has 10 all inclusive resorts in the Caribbean.

The post The Grand at Moon Palace Cancun Officially Opens appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico