Jamaica is creating a “tourism recovery task force” in a bid to help the country’s industry recover from the coronavirus pandemic. 

The task force will consist of two layers of partners with a mission to “provide a recovery and growth stimulation framework for the sector,” according to a statement from the Ministry of Tourism. 

“We will be working on a hard 2-week drive, to get the framework of the recovery ready, for first discussion with a major international company. This company will be working with us to develop the technical aspect of the plan,” said Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett. “We are going to be taking that plan to our partners. We want to create a new tourism after COVID-19 because we recognize the changes that are going to take place.”

Jamaica has also announced plans for a “cruise recovery program,” which will be chaired by Port Authority of Jamaica President and CEO Gordon Shirley. 

“The panel that we have established is a very eminent one, which includes some of the best minds in the cruise sector,” Bartlett said. “This will allow us to start putting protocols in place and begin engaging with our partners, to get that sector back on track as quickly as possible.”

In a move to help stakeholders during the crisis, the country has also announced a six-month moratorium on licenses and fees paid by tourism entities, according to Bartlett. 

The move covers tourism entities like resort cottages, apartments, villas, car rentals, bike rentals, watersports and craft traders, among others. 

Bartlett said he hoped the move would give “some level of reprieve and hopefully help with the cash-flow situation for a number of our partners.”

The moratorium will be reviewed “depending on the length of time it takes for the country to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the Ministry of Tourism. 

The post Jamaica Creating Tourism Recovery Task Force appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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We can’t go a day without imaging ourselves on some far-off beach in the Caribbean right now, fantasizing about lazy afternoons in the water, about cocktails and picnics and the kind of invigorating scenery we can only find in the world’s most beautiful place.

Our new Beaches to Dream About feature is back again, taking you on a digital journey to some of our favorite coastlines in the region.

Whether you’re on a little island in The Bahamas or a jet-set hotspot in the French West Indies, you can find a moment of Caribbean Zen in these pages.

What’s your favorite beach in the Caribbean? Let us know at news@caribjournal.com with My Beach in the subject line, and explain why.

Stocking Island, The Bahamas Just off the coast of George Town, Great Exuma is a place with some of the most brilliant blue water you will ever see. The sand is sugar-white and the Kalik flows quickly at Chat ’n Chill. Take yourself there for a moment, and remember, and dream. 

The post From The Bahamas to St John, 10 Beaches to Dream About appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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The US Virgin Islands Department of Festival’s popular launch of a virtual carnival series is expanding. 

After the successful debut of the “Home Wuk” virtual carnival series, the USVI is adding more “stay-at-home” opportunities celebrating Carnival Virgin Islands, according to Ian Turnbull, director of the US Virgin Islands Department of Festivals. 

With Carnival Virgin Islands on St Thomas postponed this year in light of the global pandemic, the USVI is continuing its “virtual” carnival, under the theme of “All Eyes on We for 2020.”

The Virtual Carnival will include live-streamed village performances by Poizon, Fusion and Spectrum Bands, 

The online audience will also be able to participate in a weekly Carnival Zumba with top instructor Gaynel Harris during the rest of April. 

“We wanted to offer a sense of normalcy during an extraordinary time in history, so we are providing fun and entertainment while sharing the culture of the US Virgin Islands,” Turnbull said. “It’s about providing stress relief in a new, virtual format,” he added, encouraging the community to “play safe and stay safe.”

See the full Virtual Carnival Calendar below and for more visit USVI Festivals.

— CJ

The post The USVI Is Expanding Its Virtual Carnival appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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