Daily Archives: May 21, 2024

American Airlines is giving its passengers more opportunities to jet off to sunny destinations in the Caribbean and Central America this winter, announcing eight new routes and expanding service on 16 others.

On November 5, American Airlines is set to commence daily flights from New York (JFK) to Bridgetown (BGI) in Barbados. Following this, a Saturday-only service from Philadelphia (PHL) to Bridgetown will begin on November 9.

On December 5, American Airlines will introduce a daily service from Miami (MIA) to La Romana (LRM) in the Dominican Republic. This marks American as the only U.S. carrier offering flights to this Caribbean destination.

In addition, on December 7, American Airlines will start five Saturday-only services. These include flights from both JFK and Charlotte (CLT) to Argyle International Airport (SVD) in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. American will be the only major U.S. airline serving this small Caribbean nation.

Other services set to launch on December 7 are from JFK to St. Lucia (UVF) and St. Maarten (SXM) and from Philadelphia to Liberia (LIR) in Costa Rica.

In addition to these new routes, American Airlines will enhance its winter service on 16 existing routes from various U.S. airports. For instance, starting November 5, Americans services from Phoenix (PHX) to Cancun (CUN) and Puerto Vallarta (PVR) in Mexico will double and triple in frequency, respectively, to better accommodate passenger needs.

Other expanded services from DFW will begin on December 5, with flights to Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (GCM), Huatulco, Mexico (HUX), Nassau, Bahamas (NAS), and Zihuatanejo, Mexico (ZIH) increasing to once per day, and flights to Comayagua, Honduras (XPL) expanding to twice per week.

From Miami, flights to Bonaire (BON) and Ocho Rios, Jamaica (OCJ) will increase to a daily service on December 5, while flights to Tortola, British Virgin Islands (EIS) will increase to five peak-day flights from December 7. Then, on December 19, Americans Miami to Cancun service will temporarily increase to six daily flights until January 6, 2025.

During the same period, flights from both Los Angeles (LAX) and Chicago OHare (ORD) to Los Cabos, Mexico (SJD) will increase to twice-daily services. Meanwhile, flights from Chicago to Nassau and Charlotte to Antigua (ANU) will increase to daily services from December 5.

Customers will have more reasons to choose American than everbeforefor nonstop fun in the sun this year, said Brian Znotins, Senior Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning at American Airlines. We are excited to continue growing our network to the region with more flights this winter to the Caribbean and Latin America than any other U.S. carrier ever.

According to American Airlines, this winters schedule will include 11 percent more departures and 10 percent more capacity than the 2023 winter schedule, which itself was record-breaking.

In total, the airline will offer over 2,350 peak weekly flights to more than 95 destinations across Latin America and the Caribbean this upcoming winter season.

Link:

American Airlines Boosts Service to Caribbean Destinations for Winter Travel - Business Traveler USA

Miami, Florida, May 14, 2024 (PAHO) -- Ministry of Health representatives from 24 Caribbean countries took part in a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) workshop aimed at strengthening the use of risk communications and community engagement (RCCE), to manage and mitigate health emergencies and improve vaccine uptake.

RCCE is key for preparedness and response to public health emergencies, as it allows populations to make evidence- and science-based decisions to protect their lives and families when facing a threat, said Dr. Ciro Ugarte, Director of PAHO's Health Emergencies Department. This workshop has allowed Member States in the Caribbean to strengthen their capacity to use RCCE to cope with health emergencies, fortifying the areas of processes, mechanisms, and human resources in particular.

Participants included leads for communications and health promotion, functions that play a key role to prepare, respond and mitigate health emergencies. This workshop was a joint initiative of several PAHO entities: the Health Emergencies Department, the Comprehensive Immunizations Program, and the Caribbean Subregional Program Office. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), and the World Health Organization (WHO) Risk Communication, Community Engagement and Infodemic Management Team (RCCE IM) also participated and supported this workshop.

During the three days, the participants engaged in several training methodologies, applying RCCE strategies to common health threats in the subregion, including climate-related emergencies such as storms, hurricanes, heatwaves, disease outbreaks, and crises generated by Events Supposedly Attributable to Vaccination or Immunization (ESAVI). Dr. Ljubica Latinovic from WHO HQ Health Emergencies Program, RCCE IM team, conducted an infodemic management exercise on how to use 6 steps to develop an infodemic insights report focused on the introduction of new vaccines, and presented the draft of a dengue RCCE readiness and response toolkit to country representatives; the aim was to test the utility of the proposed tools and generate input that will contribute to the finalization of the toolkit.

Other topics discussed included a review of the RCCE capacity in the context of International Health Regulations (2005), the use of RCCE strategies for mass gathering events; the latter session, which was led by CARPHA, was vital, considering that the Caribbean is preparing to receive fans of the Cricket World Cup in June 2024.

Participants were able to put what they learned about RCCE and crisis communication for immunization into practice through in-depth case studies and group work focusing on topics such as risk perception, pharmacovigilance and AEFI (Adverse event following immunization), collaborating with partners, and building social listening strategy for the introduction of a new vaccine and managing mis- and disinformation.

During his opening remarks, Mr. Dean Chambliss, PAHO Subregional Program Director for the Caribbean, highlighted the rising importance of RCCE for health emergencies in the subregion: The Caribbean faces unique vulnerability, which requires robust RCCE to safeguard both our local communities and our visitors. Climate change and its impact on health and livelihoods are especially concerning. Extreme weather events can cause respiratory illnesses, exacerbate cardiovascular and non-communicable diseases, increase water and vector-borne diseases, and impact mental health. Additionally, the region's dependence on a tourism-driven economy exposes the Caribbean people to heightened risks, including communicable diseases, which can be precipitated by large gatherings and international travel such as the upcoming ICC T20 Cricket World Cup.

Dr Mark Sami, Director, Corporate Services at CARPHA, emphasized that health communicators contribute to life saving work. A work that is by no means easy, because there can be so many challenges to effective health communication. In spite of these challenges, communications specialists offer valuable and sound guidance, so that public health officials can provide the right messages that are accurate and verifiable, at the right time, from the right people. CARPHA acknowledges that under the International Health Regulations, risk communication is one of eight core capacities, and we fully support the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO, in facilitating this capacity building workshop geared at improving the Caribbean regions risk communication and community engagement or RCCE skills, he noted.

The Caribbean workshop is part of a series of training sessions that PAHO has hosted since March 2023 for each of its subregions as an interprogrammatic effort to act on one of the most important lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic: the need to strengthen the RCCE capacity of Ministries of Health using a multi-hazard approach that highlights risk communications as key for health emergency preparedness and response. The workshop was also an opportunity to present the new virtual course on Risk Communications and Community Engagement for Health Emergencies, a self-paced 7-module theoretical course that is available in PAHOs Virtual Campus for Public Health.

This workshop, as well as the previous Risk Communications and Community Engagement subregional workshops for Central America and South America (2023), and the development of the online course on RCCE for health emergencies in English and Spanish, have been possible thanks to the contribution of Global Affairs Canada.

This activity was also possible thanks to the EU/CARIFORUM Climate Change and Health Project, Strengthening Climate Resilient Health Systems in the Caribbean

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Caribbean communicators and health promoters participate in PAHO-led workshop on Risk Communications and ... - Pan American Health Organization

The quest to make a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie continues, with series producer Jerry Bruckheimer saying he hopes to make two movies, with one of them potentially starring Margot Robbie.

Talking about the future of the Pirates series, Bruckheimer addressed Robbie's comments from 2022, in which she said that she didn't think Disney wanted to make her concept for the franchise a reality.

"We had an idea and we were developing it for a while, ages ago, to have more of a female-led not totally female-led, but just a different kind of story which we thought would've been really cool," Robbie said at the time. "But I guess they don't want to do it."

Robbie's involvement with Pirate of the Caribbean stretches back to 2020, when she was announced as the star of a new movie written by Birds of Prey screenwriter Christina Hodson. Bruckhimer was said to be producing both Robbie's project and a second film with Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin. Nothing has come of these plans to date, but it seems as if Bruckheimer is still plugging along in the background.

"Its two different movies, Bruckheimer told EW in a recent interview. We hope to get em both made, and I think Disney agrees they really want to make the Margot one, too.

Bruckheimer's comments were part of a broader update for Pirates of the Caribbean, in which he confirmed that writer Jeff Nathanson is attached to write the full series reboot he teased in March. According to Bruckheimer, Nathanson who also wrote 2017's Dead Men Tell No Tales has "cracked" the script for the new movie.

"Hes got an amazing third act. We just gotta clean up the first and second and then well get there. But he wrote a great, great third act, Bruckheimer said.

One way or another, it figures to be a bit before we see more Pirates of the Caribbean. The last movie in the franchise was the aforementioned Dead Men Tell No Tales, but while our review said it was "less bloated, dreary, and meandering than the last three entries," it still suffered from many of the same problems.

We'll see if Pirates of the Caribbean is eventually able to make it to fair seas again, with or without Robbie. In the meantime, these are the biggest movies still to come in 2024.

Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

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Disney Still Really Wants to Make That Margot Robbie Pirates of the Caribbean Movie, Jerry Bruckheimer Says - IGN

When last we saw the Bubba-Doos crew, they were off on an ocean cruise to the Western Caribbean. Funny things had happened, and more misadventures were about to happen.

One thing you can count on with our beloved community members: They will be true to themselves wherever they go. We love them, and that genuine nature lends us memories and impressions that will last a lifetime.

Today, the cruise ship stopped at its private island for what is primarily a beach day. However, this particular island is co-developed by its nation and the cruise line. In addition to its massive expanse of beaches, there are quite a few restaurants, shops and bars.

Charles Qualls

Danny and his wife stopped off in a large shop there before they picked out a pair of chairs to relax on the beach. His wife does like to shop, and he went in dutifully with her. To his surprise, this particular shop had a massive selection of colorful patterned Caribbean and Hawaiian-style camp shirts.

From floor to ceiling and all around in probably a 20-by-20-foot area, all the eye could see were different colorful button-up shirts just like he wears every day in Bubba-Doos kitchen.

I walked in along with my wife. Stephanie, Marleen and their husbands were with us. First thing we saw was the tall, narrow Danny standing paralyzed in place. He would make small turns to look in another direction now and then. Not a word was coming from his open mouth.

This may be what it looks like when someone stumbles upon nirvana, I speculated.

Stephanie said, Do you think hes all right? Hes just staring and not saying anything.

Marleen went over to a spellbound Danny. Honey, you doing OK there? She could hardly get the words out for laughing.

Danny said: Ive never seen anything like this in my life. I want this one. Or that one. No, maybe that one OK, I want em all, he snickered finally. Whats more, the shirts were reduced on a good sale.

Hey, how about one or two for now and then maybe a couple more at Christmas? his wife offered. Danny was about as happy as Ive ever seen him as we all looked around for a few minutes and then went on to the beach.

My wife and I moved on out of the shop and settled in under an umbrella. A pair of loungers would be our home at least for the morning. Some time passed as we relaxed there.

They were drawing a bit of attention because they had both worn short-sleeve dress shirts, shorts and long dark socks with leather shoes.

Landrum and Ralph had made their way off the ship now and stopped by with us. They were drawing a bit of attention because they had both worn short-sleeve dress shirts, shorts and long dark socks with leather shoes. They were quite the sight, and if the early 1960s returned they would be the epitome of beach cool.

People were glancing at them and snickering a bit I suppose. Anything generational and especially different in someone can catch us off-guard. But, to each their own.

Ironically, I heard Landrum exclaim, What in the Sam Hill is that feller wearin?! I looked over at him and Landrum had abandoned any social graces. He was full-on pointing with his index finger.

A European group was getting settled just down the beach from us. Some of them were about to go for a swim. This being his first time on a Caribbean cruise, no one had prepared Landrum for this particular cultural nuance of couture. Thats right. He had spotted his first Speedo.

About that time, we heard a commotion from overhead. First, we heard a pair of shrill humming sounds. Instinctively, everyone glanced upward from where the noise seemed to be originating.

Then we heard a pair of voices cackling and yelling. There is a pair of cable lines over the beach. Zipliners fly at high speed right over sunbathers in a thrilling ride toward a landing platform on the other side. Probably a good 70 feet up in the air.

To our amazement, Stephanie and Marleen were racing each other side-by-side on the zipline. This particular one was the kind where they harness you in but you fly fully extended, belly down and arms out. Picture Superman flying and youve got the image.

Woo HOO!!! is what we mostly heard as they flew right over us. They were the first daredevils we got to watch on the zipline, although they were closely followed by their guys also racing. The sound of their laughter trailed out of sight as we saw them finally reach the platform.

The day passed beautifully, with soft Caribbean music playing nearby. Relaxing was easy in the perfection of that spot.

Back on the ship that night, there was another lesson soon to come about the entertainment.

Back on the ship that night, there was another lesson soon to come about the entertainment. The big show that night at 9 p.m. was a comedian. These headliners are rarely super famous but usually have made appearances on well-known talk shows.

Shirley and Shakira were at the evening show. A lot of us were. That show is normally pretty tame. Families may even bring children there. To be clear, the comedians will toe the line but may wiggle their toes just a bit over it when it comes to how clean their material is.

Late night comedy in the smaller venues? Now thats a different matter entirely. Late night comedy is always clearly billed as adult and often a warning is given that parents might not want to bring their kids.

Shirley just went on and on about how funny that young man was at the 9 p.m. show. She practically begged Shakira to go with her to the smaller comedy club onboard so they could hear some more from him.

Shirley, are you sure you know what youre bargaining for at that later show? I asked.

Well, that young man was so funny and cute. I could absolutely eat him up. There wasnt anything offensive, at least not too much.

OK, I pressed. Just remember I asked.

The next morning, we were at the buffet. Marleen and Stephanie were passing harsh judgment on food and bar service overall, while everyone else thought things were perfect.

We all see things in our own professions differently than others, I suppose. But they were detailing things they would do differently in restaurants and bars on board. They were agreeing on one other thing, too. That on balance, despite all the shortcomings, it was nice being served for once.

About that time, Shirley and Shakira came in. Shakira was still laughing. She glanced at me and winked. Then, I knew what to ask Shirley.

Hey ladies, how was the late night comedy show?

I just dont know what happened to that nice young man. Its like between shows, he completely changed personalities.

Shirley lifted her head my way and snorted. I just dont know what happened to that nice young man. Its like between shows, he completely changed personalities.

So, he wasnt so clean later on? Fred squeaked from a nearby table.

Honey, he made me blush so many times I nearly got up and left. He talked about well, he talked about things he ought not be talkin about. I wonder if his mama came on this ship what kind of show hed be puttin on then? Shirley expanded.

He talked about body parts and indecent things. He talked about medical things and I wasnt ready for all that, she finished. We all had a good laugh at her newfound insights about the comedy world.

We were leaving breakfast and walked near the forward staircase and almost passed by as a small work crew repaired a cap piece on a staircase rail. Something caught my eye, though.

On further examination, I realized what caught my eye was one of our group members right in the middle of them. Ralph was showing a ship maintenance crew how to temporarily fix the top cap of a stair rail with dark wood-grain colored duct tape.

This naturally brought about questions. Starting with, why was Ralph working on anything when he was a ships guest.

Some of us sat in a group of chairs overlooking the atrium. Eventually, he came along and stopped with us.

Ralph, honey, my wife began, what were you doing over there in the middle of a ship maintenance crew?

What ensued I couldnt make up if I had to. Because Ralph said he happened along right as they were evaluating a dark wood cap piece where the top of a staircase came together. He said they were realizing they couldnt repair it, and yet a custom piece like that isnt something the ship is just traveling along with.

So, what to do in the meantime? He had gotten curious about what they were doing. A supervisor stopped in and told them the piece would have to be ordered. So, in the meantime they needed to make it look better and seal it off for passenger safety.

Right as we came along, they were wrapping up the job with Ralphs help. He didnt speak Indonesian and the crew barely spoke English, but they all spoke maintenance.

Somehow Ralph had gotten them to wait there while he slipped back upstairs to his room. Now, they had fashioned quite a neat temporary wrap using his wood-colored duct tape.

We all looked at each other. Landrum asked what we were all silently wondering. Ralph, what were you doing with wood-colored duct tape in your suitcase in the first place? On a cruise ship?

On and on the vacation fun went, through days in one port of call and then the next.

Sometimes when Ralph is thinking as hes talking, he gets to mumbling. I didnt catch every word, but Landrum and Aaron snickered and shook their heads.

Sounds about right, Landrum said, and then laughed aloud. I suppose the rest of us may never know. On and on the vacation fun went, through days in one port of call and then the next.

Adventure never ceased to abound, including one afternoon when we felt our ship try to take a bit of a sudden stop out in open water. We were in between ports, really nowhere at the moment.

A few minutes later, we noticed the ship beginning to turn or revolve in the water. I went to the balcony door and slid it open. Now, I could hear in Spanish, Ayuda Me!! Ayuda Me!! Mi familia ayuda me!!

As we stood on our balcony, looking off the side of our vast cruise ship we could see maybe 100 yards away a small vessel with people waving and yelling. Ayuda me AYUDA por favor!! My wife wondered aloud, What are they saying?

I replied, Honey, theyre begging us to help. Theyre saying they and their family need help. Sure enough, we watched for the better part of an hour. Finally, a lifeboat from our cruise ship was lowered down into the water.

A small security detail, along with medical help, rode out and began taking on passengers from the tiny homemade looking boat. In two trips, they had removed all the people from the little ship and, eventually, we made our way along our route.

The captain made an announcement, updating us that in the interest of humanity, and in compliance with international maritime law, our ship had rescued 12 souls who were distressed and stranded at sea. Questions abounded, but we could tell they were deeply tanned and looked thin and frail.

Our ship had rescued 12 souls who were distressed and stranded at sea.

The next day, my wife was drying her long mane of blonde hair. She only does this about every other day because it really is a production. Little could we know, but in a bit of a design flaw, our ship cabin had placed the hair dryer and mirror right under the super sensitive heat/smoke detector.

Without warning, a loud and shrill alarm began to sound. We knew instantly there was no fire in our room. We figured it must have something to do with the hair dryer. Immediately, our cabin phone rang with a call from the captains bridge.

The chief security officer asked if we were all right. She wanted to know if something was burning. We assured her we were fine and that the hair dryer had set it off. Minutes later, she knocked at our door. Using her radio, she confirmed that all was well and gave the code for the alarm to be silenced.

While there, this kind woman reassured us that this happened somewhere on the ship every few days. She was used to it. She also answered our questions about the maritime rescue the day before.

How many were there and where were they from? I asked.

There were 12 refugees and they set sail from Cuba on Dec. 19, was her response. I did some quick math. You mean they were out on the open sea for 41 days?!

Yes, and some of them were in bad shape. Dehydration, lack of nourishment, and one of them is diabetic. Some were near death.

What do they need? my wife asked. Could we help with clothes or anything?

Oh, the cruise line is taking care of them. Weve given them full medical evaluations and treatment, all the food and drink they can take. Weve provided lodging and even new clothes. Tomorrow when we stop, Mexican authorities will take them in and oversee their care.

What will happen to them, then? my wife asked.

I dont know altogether. They have procedures. But they told us they wont be sent back to Cuba. That, they assured us. They will give them asylum.

We were relieved and encouraged by her responses. We respected the decisive provisions the cruise line was making at its own expense.

Whatever opinions one may have about immigration issues, one thing was clear. These 12 souls set out in a rickety craft and floated for 41 days because whatever might lie ahead seemed better than what they were leaving.

We were touched and humbled by the whole incident when we considered things from that angle. All of it was a reminder of the relative comfort we take for granted.

It was a reminder of what the writer Thomas Friedman contends: That talent was distributed equally across our world, but opportunity has not been. It is also a reminder that even in a rural setting of what we think are some of the most average people, the relative safety and standard of living we enjoy makes us far richer than we usually realize.

Why humbled, you might ask? Because if any of us are completely self-aware and honest, none of us are what we like to call self-made. There are always things beyond our control to the best and worst of our lives.

Things we did brought us to where we are. Sure. Things we chose, too. But there are also things other people did and chose. Courses of history and life where we see the confluences of our own and others efforts. Really, when you stop and reflect, any of us could have been bobbing up and down on the ocean in a homemade craft, helpless.

It makes the life most of us returned to as the cruise ended seem extra sweet.

The getaway acted to refresh and to reset. It gave us new reasons to laugh and new ways to relax. New cause to stop and look around a little and be thankful for what we share back at home. Including at a place we lovingly call Bubba-Doos!

Charles Quallsserves as pastor of Franklin Baptist Church in Franklin, Va. He is the author of eight books.

Related article:

Bubba-Doos takes on the Caribbean Part 1

Bubba-Doos makes the big time, now available as a book

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Bubba-Doo's takes on the Caribbean Part 2 Baptist News Global - Baptist News Global

Both cruise lines told 13News Now that the first ships resuming operations in Baltimore are set for this coming weekend.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean International said it "looks forward to returning to the Port of Baltimore once again" where its Vision of the Seas is slated to depart on Saturday, May 25 for a 5-night excursion to The Bahamas.

Carnival Cruise Line shared similar sentiments about returning to the Baltimore port, saying the Carnival Pride will resume operations at the Baltimore port on Sunday, May 26.

We are extremely grateful to the officials and incredible first responders in Baltimore, whove shown great leadership and resolve in this difficult time, as well as our supportive partners in Norfolk, whose rapid response allowed us to continue to deliver our scheduled sailings for our guests, said Christine Duffy, the company's president. Its been our goal to resume operations in Baltimore as soon as possible, and after working closely with local, state and federal agencies, we look forward to a successful return.

In the wake of the Baltimore bridge collapse on March 26, Baltimore-based operations were temporarily moved to Norfolk. Passengers were then bussed in and out of Norfolk to Baltimore.

Additionally, last week, crews demolished the largest remaining steel span of the bridge using explosives. The 21-member crew of the Dali cargo ship were aboard during the controlled demolition.

More:

Cruise ops returning to Baltimore after temporary move to Norfolk - 13newsnow.com WVEC

Joycity is inviting everyone to join in on the anniversary festivities within Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War, particularly to celebrate the naval strategy games 7th anniversary. Expect to welcome new Tacticians to the fray three of them to be exact along with special login bonuses, in-game events, and social media giveaways.

During the 7th Anniversary update for Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War, you can take advantage of plenty of limited-time goodies where you can embark on cave explorations or wield powerful buffs during World Boss challenges. The new Tritons Fury ship will help you dominate the open seas as well and you might just find out the reason behind its namesake.

Additionally, the new S10 Monsters will be available to take on, along with fresh new encounters to master out on the endless blue. The Caribbean Pass in-game Battle Pass will help you unlock the Rose Garden Territory Effect as well.

Are you keen on reliving iconic moments inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean films? If youre eager to experience the classic battles in Shansas Cave or you simply want to fight alongside your fellow pirate captains, you can check out Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War on the App Store and on Google Play, or give the game a follow on Facebook.

This article is sponsored content written by TouchArcade and published on behalf of Joycity to promote the 7th anniversary update to Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War. For questions or comments, please email [emailprotected]

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'Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War' Adds New Tacticians with Its 7th Anniversary Update TouchArcade - Touch Arcade

Home HOTEL NEWS Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association Unveils Bold Rebranding, Ushering In New Era For Caribbean Hospitality

Monday, May 20, 2024

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The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) has launched a bold rebranding, highlighting Caribbean charm and its leadership in hospitality.

The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) has unveiled a bold rebranding campaign, marking a new chapter of distinction in Caribbean hospitality.

Debuting at the Caribbean Travel Marketplace in Montego Bay, Jamaica, this rebranding effort, crafted by The Anything Group (TAG), showcases a modern design and a vibrant new website. This fresh look embodies CHTAs dedication to highlighting the regions charm while upholding its prominent position in the Caribbean hospitality sector.

CHTAs rebranding embraces the spirit of innovation and evolution, signaling a bold departure from convention while honoring and embracing the rich heritage and culture of the Caribbean, stated Vanessa Ledesma, Acting CEO and Director General of CHTA. Our new look and website highlight our dedication to celebrating our regions unique identity while positioning ourselves at the forefront of industry innovation.

CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig expressed the associations dedication to strengthening its digital and brand presence, ensuring it continues to serve the industry with excellence.We extend our gratitude for the continued support of the Caribbean hospitality and tourism sector. Thank you for joining us on this journey of renewal and growth. Together, lets embrace the spirit of the Caribbean as we embark on this exciting new chapter, said Madden-Greig.

The new logo, featuring a spiral at the heart of a starfish, symbolizes the Caribbeans interconnected network. Each color in the logo represents a unique aspect of the regions diverse qualities. The deep ocean blue signifies the expansive sea, while royal blue captures the regions vibrant energy. Turquoise reflects the iconic Caribbean waters, palm tree green symbolizes the essence of nature, lemon yellow represents the joy of the people, and coral embodies the warmth and hospitality of Caribbean culture.

The redesigned website offers a seamless and user-friendly experience. By consolidating information into fewer microsites, navigation is simplified, ensuring users can easily grasp the content before exploring further. The streamlined design and well-organized content aim to provide visitors with quick access to essential information about the Caribbean hospitality industry.

Im thrilled that TAG was chosen to collaborate with CHTA on various projects aimed at enhancing the Caribbean hospitality industry. This includes revamping the CHTA website with our Shine team as well as contributing to the rebranding efforts, and serving as the Gold and Official Graphics sponsors for both Marketplace 42 and the Caribbean Travel Forum with our Sparkle Team, remarked Rich Tuckwell-Skuda, CEO & Founder of TAG.

Its an honor to extend our support to CHTA and further our commitment to our Caribbean-based clients. This marks an exciting beginning as we expand our presence in the region, he added.

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Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association Unveils Bold Rebranding, Ushering In New Era For Caribbean Hospitality - Travel And Tour World

In August of 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall on the narrow Bahamian island of Abaco. It broke the scale for hurricane categories; its tornados, waterspouts, winds, and water surges left buildings and power systems tangled and destroyed. Jeremey Sweeting, the chief councilor of Abacos Hope Town District Council, witnessed the infrastructural devastation that had befallen his community.

Debris was everywhere, covering the roads, beaches, and overwhelmed marinas. In an interview in January 2024, five years after Dorian, Sweeting reflected on how residents had to clear an entire baseball field themselves so that planes and helicopters could land for immediate evacuations.

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The severe velocity of the hurricane is not uniqueMarjahn Finlayson, a Bahamian climate scientist and educator, explained how the scale of Dorian was a result of increasing global temperatures. In the upcoming decades, the region will have to brace for higher-category hurricanes, intense summer heats, droughts, and flooding. Finlayson believes that many people still have a misunderstanding of the severity of the situation.

Small island nations are faced with a twofold issue: increasingly extreme weather-related disasters and problems followed by slow or failing economic recovery. Economic development is directly stagnated by the climate crisis in the Caribbean.

Every climate crisis was an economic crisis; but going forward ... every economic crisis would effectively be a climate crisis, said Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley in an interview with ProPublica and The New York Times Magazine, published in July 2022, discussing how economic projects that Caribbean countries are already struggling to afford could be laid to waste in a moment by a powerful hurricane charged by warming temperatures.

Mottley has been at the forefront of the Bridgetown Initiative, one of many Caribbean-led proposals that aim to combat financial stress associated with climate-induced issues.

The climate crisis is forcing a re-evaluation of the global financial system, with vulnerable Caribbean countries spearheading the movement. A growing number of regional leaders are highlighting how the antiquated international financial system, designed by the Global North, does not consider contemporary problems of the Global South, such as the specific economic burdens of an increasingly extreme climate.

From reimagining financial restrictions to exploring alternative streams of private and inter-governmental investment aid, many strategies will need to be utilized to hasten economic recovery and build climate resilience. The shift pushed today by the Caribbean is a preview of the changes that will be increasingly necessary as the world grapples with how to economically adjust to a changing climate.

Stephan Flynn, the founding project director of Advancing Community Climate Resilience Planning in the Caribbean Region, at Northeastern University, argues that the Caribbean is a microcosm of the interrelated elements of economic development and battles against climate change. Small island nations hold fragile economies that have made them structurally more vulnerable to developing climate extremes. Some common features of their economies include tourism as the largest income sector and high costs for transporting materials to, around, and from the region.

When a hurricane comes through, tourism ceases while the nation recovers. Similarly, when flooding occurs from rising sea levels, infrastructure is severely damaged, and materials needed for recovery are expensive to import. For these reasons, climate disasters translate into more consequential effects for small island nations, says Flynn.

The dilemma was demonstrated in Abaco after Hurricane Dorian. As the second-largest island in the Bahamas and a significant contributor to the tourist industry, the loss of this income stream was felt at a national level. Bringing in resources for reconstruction was also a logistical nightmare as materials had to be shipped or flown in at high economic costs.

Additionally, Abacos Hope Town District Council stressed that the tax breaks and passport stamps, methods used by the national government to ease recovery, were both insufficient and unsustainable as they did not take into consideration how much each individual had lost.

Samaritans Purse and World Central Kitchen were two NGOs that residents remembered as being helpful for immediate recovery, but many left the following year when the COVID pandemic consumed international aid.

Marsh Harbour, Abacos commercial center, suffered a tidal wave during the storm and, five years into recovery, is still littered with the skeletons of destroyed buildings that have been abandoned by residents that do not have the liquidity to rebuild. However, even considering the lack of governmental support and setbacks caused by the pandemic, Marsh Harbour has come a long way in its recovery.

Brand-new houses, hotels, restaurants, and commercial buildings are slowly emerging. On a visit in January 2024, the harbor was filled to the brim with fishing boats and vacationers from the U.S. and beyond. However, recovery to pre-Dorian conditions has not yet been achieved.

We are carrying the brunt of the climate crisis, we see it on our doorstep, says Raevyn Bootle, an Abaco resident who works at a local insurance company in Marsh Harbour. She emphasized that locals are reckoning with this changing climate and the conversation is driven by young people who recognize that the crisis is inequitable for small island nations without the systems or resources in place to tackle the issue effectively. At this point, around 10 tropical storms develop in the region each year, with an average of six developing into hurricanes with increasing intensity, reports the U.S. National Weather Service.

Sweeting said that if a hurricane of Dorians scale were to happen again, a national economic depression could ensue. This statement is becoming less of a fear and more a prediction each year.

Countries like the Bahamas, which are considered high-income economies based on mass tourism, receive limited loans and development aid to pay for natural disasters. Therefore, while the Bahamas has been developing economically and infrastructurally, the nation is restricted by the consistent economic burden of climate change and keeps it from catching up with the rest of the world.

The Bahamas ambassador to the United Nations, Stan Smith, predicts that around 40% of the Bahamas national debt is caused by natural disasters and more than 1 billion people in the Global South are not receiving the adequate financial support for the costs of climate change.

Smith effectively lays out the dilemma that the Caribbean is facing: The climate crisis is not merely an economic crisis; it is a civilizational challenge.

Black listings are an example of the structural limitations of the international financial system; blacklisted countries are categorized by the international community as nations that do not meet international financial standards, such as not having adequate protections against economic crimes of funding terrorist groups or money laundering.

This categorization deters a substantial amount of foreign investment. In January 2024, the Bahamas announced that it would potentially involve the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in disputing its recharacterization as a blacklisted country. The Bahamas is claiming that black listings are breaching its human rights because it directly prevents the country from accessing international financial markets and international insurers that support the Caribbean in recovery financing after natural disasters and climate change-induced drawbacks.

The international community has responded, and the Bahamas was removed from the EUs financial blacklist on February 20, 2024, just one month after the nation threatened to involve the ICJ.

The Bahamas next advocacy project is requesting a change of its regulatory tax supervisor from the EU and OECD to the United Nations, claiming at a U.N. ad hoc committee in February earlier this year that the OECD international tax policies do not account for differences in development dynamics faced by the Global South and that U.N. supervision would provide a more equitable framework as the Bahamas grapples with climate change and development.

These conversations demonstrate that Caribbean activism on this issue is working, and the international community is open to adjustments.

Regardless of initial steps to emphasize the interrelationship between economics and the climate crisis, Caribbean officials still need to compensate for failures of the global financial system by exploring alternative streams of aid and investment. The Bridgetown Initiative highlights this necessity for increasing international investments in climate resilience and reconstruction aid following climate disasters as one of its reform suggestions is to implement a global mechanism for raising reconstruction grants.

Scott MacDonald, the chief economist at Smiths Research & Gradings, a financial and credit research company based in Virginia, calls particular attention to the increased amount of Chinese investment since the 2008 financial crisis, when investment from Europe to the Caribbean was cut. For example, the U.S. Congress Committee on Foreign Affairs reported that between 2005 and 2022, China has invested more than $10 billion in the main economic sectors of 10 Caribbean countries.

MacDonald points out that the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables is one of the ways that the Caribbean is struggling to build sustainable climate resilience. The Bahamas itself is around 80% dependent on fossil fuels and oil and renewable energy is expensive and needs a lot of equipment; China can offer lower interest rates and they dominate global solar and wind industries, he notes.

MacDonalds argument is that as these types of investments grow and China builds a presence in the region, it could become a strategic poke at the policy of the U.S.the U.S. is involved in the South China Sea, so China is involved in the Caribbean.

As the Bahamas ambassador to the United Nations, Smith posits that the concern of political influence due to debt and investments is misconceived and building economic relationships with a multitude of countries is, in part, a response to the inadequacy of the international financial architecture for addressing the climate crisis.

The Caribbean is still within the U.S.-controlled SWIFT banking/finance system and has a deep cultural synthesis with the U.S. in which, Smith believes, China is unable to penetrate.

In the upcoming decade, the economic growth of the Caribbean will be reliant upon whether the global financial system is successfully reconstructed in a manner that addresses the fast-paced and economically devastating nature of the climate crisis. For the Caribbean, MacDonald concludes, the energy transition and the climate crisis will be the determinants of foreign policy in the future.

Original post:

Climate Crisis Costs: Caribbean Nations Demand Global Financial System Reforms - Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting