By the Caribbean Journal staff

Air France is adding a taste of the French Caribbean to its menus.

The French carrier has tapped Martinique-born star chef Marcel Ravin to add new “signature” dishes its business and economy menus.

Ravin’s culinary expressions will be available for customers on flights between Paris and Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana, along with flights within the carrier’s regional Caribbean network.

Sea bream with banana and crushed yam.

The dishes include parmentier of lamb shoulder, sweet potato and spinach, with parmesan gratin; Shrimp risotto with shellfish sauce with Giromon; and Sea bream with banana and crushed yam.

Ravin, who earned a Michelin star in 2015 for his work at Monaco’s Monte Carlo Bay Hotel, also has an acclaimed eatery in Fort de France’s Hotel Simon called La Table de Marcel.

— CJ

The post Air France Taps Martinique Chef for New Menus appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

It’s not just about a tourism recovery anymore.

Puerto Rico’s crucial tourism sector is in the midst of a full-fledged boom, according to newly-released data provided to Caribbean Journal.

Airport arrivals to Puerto Rico’s San Juan, Ponce and Aguadilla airports totaled 1.67 million in the first four months of the year, the highest-ever total in that period in Puerto Rico’s history.

The visitor surge was accompanied by $445 million in tourism revenue through May, another record total for the period.

“Despite the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) estimating a recovery between 2021-2022, and New Orleans taking eight years to get back to pre-Katrina levels, we set an aggressive goal to fast-track the visitor economy at a record pace, for the benefit of local communities,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico.

Old San Juan.

The totals are part of a sizzling tourism sector that is “the strongest it’s ever been” in Puerto Rico, according to Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico, the territory’s destination marketing organization.

“This is just the first step,” Dean said. “Our ultimate objective is to put the transformative power of travel to work in Puerto Rico, by doubling the visitor economy, and continuing to benefit Puerto Rico’s residents and businesses. It’s critical to ensure we have the right resources to continue this momentum,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico.”

The tourism surge includes the Caribe Hilton, which recently reopened after a massive transformation project.

And the tourism momentum includes hotel development, too.

That’s highlighted by last month’s announcement of major new $1.5 billion destination resort development anchored by a new Hyatt Regency — a development that could eventually total 2,500 rooms in the Coco Beach area.

It joins new projects like the luxury boutique O:LV Fifty Five and the recent reentry of Wyndham with its Candelero Beach Resort in Humacao on Puerto Rico’s southeastern coast.

The new Wyndham Candelero.

That’s in addition to a wave of transformations and renovations across the destination, including both the revamped Caribe Hilton and the reimagined El San Juan, the latter of which reopened at the end of last year.

And it’s not limited to the “mainland.” Vieques, long one of the Caribbean’s best-kept secrets, also has a significant new hotel project already underway thanks to British developer Keith St Clair.

And this fall, the highly-anticipated District San Juan will open, featuring a five-acre hospitality and entertainment district modeled on the very successful LA Live in Los Angeles.

— CJ

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A federal control board overseeing Puerto Rico’s finances has … tests on oil bought by Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority.
The …

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Montego Bay is booming.

The Jamaican travel hub, which is seeing a massive boost in new airlift in 2019, will get another lift in November with the launch of new daily American Airlines flights from New York.

The JFK-Montego Bay flights will officially launch Nov. 21, according to American, which has been steadily growing its Caribbean footprint in 2019 as well.

The new S Hotel in Jamaica, which opened its doors earlier this year. 

American also announced plans to launch a pair of new routes to Costa Rica: weekly Saturday flights from JFK to Liberia, along with new daily flights from New York to San Jose.

The Montego Bay and San Jose flights will launch on Nov. 21, while the Liberia service will begin operations on Dec. 21.

Half Moon in Jamaica.

“The growth of American Airlines in the Caribbean and Latin American,” the world’s largest airlines said in a statement.

American Airlines is operating all three new routes on Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

The Sandals Montego Bay resort in Jamaica.

It’s part of a banner aviation year for Jamaica, which has seen a wave of new flights both to Montego Bay and, increasingly, to its growing urban destination in Kingston.

The new flights come as Montego Bay continues to position itself as a haven for both all-inclusive and EP travel, from its portfolio of Sandals resorts to some of the Caribbean’s leading luxury resorts like Half Moon and Round Hill, among others.

— CJ

The post American Airlines Launching New Nonstop Flights to Jamaica appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort in Puerto Rico has appointed Javier Arango Salazar as its new Executive Chef.

Chef Arango will oversee the culinary direction for the resort, including Paros, its signature Greek fine dining restaurant; the St. Regis Bar, and Seagrapes, which is located next to the resort’s main pool.

Most recently, Arango served as the Executive Sous Chef at the JW Marriott Absheron in Baku, Azerbaijan. 

Prior to that, Chef Arango worked with Ritz-Carlton for thirteen years, occupying positions including Chef de Cuisine at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach, Executive Sous Chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne Miami, Executive Chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Bal Harbour, as well as Executive Chef for The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest, Hungary. 

The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort recently debuted a $60 million renovation following Hurricane Maria. 

The luxury resort is set on a former coconut plantation between the El Yunque National Forest and the Espíritu Santo River State Preserve.

— CJ

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