From new entry requirements in Barbados to a trade show in Martinique, a Cuba tourist board travel agent photo contest, urgent aid needed for volcano victims in St. Vincent, and a new long-stay and remoter worker program in Saint Lucia, there’s plenty of news to catch up on from the Caribbean this week. Read on for some of the latest developments:
CUBA
The Cuba Tourist Board in Canada is launching a photo contest to celebrate the “hard work and dedication” of its travel counsellor partners in this country. Timed to coincide with Travel Agent’s Day (May 7), agents are invited to “go down memory lane and go through your (photo) albums” to find and submit favourite photos from past Cuba trips. The grand prize winner will win a four-night all-inclusive stay at Iberostar Selection Varadero Hotel (double room). Second prize is a complimentary full-day catamaran cruise (anywhere in Cuba), courtesy of Gaviota Group. And the top three winners will have their photo posted on the tourist board’s Canadian website and Facebook page. To participate, submit a jpeg photo with full personal and agency contact details (including social media) to info@gocuba.ca. Deadline for entry is April 30; winner announced May 5.
BARBADOS
The government of Barbados has updated its travel protocols required for entry to the country as it continues to manage the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the global on-going vaccination process, there have been a few changes to the quarantine and COVID-19 testing processes. They include:
Fully vaccinated travellers – The Ministry of Health and Wellness has approved the COVID-19 AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccinations for entry into Barbados. Effective May 8, travellers who are considered to be fully vaccinated are required to:
• Provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result 3 days prior to travel
• Provide a vaccination certificate on arrival to Barbados
• Have a standard or rapid COVID-19 PCR test done at the airport or their approved accommodation
• Use specially designated transportation providers for their transport to their approved accommodation and while awaiting their COVID-19 PCR test result
• Stay at their approved accommodation where they are free to move around in accordance with the guidelines of that property
• All fully vaccinated travellers will be required to quarantine for approximately 1 to 2 days.
Unvaccinated travellers – Any traveller who has not been fully vaccinated, does not have any evidence of vaccination, or has travelled from or transited through a country where the prevalence of certain variants of COVID-19 are deemed of particular concern to Barbados, are required to:
• Provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test on arrival 3 days prior to travel
• Use specifically designated transportation providers for their transport from the airport to approved accommodation
• Stay within their rooms/suites before receiving a 2nd negative COVID-19 PCR test. Travellers are not allowed to leave their rooms/suites
• Take their 2nd test 5 days after their arrival to Barbados
• All unvaccinated travellers will be required to quarantine for approximately 5 to 7 days.
Special considerations – Children under 18 who are travelling with fully vaccinated guardians will be allowed to adhere to the fully vaccinated traveller guidelines. For groups that include both vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers, the former will be included with the latter if they choose not to be separated.
Barbados notes that due to the fluidity of the pandemic, protocols are likely to change and that travellers should keep up to date online.
MARTINIQUE
The Martinique Tourism Authority is organizing from May 18 to 20, the first-ever 100% virtual international trade show in Martinique from May 18 to 20.
Highly innovative and interactive, the Martinique Travel Show (MTS) will allow national and international travel professionals including tour operators, travel agents, and the media to learn about the latest destination developments and news. It will also be an opportunity for North American travel professionals to meet one-on-on with up to 50 Martinique suppliers.
Visitors will be invited to explore a whole virtual universe. For the one-on-one meetings visitors and exhibitors will be able to create their own personal avatars to meet “in person” at the virtual booths or just “drop in”at one booth or another. They will be free to visit four virtual worlds: the world of Rum, Yole sailboats, Gastronomy, and the city of Saint-Pierre, Martinique’s former capital.
In addition to exhibitor encounters, several conferences and seminars moderated by guest experts and speakers will be programmed both in French and in English. The event will close with the Martinique Tourism Awards to salute the efforts of leading island professionals.
A detailed program of the three-day event will be available soon. Meanwhile, registration for travel professionals is now open HERE.
SAINT LUCIA
In response to a demand for longer vacations and remote working options, Saint Lucia has launched “Live It,” an extended-stay program that invites visitors to stay longer, work remotely and embrace local life in Saint Lucia.
Visitors can stay for up to six weeks and are paired with a Live it Island Specialist (local tour operator) who acts as a personal guide before and during their stay in hotels and villas. Live it Island Specialists will tailor activities to suit, such as learning creole cooking, exploring the rainforests, diving dozens of reefs, hiking the Pitons, philanthropic activities or discovering hidden gems that visitors usually can’t find.
“The ‘Live it’ program is launching at a time when interest in international travel is renewed in our key markets of the US, Canada and the UK,” says Minister of Tourism Dominic Fedee. “In a shorter visit, travellers are limited to a few activities, but if they stay for longer they get to roam locally, decompress from a year of lockdowns and also work remotely. With so many things to explore safely in Saint Lucia paired with the demand for extended vacations, we created this immersive program so visitors can live like a local, while feeling like a member of the family.”
While in Saint Lucia, visitors also can work remotely and reliably, as free Wi-fi is offered across the island at hotels, villas, and public venues. And many hotels already offer remote work programs, amenities and special perks that make the work and vacation balance seamless.
For more information and sample itineraries for the Live it program, visit HERE.
ST. VINCENT
Following several eruption episodes of the La Soufrière volcano, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has issued an urgent appeal to the public for relief for those directly impacted. Over 16,000 people have had to be evacuated from their homes in the Red Zone to the safer Green Zone to shelters, personal homes and hotels. The need for assistance is “tremendous” as the country battles with excessive amounts of ashfall, water shortages, and electricity outages.
For more and details on how to help, click HERE.
GUYANA
The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has partnered with the leading British eco travel specialists Green Traveller to create the Green Traveller’s Guide to Guyana, designed to showcase its tourism offering and advise travellers on how to visit responsibly, leaving a net positive impact on the destination.
Green Traveller founder, award-winning travel journalist and sustainable tourism expert, Richard Hammond, worked with members of the GTA to create the guide with the initial launch guide featuring bespoke artwork, an introductory destination video, information on where to stay, what to do and how to travel responsibly, and an image gallery. Green Traveller will also be updating the guide and adding further features to ensure it provides the most up-to-date and relevant information for travellers.
Guyana, located on South America’s Caribbean coast, is a destination that has already established itself on the international tourism stage thanks to its concerted efforts to sustainably manage the destination through a strategy which sees indigenous communities managing and owning their own eco-tourism projects in Guyana’s hinterland. All the revenue generated through these projects is reinvested into the community and conservation efforts to protect the ancestral lands in which they are set. The country has picked up multiple international awards recognizing its own brand of green tourism including the Destination Stewardship Award from the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), World’s #1 “Best in Ecotourism” and “Best in Sustainable Tourism” from the Latin American Travel Association (LATA) Achievement Awards.
The GTA hopes that the Green Traveller’s Guide to Guyana will increase destination awareness among one of its key target audience, eco travellers, while also providing a practical tool for travellers planning a trip to Guyana.
The guide can be viewed HERE.