The Caribbean island of Statia has officially opened its brand-new airport terminal. 

The relaunch of the Dutch Caribbean island’s F.D. Roosevelt Airport comes as the island is set to reopen its borders to tourists on Aug. 2. 

Interestingly, the airport is named for the former U.S. president Franklyn Delano Roosevelt, some of whose Dutch ancestors lived in Statia in the 1700s; Roosevelt himself visited the airport in 1939.

He was on the island to present a plaque honoring the “first salute,” when, on Nov. 17, 1776, the Dutch governor of the island gave the order to salute an acting Continental Navy ship — the first time the inchoate United States of America had ever been officially recognized. 

Of course, he’s not the only major American poplitical figure with a connection to the island, which was also home to Alexander Hamilton and his family for a number of years. 

The construction of the airport was financed by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. 

The new airport terminal has a nearly 12,000-square-foot roof and a just over 7,500 square feet of interior space. 

That includes four check-in desks, three airline offices, luggage screening and a full passenger and staff airside screening area. 

The waiting area at the gate has 44 seats, along with amenities including a land-side bar. 

That’s along with an arrival baggage claim, customs check area, storage rooms, a meeting room and a security and control room. 

The air traffic control tower has three stories, with a 360-degree-view cabin. 

It’s a dramatic new addition for the island, which has become increasingly popular with travelers seeking an authentic, eco-friendly destination in the Caribbean. 

Statia is accessed via a very short flight from neighboring St Maarten. 

For more, visit Statia. 

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Antigua and Barbuda was one of the first Caribbean destinations to reopen its borders for tourism when it did so back in early June 2020. 

Now, that decision is continuing to pay off, with tourism to the twin-island destination bouncing back and then some — with some tourism indicators eclipsing the same period in 2019, before the pandemic. 

Antigua and Barbuda is reporting a “steady” increase in tourism arrivals from the United States, along with a surge in bookings from the United Kingdom. 

“This is good news for the country’s economy, as our main source markets re-open to international travel and we see our airlift and hotel occupancy levels increase,” said Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Minister Charles “Max” Fernandez. “Antigua and Barbuda is open, and we are delighted that consumers can have confidence in traveling to our shores. We have worked steadfastly to ensure the safety of our people and our visitors, and we are pleased and proud that this resulted in a lower number of COVID cases and by extension, reduced the negative impact on our economy.”

Arrivals in June were at 14,503, buoyed by 12,205 visitors from the United States. 

That represented a 9.8 percent increase over the total of U.S. visitors to Antigua in 2019 — when 11,115 Americans visited the country. 

“This was until now our best June ever for USA arrivals to Antigua and Barbuda. The hard work of the tourism teams in the overseas markets to remain engaged and active during and after the pandemic has now begun to bear fruit,” said Colin C. James, CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority. 

Long one of the Caribbean’s top luxury destinations, the islands are also seeing a rum pin private jet services. 

In the first half, there were 1,219 private jet flights to Antigua and Barbuda, an 18.6 percent increase compared to the same period in 2019. 

And that’s manifesting itself in the hotel sector, where some hotels are nearing 100 percent occupancy. 

July occupancy is now projected at 71 percent, according to the ABTA, compared to an earlier prediction of 35 percent. 

For more on how to visit Antigua, see here.

— CJ

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People are traveling again. Driven by vaccinations, traveler confidence is as high as it’s been since the onset of the pandemic — and it’s borne out in the numbers in the Caribbean, where June was the highest-arrival month for the region since March 2020. 

So where to go? 

While individual travel protocols vary, it needs to be said that every destination in the Caribbean is open for tourism right now. 

So where are our favorites for July? They range from luxury hotspots to the perfect spots for those seeking to socially distance on their vacation — in other words, something for everyone. 

Jamaica Jamaica is seeing a full-fledged tourism rebound, driven by a simple and easy-to-understand travel protocol (here’s what you need to know) and an impressive tourism reopening — from dazzling luxury resorts like the new Eclipse at Half Moon to brilliant outposts of cool like the Rockhouse in Negril. Jamaica is open — and it’s time to come back. 

The post From Jamaica to The Bahamas, The Best Places to Go in July appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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