Trinidad chief justice’s alleged gay friend back in the news

By Youri Kemp Caribbean News Now associate editor youri@caribbeannewsnow.com PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — The United Kingdom has reportedly granted humanitarian protection to the alleged gay friend of Trinidad and Tobago’s chief justice Ivor Archie, Dillian Johnson, allowing him to seek refuge in Britain. Johnson fled Trinidad and Tobago in December 2017 following a shooting […]

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Avianca seeks expansion into Guyana and Suriname through Star Alliance

By Ray Chickrie Caribbean News Now contributor GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Avianca Airlines of Colombia, which reached an agreement with United Airlines and COPA Airlines in November of 2018, is now looking to use this strategic and commercial partnership to bring new service and innovation for passengers traveling between the United States, Guyana and Suriname. It […]

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Turks and Caicos Real Estate Continues to Sizzle

 

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Turks and Caicos is one of the Caribbean’s most sizzling real estate markets — and it’s a trend that continued last year.

Turks and Caicos saw overall real estate sales volume of just under $256 million, a 9 percent increase compared to 2017.

That’s along with an overall 169 percent increase in sales volume in the last eight years, according to a new report from Turks and Caicos Sotheby’s International Realty.

turks and caicos market

The overall market was buoyed by the single-family home market, which represented nearly 50 percent of all sales volume, for a total of just over $123 million, up from $111.67 million in 2017.

That included more than 20 home sales over the $3 million mark, including the highest recorded home sale – $7 million — for an existing villa.

turks and caicos market

Condos at the Palms, Turks and Caicos, saw strong resale growth, according to Sotheby’s.

That included the sales of the Saving Grace villa for $7 million; an Amanyara villa for $6.55 million and a villa at the Shore Club that sold for $5.9 million, among others.

Indeed, the Shore Club, one of the hottest new residential hotels in the region, has already sold out its villa component, according to Sotheby’s.

turks and caicos market

The Shore Club.

On the condominium side, a total of 77 condo units were sold last year, with just under $71 million in sales volume — up from $64 million last year.

Several new projects are also on stream.

turks and caicos market

A rendering of the Beach Enclave at Long Bay project.

That includes the first phase of Beach Enclave Long Bay, an expansion of the Beach Enclave brand, along with another new phase, The Club at Beach Enclave Long Bay, which will include four houses and four condo suites within a 20-suite boutique hotel.

It’s all part of what’s shaping up to be the hottest real estate market in the region right now.

— CJ

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Saint Lucia Tourism Just Set Another Visitor Record

 

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Saint Lucia’s tourism industry had another record-setting year in 2018, according to a new report from the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority.

The destination reported a total of 1,218,294 visitors in 2018, a 10.2 percent increase over 2017.

The combined total was buoyed by a 13.6 percent increase in cruise passenger arrivals, thanks to the expansion at the Pointe Seraphine cruise berth in Castries.

That coincided with a 26.7 percent increase in yacht arrivals, while stayover arrivals rose by 2.2 percent to 394,780 in the calendar year.

The latter included growth of 4.1 percent in the United States market and 4.9 percent growth in the United Kingdom market, balanced against a 5.9 percent reduction from Canada due in large part due to reduced frequencies on WestJet.

So far, the projections for 2019 look good, officials said, with Virgin Holidays, for example, reporting 27.9 percent growth over last year.

The SLTA is angling for greater growth in 2019, and will continue with its aggressive, targeted marketing campaigns to attract even more visitors to the destination,” the authority said in a statement.

— CJ

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Dems Who Slammed GOP Over Kavanaugh Attended Puerto Rico Trip with Cardenas

… a weekend retreat in Puerto Rico organized by a senior … Democrats who attended the Puerto Rico trip and members of the … attend the BOLD PAC Puerto Rico retreat is particularly perplexing … GOP Over Kavanaugh Attended Puerto Rico Trip with Cardenas appeared …

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