Rufus Ewing, Premier & Minister of Tourism, Turks & Caicos
Island girls, Grenada's Karen Stephenson with Erica Henry-Richards of Antigua & Barbuda
CTO award-winning journalist Loren Christie of Canada AM with Dale Pusching, Anguilla
Rosemary Wilson, Turks & Caicos Islands, with Brent Carnegie, USVI
Such fun to reconnect at CTO Week with a bevy of islanders (and mainlanders – did you know that Belize, Venezuela and Guyana are also members of the Caribbean Tourism Organization?)
As usual, there was a great turnout of tourist boards, making it the ideal opportunity to find out what’s new in their sunny destinations.
Couples Barbados has just opened on the delightful site of the former Almond Casuarina, while the island has a “new” conference-oriented hotel at the Radisson Acquatica (formerly Grand Barbados).
Over in Nassau, there’s a new attraction at the charming Graycliff Hotel: clients can learn how to make chocolate masterpieces at the onsite Chocolatier. Doesn’t lime chocolate sound divine?
Jolly Beach in Antigua (“Still the best beach on the island” says rep Roberta Garzaroli) has the perfect option for your fitness-fanatic clients: a 5-day Beach Body Bootcamp running August 2 – 6, including daily fitness, off-road hiking, Soca-robics, a massage and welcome cocktail!
If bird watching of the feathery kind is up your clients’ alley, why not suggest Trinidad and Tobago? There are some 450 species of birds there – including 17 species of hummingbirds. And now with daily flights from both AC and WS to POS, those delightful wee creatures are even more accessible.
And what Caribbean news story would be complete without mentioning the brand new Cuba Cruise? With week-long cruises and a choice of Havana or Montego Bay as embarkation points, the 1,200 passenger Louis Cristal is being promoted as a convenient and comfortable way to experience many of Cuba’s highlights. Ports of call include Santiago, Cienfuegos, Trinidad and the Isle of Youth – until now virtually impossible to combine on one holiday. Homesick Canucks will be able to quaff Canadian beer and dine at the steakhouse restaurant which will serve only Alberta beef. Clearly the concept is being well-received. “It’s crazy – we’re getting inquiries from Japan to Norway,” says Annika Klint, who reps the cruise. According to Klint, interest is particularly strong from the Canadian west.
Speaking of cruises, St. Kitts is welcoming some 800,000 cruise passengers annually, according to its Canadian rep Brad Richards. What to do in a day? Taking the island’s charming Scenic Railway Tour is Richards’ favourite.
