Daily Archives: February 10, 2017

February 09, 2017 at 2:22 pm | By DANICA COTO

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) The Caribbean received a record number of visitors last year as arrivals topped 29 million, tourism officials announced Thursday, and they said growth should continue this year, though at a slightly slower pace due to uncertainty over U.S. President Donald Trump and the impact of Britain's move to leave the European Union.

Last year's 4.2 percent jump marked the seventh consecutive year of growth for the Caribbean, which officials said was a result of relatively low oil prices and U.S. economic growth.

The majority of tourists came from the U.S., but there was also a more than 11 percent growth in visitors from Europe and the United Kingdom, according to Hugh Riley, secretary general for the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

Officials said cruise ship arrivals, which are counted separately, also set a record with 26.3 million arrivals.

Overall, tourists including cruise ship passengers spent $35.5 billion last year, a 3.5 percent increase from the previous year. But Riley said that despite more visitors entering the region, hotels reported a drop in occupancy rates.

Arrivals to the Caribbean in 2017 are projected to grow somewhat more slowly, between 2.5 and 3.5 percent, said Ryan Skeete, research director for the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization.

"It's a little bit unpredictable," he said of Trump's administration. "We're still monitoring it very closely ... That's all we can do."

He said the fallout of Britain exiting the European Union also could affect the number of visitors to the Caribbean this year.

Seven destinations reported double-digit growth rates last year, including the Turks & Caicos Islands, Cuba, Bermuda and the South American country of Guyana. Six other destinations reported a drop in visitors, including the Dutch Caribbean islands.

Visitors from South America dropped 11 percent last year, and those from Canada dropped nearly 3.5 percent.

"We haven't reached anywhere close to our full potential," Riley said.

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Caribbean reports record of 29M visits - Beloit Daily News

This photo gallery highlights some of the top imagery and news moments made by Associated Press photographers in Latin America and Caribbean that were published in the last week.

Celebrations for the Feast of Candelaria ended with big hangovers in Peru, while in Mexico people made sure to take their ornately dressed baby Jesus dolls to church to get them blessed. In Uruguay, thousands of worshippers went to the beach during African sea goddess Yemanja's feast day, bearing gifts to show their gratitude for her blessings.

In Argentina, bare-chested women and bikini-clad men went to the streets to protest after police threatened weeks ago to detain several women sunbathing topless on a beach.

The Brazilian state of Espiritu Santo erupted in deadly violence with dozens dead. The killings prompted help from the army after police stopped patrolling the streets to demand higher pay.

Chile's president has said the worst fires in the nation's history are mostly under control but not before claiming the lives of at least 10 people, destroying forests, livestock and entire towns.

Panama's recently expanded canal continue facing operational problems as ships are still scraping the walls and prematurely weakening the defenses designed to protect the ships and the locks themselves.

In Venezuela, protests continue over the dire shortage of medicine and medical supplies.

Lastly, in Mexico's northwestern city of Cuilacan, heavily armed men attacked marines on patrol, leaving several suspects and one marine dead. At about the same time and just a few miles away, at the Tomateros stadium, Puerto Rico's Criollos de Caguas beat Mexico's Aguilas de Mexicali and won the 2017 Caribbean Series baseball tournament.

This photo gallery was curated by photo editor Dario Lopez in Mexico City. Follow Lopez on Twitter : @DarioLopezMills

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AP PHOTOS: Editor selections from Latin America, Caribbean - Journal Times

Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

The secrets to taking better photos on your Royal Caribbean cruise Royal Caribbean Blog (blog) Going on a Royal Caribbean cruise means you will be seeing new sights, both on your ship and on land, with the opportunity to see ancient architecture, nature at its finest and incredible cities. Naturally, capturing these moments through photos is ... and more »

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The secrets to taking better photos on your Royal Caribbean cruise - Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

Caribbean hoteliers are predicting a positive tourism performance for 2017.

Indeed, more than four out of five hoteliers in the Caribbean have an encouraging outlook for tourism this year, according to the results of thesecond annual CHTA Industry Performance and Outlook Study.

CHTA Director General and CEO saidthe survey, conducted by the CHTA, was undertaken to assist the organization in gaining a better understanding of the state of the tourism economy, its outlook, and the degree to which a number of factors impact or may affect the tourism industry.

The survey, administered during the first two weeks of this year, polled a representative sampling of hotels throughout the Caribbean of varying sizes and categories, and examined their 2016 performance and 2017 expectations for factors in areas such as employment levels, revenue, profits, capital spending, room occupancy, and rates, each forming the basis for assessing the state of the tourism economy.

In 2016, hoteliers reported an even split on revenue performance with 47 percent recording an increase and similar percentage reporting a decrease.

While expectations for the year were higher initially, last years mixed performance came after an exceptional year for Caribbean tourism in 2015.

Hoteliers entered 2016 with high performance expectations but these were tempered as a combination of unanticipated factors surfaced during the year, Comito said.

These events included a warmer than usual winter in the regions primary feeder markets, Canadian and U.K. exchange rates, Brexit, the threat of Zika, and political and economic certainty in parts of the world, according to the survey respondents.

Despite these challenges, the profitability picture improved over the previous year, with most hotels registering a net profit in 2016.

Seventy-eight percent of respondents reported a net profit while 22 percent reported a net loss.

Looking ahead for 2017, more than two-thirds anticipate an increase in revenue, and 56 percent expect a slight improvement in profits.

About 55 percent of hotels also increased capital expenditures in 2016, with a quarter of those investing more than 10 percent over what they did in 2015.

This is a positive sign and an indication of long-term confidence by Caribbean hoteliers in the industry, said Comito.

Although room occupancy decreased for just over half of the reporting hotels, a notable proportion reported an increase in occupancy.

More hoteliers are optimistic for 2017, with two-thirds expecting an increase in occupancy.

Despite the fact that average daily room rates were reduced by 45 percent of hotels, as many of 42 percent increased their rates.

This year, approximately 55 percent of hoteliers expect to increase ADR while only 15 percent expect downward on rates.

The CHTA added it is important to note that employment levels were maintained by 55 percent of survey respondents in 2016, while only 17 percent reduced staffing levels and a sizable proportion hired more staff a pattern which anticipated to continue in 2017.

Dana Niland, CJ Contributor

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Caribbean Hoteliers Optimistic for 2017 - Caribbean Journal

The new location has been a hit with customers, as Caribbean Charm has moved from Main Street to the Victorian-style boutique on the corner of Pitkin Road and New London Turnpike.

Owner Lauren Cheney, a lifelong Glastonbury resident, first opened Caribbean Charm in 2008, occupying the space above Daybreak Coffee Roasters. A move in 2013 to the 2235 Main St. location (now occupied by Nana's Infant & Children's Boutique) brought more visibility, but that brought more customers demanding more inventory.

"Basically, the other place, I was growing out of," Cheney said, adding that as Caribbean Charm's popularity grew, it became necessary to find a larger space. "This place popped up, and I just liked the space. I didn't want to move into a mall. We did a lot of renovations here. It was an office space, but we made a store out of it. We didn't want it to be like a cookie-cutter store."

The new store, at 136 New London Turnpike, opened Oct. 1, and since holiday gift-buying started soon after, there wasn't time for a grand opening celebration. A ribbon cutting on Feb. 1 included several members of the Connecticut River Valley Chamber of Commerce, which Caribbean Charm re-joined.

"The uniqueness of Caribbean Charm is indicative of the work that Lauren puts into the store," said Chamber Ambassador Bobby Dibella. "She has accumulated unique gifts from around the world that represent emphasize a a full body of feminine attire, as well as jewelry, at the right price."

Reactions to the new location have included people who say the new store feels like a well-decorated home, and that they like its proximity to Eric Town Square.

"We like the location," Cheney said. "I've gotten really good response from the customers, because they're already out and about, at lunch or dinner at the restaurants, or at other shops nearby. People come for a lot of gifts on their way, or if someone forgot their earrings, they'll stop here on their way to dinner and get some."

Caribbean Charm Boutique specializes in unique one-of-a-kind women's accessories, featuring Brighton Collectibles, Vocal, Spicy Girl, Spanx, Suzie Sleepers, a pajama line designed by Glastonbury resident Suzanne Balducci, and many other treats.

"What is hot now is Brighton. Brighton is big," Cheney said, of one particular brand of jewelry and pocketbooks. "Our own jewelry is doing well, and the clothes. I'm expanding on the clothes. I like my products to be unique. We also offer monogramming and engraving on-site."

Cheney said future renovations are likely to include larger windows, so passers-by can see more of what Caribbean Charm has to offer. Caribbean Charm also offers online shopping and services.

For more information, visit http://www.caribbeancharm.com.

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Caribbean Charm Enjoying New Location - Hartford Courant

February 9th, 2017 1 comments

Press Release:WASHINGTON, February 9, 2017Tahseen Sayed Khan is the new Country Director for Caribbean countries. She will be responsible for maintaining a solid partnership with the countries to address their development and financial challenges. It is an honor for me to be working in the Caribbean, said Tahseen Sayed Khan. I look forward to deepening our engagement with governments, development partners, civil society, and the private sector, to boost inclusive growth and reduce poverty in the Caribbean.

Tahseen, a Pakistani national, was previously Country Manager for Albania in the Europe and Central Asia region. She joined the Bank in 1997 as a social sector specialist in South Asia and has since held various positions, including as Lead Education Specialist, Operations Adviser, and Country Manager for Nepal.

Tahseen Sayed Khan has a deep knowledge of country programs and a track record of strong delivery and innovation. She holds a Masters degree in Law and Diplomacy specializing in Development Studies from the Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, USA.

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World Bank Appoints New Country Director for the Caribbean - St ... - St. Lucia Times Online News (press release)