Holiday & Travel

In their continued efforts to work closely together with on-island stakeholders for tourism industry recovery, the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL) partnered with the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association (THTA) to host a virtual press conference on March 24, 2023, to jointly report on destination Tobago’s participation in ITB Berlin 2023.

The Covid-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the travel and tourism industry, with the sector experiencing significant challenges as a result. Despite the obstacles faced by the industry, the cybersecurity job postings managed to remain stable and even grew by an impressive 54% year-on-year (YoY) in 2022.

Industry analysis reveals that cybersecurity job postings in airlines, travel services and lodging rose by 82%, 58% and 56%, respectively.

Travel trends shift each year according to consumer behaviour and solo travel is rising in popularity among 2023 travel trends. As a part of the post-pandemic transition, travellers are eager to return to normality, especially after the heavy social restrictions.

While awareness has been raised about the importance of living to the fullest, solo travel presents independence and prioritizing personal empowerment through traveling. Leading travel marketplace Wingie.com releases an evaluation on the rise in popularity of solo travel, according to the First Quarter Data. 

European tourists in search of warmer climes have been enjoying the recently opened voco Dubai The Palm, a brand-new IHG Hotels & Resorts beachfront property situated on the iconic Palm Jumeirah.

The 138-room lifestyle destination is ideally located on the shores of Palm Jumeirah's West Beach, offering guests direct access to the West Beach Promenade, only a few steps away from the majestic waters of the Arabian Gulf and the hotel's private beach.

This Easter, the award-winning resort of The Lux Collective - LUX* South Ari Atolls invites guests to journey down the Rabbit Hole for a magical Alice-In-Wonderland holiday experience.

From 3 to 10 April, the resort will transform into the colourful Wonderland, inviting guests to join Alice, The Queen of Hearts, Mad Hatter and White Rabbit for a week-long Easter celebration.

With warmest wishes and the deepest gratitude for his many years of dedicated service to the organization, the Jamaica Tourist Board has announced that it will be bidding farewell to its Deputy Director of Tourism, Americas, Mr. Donnie Dawson, who will be retiring as of March 31, 2023.

“Jamaica is deeply indebted to Donnie Dawson for his decades of service to develop and promote tourism to the island,” said the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica.

As the world continues to embrace the allure of travel, Grenada is poised to experience a continued boost to its tourism sector, fueled by an increase in airlift capacity and a growing interest in the island’s rich culture and festivities.

With the upcoming Spicemas carnival drawing visitors from the Caribbean diaspora, and families flocking to the region for a much-needed summer vacation, the importance of additional airlift cannot be overstated.

The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has revised procedures of the Trekking Information Management System (TIMS).

This new provision is designed to ensure the safety and security of visitors trekking in protected areas in the mountains of Nepal. With the new provision, all trekkers are required to obtain services of a licensed trekking guide and to obtain a TIMS Card through authorized trekking agencies registered with the Government of Nepal. The new provision shall come into effect on March 31, 2023.

LaGuardia Gateway Partners (LGP) today announced that LaGuardia Airport Terminal B is the world's best new terminal based on Global Passenger Survey conducted by Skytrax, an international transport rating organization. The Port Authority of NY and NJ partnered with LGP to deliver a world-class Terminal B. 

LGP is the project company that includes Meridiam, Skanska, Vantage Airport Group and JLC Infrastructure, responsible for development and management of the terminal. LaGuardia's Terminal B is the first terminal in North America and among just 22 airports and terminals worldwide to achieve the highest possible 5-Star Airport Terminal Rating2.

The Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) has confirmed Tracy Berkeley as Chief Executive Officer, creating history as the organisation’s first female leader. Berkeley has been serving as the BTA’s Interim CEO since June 2022.  

Tracy Berkeley joined the Bermuda Tourism Authority in January 2020 and took on the role of interim CEO in June 2022. Within the last nine months, Berkeley has worked tirelessly to stabilize the organization for increased team productivity, raised the awareness and relevance of the destination by meeting with stakeholders in the travel trade, and media industries, and worked alongside partners to deliver the BTA’s award-winning Lost Yet Found campaign.

Travellers seeking to experience “a vibe like no other” on St. Croix, the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, now have increased options for getting there from the mainland United States, and better yet, improved connection options.

“We welcome the operation of twice daily American St. Croix service, including flights which arrive in both the afternoon and evening, and depart St. Croix early morning and in the afternoon,” said Vicki Locke, Director of Sales and Marketing of The Buccaneer Beach & Golf Resort.

UNWTO centred tourism as a key pillar of sustainable development at the 5th United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries. The conference, held in Doha around the theme of ‘From Potential to Prosperity’ came at the pivotal half-way point in the timeline to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and fully implement the 2030 agenda.

Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL) officials sought to further capitalize on their presence in Germany for ITB Berlin by reconnecting with key travel partners across Germany in a 3-day mission from March 01 - 03, to reignite interest in destination Tobago and lay the foundation for increased visitor arrivals from the GAS (German, Austrian and Swiss) market. 

ITB Berlin, one of the two highlights in the industry’s calendar next to the WTM in London, always happens in early March – if it happens.

In the last 30 years, visitors to the ITB Berlin have experienced temperatures during the day up to 18 degrees and minimum temperatures down to -6 degrees Celsius. In 2008 public transport went on strike and international exhibitors were seen walking helplessly among snow and ice in the city centre, hoping in vain to catch a taxi to bring them to the fairground.

The chair of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) Kenneth Bryan said the focus of International Women’s Day (IWD) this year reminded him of how much women have contributed to the success of the region’s most dynamic economic driver, tourism.

Bryan, who is the Minister of Tourism and Transport of the Cayman Islands, said the IWD theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality” aligns with the intergovernmental organization’s aim “to put more women in positions of influence so they can not only enhance the efficiency of our region’s major economic earner, but also be an exemplar for women everywhere.”

Barbados has copped the Green Destinations Story Award for Environment and Climate at one of the world’s largest travel trade shows, ITB Berlin. The nomination came from Barbados’ ambition to be the first island in the Caribbean to achieve a 100% renewable energy goal by 2030 and a 70% carbon neutrality goals by 2050. The strides taken thus far have landed Barbados its first milestone in this prestigious category, namely having the largest fleet of electric buses in the Caribbean.