Major tourism-dependent Caribbean destinations are reporting steadily growing visitor arrivals as hotels reopen, flight services resume and expand, and countries plan to resume cruise activities and new home port arrangements.
Government and tourism officials gathered for the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s virtual marketplace event this week outlined the progress regional goals have made in balancing the need for resuming the health and safety of residents and visitors to resume important tourist activities.
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Most officials reported positive results in terms of protocols and protections for travelers, as well as the prospect of continued visitor growth as vaccinations increase for both travelers and travelers Caribbean communities. Here is an overview of the tourism picture on several regional islands:
Jamaica
Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, predicts the country will welcome 1.4 million visitors ashore and on cruise lines in 2021. While the number is a fraction of the record 4.3 million visitors in 2019, it exceeds the number of 1.3 million travelers in 2020 during the peak of the outbreak.
Jamaica has also launched one Vaccination program for its 170,000 tourism and hospitality workers, Bartlett said. The initiative will “protect not only our citizens, but also those who visit them,” he said.
Bartlett expects more than half of all tourism workers to be fully vaccinated by the summer. “The global recovery is relying on vaccinations to prevent the virus from spreading and to make everyone feel safe,” he said.
Bartlett said the pandemic hasn’t stalled the country’s sweeping plans to expand the hospitality industry, and Jamaica will add 4,300 new hotel rooms by 2023 and 7,000 new rooms by 2025.
“The global recovery is relying on vaccinations to prevent the virus from spreading and to make everyone feel safe.” – Edmund Bartlett (Photo by Brian Major)
The Bahamas
“Consumers around the world are ready to travel again,” said Joy Jibrilu, director general of the Bahamas Department of Tourism and Aviation. “Our findings show that there is a great deal of interest in traveling to the Caribbean, and in particular in the Bahamas.”
She also pointed out that the first phase of the vaccination campaign has been in full swing in recent months and that the Territory has recently adjusted its travel protocols Ease restrictions on vaccinated travelers.
Crystal Cruises and Royal Caribbean International will launch cruises based in the Bahamas this summer. “We welcome the return of cruise to our islands,” said Jibrilu, who found that cruises account for over 70 percent of visitors to the Bahamas.
The itineraries are supported by a $ 250 million refurbishment Nassau’s cruise port, Completion planned by summer 2022.
St. Maarten / St. Martin
“We have gradually seen visitors returning to our coast,” said May Ling Chung, St. Maarten’s tourism director. “We are very fortunate that most of our freight forwarders are returning. We also have some new flights and new airlines. ”
The routes include new American Airlines seasonal flights from Dallas, complementing the airline’s existing flights from Charlotte, Miami and Philadelphia, Chung said. Frontier Airlines is also adding new St. Maarten flights from Miami and Orlando. Delta, JetBlue, Spirit and United also offer flights to the destination.
From June 5th, St. Maarten will ship from Celebrity cruiseswhile luxury operator Crystal cruises will also bring a ship home in St. Maarten this summer. The trips start in August. All passengers on the trips will be vaccinated, Chung said.
Most of the hotels on the Dutch and French sides of the island have reopened. The new Secrets Resort and Spa opened on April 1st in St. Martin.
“This shows you that we have confidence not only with travelers but also with our airline partners that the trip will come back,” said Chung. The “invisible” border of Sint Maarten between the French and Dutch sides is open to visitors.
St. Maarten to Bring Celebrity Cruises and Crystal Cruises cruise lines home (Photo by Brian Major)
Turks and Caicos Islands
“The demand for Turks & Caicos has increased and we are grateful for it,” said Elisha Jennings, senior public relations officer for the Turks & Caicos Tourist Board. American Airlines will launch new nonstop flights from New York’s JFK International Airport in June, Jennings said. JetBlue recently added new Turks & Caicos flights from Newark.
On the cruise front, the Grand Turk Cruise Center is slated to reopen in August, she added. “Our [COVID-19] The positivity rate among our guests is less than one percent, which means that a large majority of our guests can come to the Turks and Caicos Islands and enjoy themselves without being too scared of catching the virus on the island, “Jennings said .
In addition, “our local positivity rate is just over three percent. So we are in a very good position compared to other travel destinations, ”she added. “Many of our resorts on the island have set up COVID test sites on the property.”
Jennings said 51 percent of Turks & Caicos residents have been vaccinated and the government has set a goal of vaccinating 70 percent of residents by July. After that, the curfew will be checked at 11 p.m.
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US Virgin Islands
“We are moving to a new plateau when it comes to vaccinations. The community started the vaccination process in January, “said Alani Henneman-Todman, US Department of the Virgin Islands deputy commissioner.
“The territory was ahead of most places and we opened up to the public as well. This puts us in a very good position so that the goal is ahead of our partners in terms of vaccination and return for a safe journey. “
The US Virgin Islands“Airlinks are among the largest destinations in the Caribbean, offering the territory the ability to quickly recover from pandemic closures,” said Henneman-Todman.
Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas is served nonstop flights from 13 US cities including San Juan, Puerto Rico. Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on the sister island of St. Croix offers non-stop flights from five US cities. “St. Croix ‘flights are even stronger than they were before the pandemic, ”said Henneman-Todman.
“With no cruise lines arriving, it’s the airlift that keeps us informed of the pandemic,” she noted. Henneman-Todman says no date has been set for cruise ships to return to the pre-pandemic pre-pandemic Caribbean cruise destinations.
Area officials are working with CDC, the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) to ensure that “the destination has a plan so we can open to cruise passengers [and] welcome them back safely, ”she said as the cruise lines resumed.
Hotel occupancy is increasing slightly from month to month, although key properties such as Caneel Bay, Carambola Beach Resort, Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort, and Sugar Bay Beach Resort are still closed. Otherwise, “we’re open to business and open to travel,” said Henneman-Todman.
