By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association is reporting strong sponsor and delegate interest in the upcoming Caribbean Travel Marketplace, to be held at the Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan.

CHTA’s Director General Frank Comito said major airlines, tour operators, meeting planners, destinations, hotels and attractions have already signed up for the annual event where the Caribbean travel industry assembles to do business.

Following a meeting with the Host Committee in San Juan last week, Comito said that the overall year-over-year registration was “encouraging,” and assured that all systems were in order for the January 30 to February 1, 2018 event.

Produced by CHTA, Marketplace brings together hotel and destination representatives; online travel agents; tour operators; Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions planners; and members of the media.

“We were very encouraged by what we saw in Puerto Rico,” said Comito, who observed the metro area preparing for the opening of the winter season.

“The strong recovery from Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 storm, is a testament to the spirit of the Puerto Rican people as they get their lives back on track and get ready to welcome tourists to the island,” he said, after noting that numerous hotels and restaurants were already back in business and contributing to the economic resurgence of the U.S. territory. “They are ready for us and they are going to be even more ready on January 30 next year.”

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company reported last week that more than 100 hotels are open and operating, more than 4,000 restaurants are taking orders and serving up meals and major tourist attractions island-wide have been cleaned up and restored.

“It’s been the continued collaboration with Governor Ricardo Rosselló’s team and tourism industry partners that has resulted in tremendous progress and we’re thrilled to be officially open for tourism,” said José Izquierdo, executive director of the PRTC. “Tourism is a vital contributor to the island’s economy, so reaching these milestones not only will help build a stronger, better Puerto Rico, but showcases the resiliency in our people and destination.”

Comito reported that registration for the region’s leading travel marketing event is only slightly behind pace compared with last year’s numbers, with more than 170 supplier companies, more than 50 buyer companies and close to 600 delegates already confirmed for the meeting.

“With six weeks to go, we are on target to equal or surpass last year’s attendance,” he said, adding that next month’s event is shaping up to be “another incredible opportunity to kickstart the region’s marketing efforts for 2018 and beyond.”

The post CHTA: “Major Support” For Marketplace in San Juan appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

What’s the most sought-after villa destination in the Caribbean?

Right now it’s the Turks and Caicos Islands, according to a new report from villa rental giant Villas of Distinction.

Turks and Caicos was ranked as the third most-sought-after villa destination, based on “industry insights,” according to the company.

It was ranked third overall, following Italy and Orlando.

“Villa bookings to this area are growing rapidly as guests are looking for islands with wonderful white sand beaches, staffed villas and award-winning restaurants, and the Turks and Caicos checks all of these boxes,” said Steve Lassman, vice president of villa product & agency relations for Villas of Distinction. “Air service is growing rapidly as you now have many cities within the U.S. and Canada offering non-stop service, so it’s easier than ever to get there.”

One other Caribbean destination was also in the top five: Jamaica, which the company said “continues to provide the best value of any Caribbean villa experience.”

The post Turks and Caicos Villas Are Trending appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

Thomas Cook Airlines’ inaugural flight from Gatwick Airport to Barbados launched this weekend.

The weekly flight from Gatwick joins Thomas Cook’s existing three-times weekly flights to Barbados from Manchester.

“We have a long and established relationship with Barbados and [Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc], and I am delighted that we can now offer this fantastic and beautiful destination to our customers throughout the U.K., with the addition of Gatwick to our Manchester program,” said Sharon Confue, Head of Sales U.K. for Thomas Cook Airlines.

Across Thomas Cook Group Airlines, over 265,000 seats are available to Caribbean destinations in the 2017-18 winter season, an 11 percent increase on winter 2016-17.

“We are delighted to help launch Thomas Cook Airlines’ new Gatwick flight to Barbados, an idyllic Caribbean island that always proves popular with UK travelers,” said Stephen King, Head of Airline Relations at Gatwick Airport. “Barbados has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and clear blue seas and visitors have a wealth of activities to enjoy, from water sports and golf to the island’s rainforest and wildlife.

The 9 hour, five-minute direct flight from Gatwick operates on a Saturday on the Airbus A330-200.

It will operate from until March 23, 2018.

“It’s fantastic that we were able to mark the occasion with a lively event for customers at Gatwick Airport,” said Christoph Debus. “We’re looking forward to a successful winter programme to Barbados from both Gatwick and Manchester and are thrilled to be adding to our growing winter Caribbean programme across the group.”

“The addition of the Thomas Cook service from London to Barbados is great news, as it makes Barbados even more accessible to UK visitors,” said Cheryl Carter, U.K. Director of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. “We encourage first time travelers and our loyal visitors to take advantage of this increased capacity and, plan their next holiday in Barbados now.”

The post Thomas Cook Launches New Barbados Flights appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

JetBlue continued its rebound from Irma and Maria last month with another solid month of growth, according to the carrier’s latest data report.

Traffic in November increased by 2.8 percent from November 2016, with a capacity increase of 4.3 percent.

Irma and Maria had led to significant declines in traffic because of JetBlue’s massive network in the Caribbean.

In all, JetBlue reported 3.7 billion revenue passenger miles last month, with 4.45 billion available seat miles.

Load factor declined, however, with a 1.2 percentage point decrease to 84.2 percent.

Irma and Maria will likely have an impact on revenue, however, with JetBlue now projecting a negative impact of around 50 basis points for the fourth quarter.

The post JetBlue Reports Traffic Rise appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Tropical, a resort in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, is undergoing a major upgrade to its room inventory.

The Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Resort’s renovation project will cover all 282 rooms, of which the first phase will see 144 rooms getting upgrades.

That covers three of the six buildings that comprise the property, with changes to the junior suite category and the standard category.

Both categories will have a “total” reinvention, from decor to furniture, with a “contemporary Caribbean” style, according to the company.

The post Puerto Plata Resort Gets an Upgrade appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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