… , president of The Florida Puerto Rican Parade Inc. “We want … present along with other Puerto Rican legislators to receive the … delegation come over from Puerto Rico reminds us of the … beyond political parties. The Puerto Rican culture is growing here.”
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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Playa Hotel and Resorts has officially unveiled its newly-expanded adults-only Sanctuary Cap Cana resort, set in the tony enclave of Cap Cana in Punta Cana.

The property has completed a $35 million expansion project that saw the addition of two new buildings, each with six stories, with a total expansion of 140 new hotel rooms.

Sanctuary Cap Cana.

The Punta Cana luxury resort now has a total of 325 rooms, along with five restaurants, six bars, a fitness center, five pools, a private stretch of beach and amenities like 24-hour room service, free Wi-Fi and a mini-bar stocked daily.

The expansion is part of a complete “reimagining” of the hotel, covering everything from the lobby to the resort’s dining concepts to its signature spa.

Juanillo Beach.

It also comes as Playa is set to unveil a major new all-inclusive complex in Cap Cana: the Hyatt Ziva and Zilara resort complex, with a family-friendly and adults-only resort (modeled on a similar Playa pairing in Montego Bay).

That project is slated to debut Nov. 1, according to Playa’s Web site, and like Sanctuary will be set on the shimmering white sands of Juanillo Beach. (It should be noted that Playa does not own, but manages the Sanctuary resort).

A rendering of the all-inclusive Hyatt complex in Cap Cana.

It will include a total of 750 rooms across the two properties.

Punta Cana, the tourism hub of what remains the Caribbean’s biggest tourism destination, the Dominican Republic, continues to be a haven for hotel development.

That’s thanks to what is one of the Caribbean’s friendliest investment climates for hospitality companies.

— CJ

The post Playa’s Big Expansion in Punta Cana appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Demand for travel to the US Virgin Islands continues to surge.

That was the takeaway from talks between the USVI’s Department of Tourism and several major airlines last week.

There has been strong demand for seats to both St Thomas and St Croix this past winter season, according to Tourism Commissioner Designee Joseph Boschulte.

And that is likely to result in additional capacity this winter and next summer, he said.

Indeed, United is set to launch daily nonstop flights from Houston to St Thomas this summer, and would “also consider plans for new additional flights to St Thomas and St Croix the following summer,” he said.

“We have had some very important discussions about the future of airlift to the Territory and look forward to following up with our airline partners to ensure that we have adequate flights into our islands, especially as more accommodations come on line in the months ahead,” said Boschulte, who noted that United had already loaded new Saturday flights from Chicago to St Thomas before the upcoming winter season.

Boschulte also met with American Airlines in Dallas, with increased capacity from Chicago, Dallas and Miami all under consideration.

That’s along with the potential for growth out of the Charlotte hub, he said.

“”These meetings matter as we embark on a managed growth strategy through the full return of land-based tourism following the storms of 2017,” he said. “The travel and tourism sector is changing to meet its growth and is becoming more electronic and internet-based, but ironically, the more virtual it gets, the more important it is to regularly meet face-to-face with our partners,” he said.

— CJ

The post USVI Travel Demand Keeps Rising appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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… Raymond; courtesy Flickr)
Activists in Puerto Rico have sharply criticized two bills … important victory for both communities.”
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, center, talks … .”
David Román of Puerto Rico Para Tod@s, a Puerto Rican LGBTI advocacy group …

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By Alexander Britell

The Caribbean’s best film fete is returning to the French Caribbean this year for what will be the 24th edition of the St Barth Film Festival.

This year’s festival, which focuses on Caribbean and international film, will run from April 28 through May 4.

This year’s opening night film is a documentary about reggae, Inna de Yard, which will be shown on the dock in Gustavia in collaboration with the concomitant West Indies Regatta.

The festival was first created in 1996, aiming to give the island and its population the opportunity to discover the wealth of Caribbean culture — and put a renewed spotlight on regional cinema.

This year’s event will include a mix of films including some from Cuba and Mexico, with the closing film to be Alfonso Cuaron’s Oscar-winning Roma.

“We are very excited about the 24th anniversary of the St Barth Film Festival, as we have directors, actors, and producers coming from Haiti, Chile, Colombia, France, Argentina, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana,” said Ellen Lampert-Greaux, the organizer of the festival in partnership with Joshua Harrison. “Since we founded the festival in 1996, it has become a crossroads for Caribbean cinema, offering filmmakers the chance to meet each other and see each other’s work in the idyllic setting of Saint Barth.”

For more, visit the St Barth Film Festival.

— CJ

The post The Caribbean’s Best Film Festival Is In St Barth appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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