By Alexander Britell

ST GEORGE’S — The Caribbean’s leading regional tourism conference began in earnest on Tuesday night in Grenada.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization’s State of the Industry conference, held each autumn, is holding court at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort on Grenada’s famous Grand Anse Beach.

The theme of this year’s conference, which is being held through Oct. 13, is “super-charing the Caribbean brand: meeting the needs of the new explorers.”

The Radisson Grenada, home to this year’s SOTIC conference.

Given last month’s hurricanes, however, a major focus will be on reconstruction and recovery in the region, with a special session of SOTIC 2017 looking at how to recover and rebuild after a major disaster.

“This is the time when not only do we have to focus on the state of the industry as we know it today, but because of the really strong hurricanes that have affected our region this year we have to focus a great deal of attention as well on our economic recovery  as an entire region and how to  rebuild with the resilience and structural integrity to protect ourselves in the future,” said CTO Secretary General Hugh Riley.

This year’s keynote speaker will be former National League Football player Dorsey Levens.

The post CTO State of the Industry Conference Begins in Grenada appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

As the island of St Croix works to recover from Hurricane Maria, its signature hotel has announced plans to reopen soon.

The Buccaneer, the family-run hotel that will celebrate its 70th anniversary this year, will reopen Nov. 1, the property announced.

The Buccaneer has been functioning as a command center for FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers.

The property had been working on a renovation project that included a new pool area and a new beachfront restaurant, with construction continuing.

Five guest rooms were damaged by the hurricane, with crews now working on their renovation.

“These were older units, so the resort has the opportunity to upgrade these rooms to the current Buccaneer standards of luxury,” the property said.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Sailing charter giant The Moorings has added a new destination in the wider Caribbean region: the Exuma archipelago of The Bahamas.

The new destination adds what is one of the great sailing regions of the Caribbean, with more than 365 islands and cays across more than 120 miles and some of the most remarkable water anywhere.

The Moorings will be operating its charters out of the harbor in George Town on the island chain’s largest island, Great Exuma.

Exuma becomes the company’s second destination in The Bahamas, along with the Abaco island chain.

The post The Moorings Adds a New Destination: Exuma appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Alexander Britell

ST GEORGE’S — St Maarten’s cruise port will reopen on Nov. 11, according to St Maarten Director of Tourism Rolando Brison.

Brison, who was speaking at the CTO’s State of the Industry conference in Grenada via Skype, said officials were eager to relaunch operations even earlier than that with lines like Royal Caribbean.

The harbor was not hit as hard as other tourism infrastructure on the island during Hurricane Irma.

“We will be reopening for cruise and expect to have at least one or two cruise ships returning to the destination every day,” Brison said. “[The plan is] to eventually get back to being one of the top cruise destinations in the Caribbean once again.”

“St Maarten is recovering,” he said. “We are moving forward, we’re not resting on anything at all.”

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By Dana Niland

CJ Contributor

Carnival Elation has completed a multimillion-dollar makeover that includes the addition of a new WaterWorks park, 38 new cabins, 98 stateroom balconies and a variety of food and beverage concepts.

Following the renovation, Carnival Elation will resume its year-round schedule of four- to eight-day cruises from Jacksonville, FL.

Carnival Elation is Jacksonville’s only year-round cruise ship offering four- and five-day cruises to The Bahamas featuring stops at Freeport, Nassau and the private destinations of Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays.

Carnival Elation will also offer a special six-day Bahamas cruise and an eight-day Bermuda voyage in April 2018 as well as a one-time seven-day eastern Caribbean cruise the following month.

The ship will now feature an increased capacity to welcome guests with its new two Grand Vista suites, 22 junior suites, two ocean view cabins and 12 interior accommodations.

Additionally, private verandahs have been added to 98 existing staterooms, creating new 230-square-foot balcony staterooms, all of which offer new island-inspired interiors with bright colors and soft pastels inspired by Carnival Elation’s tropical itineraries.

Located on Verandah Deck, the new WaterWorks park features an enclosed 300-foot-long Twister water slide full of twists and turns, two 82-foot-long racing slides and splash zone for kids.

A nine-hole miniature golf course has been relocated to Deck 14, providing another activity for families to enjoy together.

The ship has also added Camp Ocean, a marine-inspired play area designed for kids ages 2-11 that showcases the wonders of the sea through engaging interiors and more than 200 ocean-themed activities, including arts and crafts, science-oriented programming and more.

The ship’s new dining options include Guy’s Burger Joint, a free-of-charge poolside venue serving hand-crafted burgers and fresh-cut fries; RedFrog Rum Bar, another poolside option offering the Caribbean vacation vibe with refreshing rum-based frozen drinks and beers; and BlueIguana Cantina, a complimentary poolside Mexican eatery where guests can enjoy authentic freshly made burritos and tacos on homemade tortillas, as well as a toppings and salsa bar.

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