Monthly Archives: April 2019

USVI Travel Demand Keeps Rising

 

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Demand for travel to the US Virgin Islands continues to surge.

That was the takeaway from talks between the USVI’s Department of Tourism and several major airlines last week.

There has been strong demand for seats to both St Thomas and St Croix this past winter season, according to Tourism Commissioner Designee Joseph Boschulte.

And that is likely to result in additional capacity this winter and next summer, he said.

Indeed, United is set to launch daily nonstop flights from Houston to St Thomas this summer, and would “also consider plans for new additional flights to St Thomas and St Croix the following summer,” he said.

“We have had some very important discussions about the future of airlift to the Territory and look forward to following up with our airline partners to ensure that we have adequate flights into our islands, especially as more accommodations come on line in the months ahead,” said Boschulte, who noted that United had already loaded new Saturday flights from Chicago to St Thomas before the upcoming winter season.

Boschulte also met with American Airlines in Dallas, with increased capacity from Chicago, Dallas and Miami all under consideration.

That’s along with the potential for growth out of the Charlotte hub, he said.

“”These meetings matter as we embark on a managed growth strategy through the full return of land-based tourism following the storms of 2017,” he said. “The travel and tourism sector is changing to meet its growth and is becoming more electronic and internet-based, but ironically, the more virtual it gets, the more important it is to regularly meet face-to-face with our partners,” he said.

— CJ

The post USVI Travel Demand Keeps Rising appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Puerto Rico activists criticize religious freedom, conversion therapy bills

… Raymond; courtesy Flickr)
Activists in Puerto Rico have sharply criticized two bills … important victory for both communities.”
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, center, talks … .”
David Román of Puerto Rico Para Tod@s, a Puerto Rican LGBTI advocacy group …

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The Caribbean’s Best Film Festival Is In St Barth

 

By Alexander Britell

The Caribbean’s best film fete is returning to the French Caribbean this year for what will be the 24th edition of the St Barth Film Festival.

This year’s festival, which focuses on Caribbean and international film, will run from April 28 through May 4.

This year’s opening night film is a documentary about reggae, Inna de Yard, which will be shown on the dock in Gustavia in collaboration with the concomitant West Indies Regatta.

The festival was first created in 1996, aiming to give the island and its population the opportunity to discover the wealth of Caribbean culture — and put a renewed spotlight on regional cinema.

This year’s event will include a mix of films including some from Cuba and Mexico, with the closing film to be Alfonso Cuaron’s Oscar-winning Roma.

“We are very excited about the 24th anniversary of the St Barth Film Festival, as we have directors, actors, and producers coming from Haiti, Chile, Colombia, France, Argentina, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana,” said Ellen Lampert-Greaux, the organizer of the festival in partnership with Joshua Harrison. “Since we founded the festival in 1996, it has become a crossroads for Caribbean cinema, offering filmmakers the chance to meet each other and see each other’s work in the idyllic setting of Saint Barth.”

For more, visit the St Barth Film Festival.

— CJ

The post The Caribbean’s Best Film Festival Is In St Barth appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Royal Caribbean Is Building Another New Ship

 

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Royal Caribbean has launched construction on yet another new Oasis-class cruise ship, the company announced this week.

The as-yet-unnamed ship officially celebrated the cutting of the first steel at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.

The new ship is slated to make its debut in 2021 as the fifth in the Oasis class of the company’s cruise ships.

The new ship will feature the signature “seven-neighborhood” layout concept and a “bold and unexpected lineup of thrilling experiences,” the company said in a statement.

The Oasis class ships have several signature amenities, from options like the tallest slide on a cruise ship to the first zip line at sea.

— CJ

The post Royal Caribbean Is Building Another New Ship appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Puerto Rico oversight board loses bid to extend claims filing deadline

… denied a request by Puerto Rico‘s federally created … involved in potentially illegal Puerto Rico debt sales. The Official … and contractors to the Puerto Rican government, argued that the … violation of debt limits in Puerto Rico‘s constitution. …

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