Archive for 2022 News

A Bahamian Welcome: Here’s How to Experience The Bahamas Like The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

NASSAU, Bahamas, 27 March 2022 – The Islands of The Bahamas experienced a very royal welcome. In line with The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited The Bahamas from 24–26 March as part of their Royal Tour of the Caribbean.

The Royal Couple spent time across several Bahamian islands and experienced a ‘Taste of The Bahamas’, with stops in three of the country’s destinations: Nassau, Abaco and Grand Bahama.

“We are pleased to have hosted The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in The Bahamas to experience what makes our destination so unique,” said Deputy Prime Minister the Honourable I. Chester Cooper, Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation. “The Royal Couple fully immersed themselves in Bahamian culture, with curated visits to three treasured islands. We hope that their trip will inspire other travellers to come experience the adventure waiting for them in our beautiful country.”

The tour kicked off in Nassau, with a Grand Cultural event featuring performances by the Royal Bahamas Police Force Band, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Band, the Bahamas All-Stars Marching Band and a vibrant Junkanoo parade. The Duke and Duchess then travelled to Abaco and Grand Bahama Island.

To mark the royal visit, here are some of the most culturally immersive, locally-centric experiences that visitors can take part in during their travels to The Bahamas—which all provide an authentic taste and feel for Bahamian life.

Deep Dive into Culture in the Nation’s Capital – Nassau & Paradise Island

Nassau & Paradise Island is the tourism hub of The Bahamas, with its booming luxury resorts, casinos, dining, shopping and vibrant nightlife, yet the nation’s capital still holds true to its authentic Bahamian culture. From its celebrated People-to-People Programme, which pairs inquisitive travellers with local residents to experience the destination like a local, to its many historical landmarks such as The Queen’s Staircase, Fort Fincastle Historic Complex, Fort Montagu and Fort Charlotte. In the heart of downtown Nassau, visitors can stop by the Educulture Junkanoo Museum to learn more about the largest and most celebrated experience in The Bahamas: Junkanoo.

Island Hopping for an Immersive Visit – The Abacos

Surrounded by calm seas and beautiful beaches, The Abacos reign as one of the top boating destinations in the world, making it the ideal island-hopping bucket list spot for those who want to immerse themselves in multiple islands and cays. Visitors who experience the mainland, Marsh Harbour, can savour delicious cuisine at the local Fish Fry or head to Green Turtle Cay to experience the island’s historical itinerary stops, such as the Loyalist Memorial Sculpture Garden. For a picturesque view, add Elbow Cay to the list where one of the last standing manually operated  lighthouses in the world remains, or skip over to Man-O-War Cay, the ‘Boat-building capital of The Bahamas’, where visitors can experience first-hand the local boat-building shops.

Making a Difference with Coral Vita – Grand Bahama Island

The winner of the Duke of Cambridge’s Earthshot Prize in 2021 for its sustainability efforts, Coral Vita is a research and education centre that is quickly becoming a highly sought-after immersive experience on Grand Bahama Island. Coral Vita creates high-tech coral farms that incorporate breakthrough methods to restore reefs in the most effective way possible. The team partners with leading marine institutes, using techniques to grow coral up to 50 times faster while boosting their resiliency against the warming and acidifying oceans that threaten their survival. Coral fragments are then planted back into degraded reefs, restoring them back to life. Visitors can adopt a coral fragment to play their part in the fight against global warming or attend a tour which costs $15 per person. To learn more about the difference the farm is making, visit coralvita.co.

With 16 unique island destinations, there is a dream escape for everyone. To learn more about The Bahamas and to begin planning a tropical vacation, please visit bahamas.com.

Posted in: 2022 News, Blog, Destination News

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Anguilla Lifts Travel Authorization Requirements for Fully Vaccinated Visitors, Effective April 1st, 2022

The Valley, Anguilla, March 28, 2022:  Anguilla’s Ministry of Health has released new guidelines for Anguilla’s entry protocols, in accordance with their evolving COVID-19 Exit Strategy. The new guidelines will come into effect on Friday, April 1st, 2022.

  1. As of April 1st, 2022, all fully vaccinated travellers to Anguilla who are 18 years and older will no longer need to apply for permission to enter the island via the travel portal at IvisitAnguilla.com.  They will still need to present evidence of full vaccination status with an approved vaccine and a negative COVID-19 test; that is an NAA/PCR/RNA test taken within 3 days of travel or a rapid antigen test taken within 2 days of travel. This information must be presented to the aircraft, ship, agent or fixed based operator.
  2. The arrival testing will be discontinued for persons who have been fully vaccinated within the last six months, and for persons who have taken a booster dose where completion of the primary series (full vaccination) occurred six months or more prior to arrival; a valid negative test result must be presented pre-arrival.
  3. Vaccinated adults and minors, who were fully vaccinated with a complete primary course more than 6 months prior to arrival, but have NOT had a booster dose, are still considered fully vaccinated and will not need to apply for entry via the portal. They shall, however, be subject to testing on arrival, at their own expense and a valid negative prearrival test result must be presented. The testing fee is US$50.
  4. Unvaccinated visitors under 18 years old are only permitted to enter Anguilla if they are accompanied by fully vaccinated travellers. It should be noted that the exemption for pregnant women is removed given that several COVID-19 vaccines are now approved for use in pregnancy.
  5. Persons arriving into Anguilla without the appropriate documentation (proof of vaccination and test results) will be required to return to their country of origin; and if it is not possible to return, they shall complete arrival and exit tests, and quarantine for 5 days at their own expense. Each visitor that is allowed to quarantine shall pay the Government of Anguilla a fee of USD$200 in addition to any fines for unapproved entry.
  6. Unvaccinated visitors who have been granted a medical exemption will be required to apply on the entry portal, test on arrival, quarantine for 5 days and receive a negative test result to exit quarantine. Accordingly, the fee is USD$100 per person.

For information on Anguilla please visit the official website of the Anguilla Tourist Board: www.IvisitAnguilla.com; follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/AnguillaOfficial; Instagram: @Anguilla_Tourism; YouTube; Twitter: @Anguilla_Trsm, Hashtag: #MyAnguilla

Posted in: 2022 News, Blog, Coronavirus (COVID-19), Destination News

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CTO Scholarship Foundation to Fund Studies in Cybersecurity and Data Science

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (24 March 2022) – With real-time data increasingly being employed as a strategic asset for decision-makers in the travel and tourism industry, data science is becoming critical to researchers seeking to better understand and interpret information. At the same time, due to the large and valuable quantities of customer data gathered by tourism companies, the industry has become an attractive target for hackers and cybercriminals, making it essential for those involved in the sector to protect themselves and their customers against cyberattacks.

It’s in this context that the CTO Scholarship Foundation, the scholarship programme of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), has added cybersecurity and data science to the areas of study which it will fund this year. The foundation is also offering scholarships for Caribbean nationals seeking to enhance their skills in brand management and information technology, bringing to four, the number of new subjects of study which the charity will support.

The foundation is this year offering four scholarships of between US$3000 and US$5000, including the Audrey Palmer Hawks Memorial Scholarship (US$5000), Arley Sobers and Bonita Morgan memorial scholarships (both US$3000) and the Thomas J. Greenan scholarship (US$5000), which was introduced for the first time last year to provide financial support to Caribbean nationals pursuing qualification in agro/gastronomy-related subjects, community-based or sustainable tourism. Study grants of up to US$2000 are also being offered to Caribbean nationals seeking to improve their skills in any tourism-related field of study that will enhance the development of a sustainable tourism industry and boost service excellence in the region.

The foundation selects individuals who demonstrate high levels of achievement and leadership both within and outside the classroom and who express a strong interest in making a positive contribution to Caribbean tourism.

About CTO Scholarship Foundation

The CTO Scholarship Foundation is a 501 (C)(3) entity established in 1997 with the aim of training and developing future leaders for the Caribbean tourism industry by funding studies in tourism and tourism-related subjects, hospitality and language. The objective is to ensure that the brightest and the best are attracted to careers in the sector or in areas that impact tourism, thereby helping to build a Caribbean tourism industry that is globally competitive and sustainable. Since its inception, the foundation has raised over US$1 million in scholarship funds and has provided over 280 grants and scholarships.

Posted in: 2022 News, Blog, Scholarship Foundation

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COS Nominated for Eight Distinguished Awards

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands (March 16th, 2022) – The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board, the exclusive tourism authority for the Turks and Caicos Islands, is pleased to announce that the destination has been nominated for eight (8) distinguished World Travel Awards™.

World Travel Awards™, celebrates its 29th anniversary year this year, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. The World Travel Awards™ brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.

Over the years, the Turks and Caicos have won numerous World Travel Awards and, it is with hope, that the destination will win the awards in the various coveted categories.

The categories are as follows:

Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
Caribbean’s Leading Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
Caribbean’s Leading Dive Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
Caribbean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
Caribbean’s Leading Luxury Island Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands Tourist Board
Caribbean’s Most Romantic Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands

The international voting window for our Caribbean and North America regions opened on Tuesday, 15th March (see link here) and runs until midnight Tuesday, 3rd May. Votes can be cast by travel professionals, media and tourism consumers, with the nominee gaining the most votes in each category announced as the 2022 World Travel Awards™ winner.

Director of Tourism, Miss Pamela Ewing stated that: “to be nominated for not just one, but eight awards is truly momentous! This gives credence to the work that we in the Turks and Caicos have been doing over the past year and will continue to do. It is indeed an honor that we were nominated for so many and I am truly proud of the work the team have put in to market the destination.”

Hon. Josephine Connolly, Minister of Tourism stated that: “To be nominated for such distinguished awards speaks to the world-class, exceptional quality of our tourism product. This is a true testament of our Government, Stakeholders and Turks and Caicos Islanders dedication and commitment to the tourism industry. For this, I thank you! I would encourage everyone to vote for the Turks and Caicos Islands as these accolades are well deserved.”

After the close of voting, the winners of each category in this year’s programme will be invited to attend the red carpet World Travel Awards Caribbean & North America Gala Ceremony – the region’s premier VIP tourism gathering – which will take place on 14 June 2022 at Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Posted in: 2022 News, Blog, Destination News

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Antigua and Barbuda Lifts Travel-Testing Requirement

JOHN’S, ANTIGUA (March 16, 2022) – The Caribbean twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda has as of March 16, 2022, lifted the travel testing requirement for fully vaccinated visitors to the destination.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Tourism and Investment, The Honourable Charles Fernandez said, “Our aim is to continue to ensure travellers have a safe vacation in Antigua and Barbuda, in adherence with the covid-19 protocols created by the Government to responsibly manage the various stages of the pandemic and maintain the health and safety of the population.”

CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority said, “The announcement of the removal of the travel testing requirement, will reduce travel costs and prove to be a compelling enough incentive for fully vaccinated visitors to book travel to the destination. It is a development that will make a positive impact on our tourism rebound, and most importantly to the persons who are employed within the industry.”

Antigua and Barbuda’s latest travel advisory as outlined by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda includes:

  1. Fully vaccinated arriving passengers are not required to present a PCR/Rapid Antigen Test negative result to be permitted entry into Antigua and Barbuda, (unless they show symptoms of possible infection). This includes transiting passengers.
  2. Fully vaccinated passengers showing symptoms of possible infection may be required to submit to a RT PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 upon arrival at their own expense. Instructions on permissible activities while awaiting results will be provided by Port Health officials.
  3. Partially/unvaccinated British citizens en route to, and partially/unvaccinated residents of, Montserrat are permitted to land in Antigua and Barbuda and transit via aeroplane from V.C. Bird International Airport to Montserrat. Such passengers will not be permitted to leave the airport prior to departure.
  4. Unvaccinated minors between the ages of five and eighteen years old must present a negative RT PCR test of four days or fewer from date of testing.
  5. Children below the age of five (5) years entering Antigua and Barbuda, DO NOT REQUIRE a COVID -19 RT-PCR test.
  6. The wearing of face masks in public spaces is actively encouraged throughout Antigua and Barbuda and social/physical distancing protocols should still be adhered to. Therefore, all passengers arriving in Antigua and Barbuda are encouraged to wear face masks wherever there are gatherings of significant numbers of people e.g., ports, supermarkets, bars and clubs.

Antigua and Barbuda is fully open, and visitors to the destination can expect to enjoy a range of excursions, attractions and dining experiences, to include newly opened restaurants and tours. Beaches are open and all curfew restrictions have been removed.

For the March 16, 2022 updated travel advisory go to www.visitantiguabarbuda.com

Posted in: 2022 News, Blog, Coronavirus (COVID-19), Destination News

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