By the Caribbean Journal staff

Jamaica is looking to reduce waiting time for travelers at its two main airports in Montego Bay and Kingston.

The country’s government is planning to add more automated border-crossing kiosks to both Sangster and Norman Manley airports, according to Jamaica National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang.

“This will contribute to an overall improvement in services being offered at our ports of entry, including a significant reduction in the wait time in the immigration hall,” Chang said.

Jamaica first introduced the ABC kiosks in 2014.

“Recent figures show that wait time within the immigration halls has dropped from a minimum of three hours to under 80 minutes during peak times over the last two years,” Chang said.

The move looks to address what remains one of the most pressing problems in Caribbean aviation — exceedingly long waits at regional airports. 

Some Caribbean countries, particularly those in the Dutch Caribbean, have gone further in their efforts to reduce waiting times, launching digital immigration forms that travelers can complete before they even arrive to the destination.

— CJ

The post Jamaica’s Airports Are Adding More Immigration Kiosks appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

It just got even easier to get to the Caribbean’s Spice Isle.

New York City-based carrier JetBlue has launched a flight expansion to Grenada for the summer season, highlighted by relaunched daily flight service to the island.

The expanded service, which launched last week, is operating every day from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport to Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International Airport.

BBC Beach in Grenada.

The once-daily service will run through the end of July, before increasing to twice-daily service to Grenada beginning Aug. 1.

That service will run through Sept. 3, according to the Grenada Tourism Authority.

It’s a significant summer boost for the island, which has quietly become one of the Caribbean’s hottest destinations in recent years.

More and more travelers have been discovering Grenada’s unique charms, including a vibrant chocolate making industry; a thriving rum sector and a surfeit of world-class beaches led by Grenada’s flagship Grand Anse Beach.

The buzz is also thanks to a new pipeline of luxury hotels, including the Silversands boutique hotel, which launched last year, and the highly-anticipated Kimpton Kawana Bay, which will is slated to make its debut in 2020.

Earlier this year, Range Developments announced plans to bring another high-profile hotel to Grenada, with the planned Six Senses resort.

Sandals Grenada.

Of course, much of Grenada’s growth in recent years can ultimately be traced back to the arrival of all-inclusive brand Sandals to the destination at the end of 2013 with the Sandals Grenada Resort, which helped put the island on a new path to tourism growth – and attracted much-needed airlift.

And the buzz has been borne out in the numbers, with Grenada seeing a full-fledged tourism boom last year, with one of the fastest arrival growth rates in the Caribbean.

For more, visit Grenada.

— CJ

The post JetBlue Boosting Grenada Flights for Summer appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

The soon-to-relaunch Ritz-Carlton, St Thomas has named a new general manager to oversee its reopening.

The property has tapped Akis Neocleous as its new general manager, in which role he will had all operations.

Neocleous most recently served as the GM of the W Panama.

Previous stops have included hotels across the Caribbean and Latin America, including Rosewood’s Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos, Mexico.

“I am excited to join the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas during the reopening of this iconic property,” said Neocleous. “My goal is to continue the legacy of excellence with my commitment to exceptional service and the highest level of operational productivity. I look forward to working with the team to maintain loyalty amongst our returning guests while welcoming a new generation of visitors.”

The Ritz-Carlton, St Thomas is slated to reopen Dec. 1.

— CJ

The post Ritz-Carlton, St Thomas Names New GM appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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