Destination News

French Saint-Martin’s video: “Can’t help falling in love with Saint-Martin”

A marketing campaign “In 2021, Valentine’s Day is to be celebrated in Saint-Martin”, was launched on February 1st by the French Saint-Martin Tourist Office. This campaign is currently providing great social-media exposure for several hotels, resorts on the French part of the island offering great hotels deals with a booking window up until March 31^st, 2021 but your stay can be between now and March 2022.

You can consult all the deals on www.st-martin.org

As a continuation of this campaign—and to promote our beautiful destination worldwide as a place for romance and romantic getaways—the Tourist Office has a brand-new promotional video to show you!

The musical theme of the video is an ode to Love, inspired by the song “Can’t help falling in love”, performed for the first time by Elvis Presley in 1961. With subtle influences from Pop Rock, Reggaeton, Dance Hall, and Zouk/Kizomba, this music reflects the human and multicultural richness of the Friendly Island. Fun fact: the voices are actually those of the team at the Tourist Office, making this 100% made-in-Saint Martin production even more authentic!

The video was produced by local filmmaker Théo Demanez, whose incredible talent recently won him the GoPro Million Dollar Challenge Award for the second time! His modern yet elegant video is a beautiful account of several happy couples and their stay here. You’ll be inspired by the idyllic landscapes, moments of local life, activities, and gastronomy, all in a 2:30 format that is particularly well-adapted to social networks.

You can really feel the modern romantic mood: we guarantee that if you come to the island, you’ll fall deeper in love with your partner—and with Saint Martin!

This video is a great promotional tool for the destination, and it will be seen across the globe throughout the year, as romance rolls on. The song “Can’t help falling in love with Saint Martin” will also be played on local radio stations!

From February 14th, you can watch the video on the Tourist Office’s Facebook page—and play your part in promoting the island by sharing it with your contacts!  https://www.facebook.com/iledesaintmartin.

Belize’s Maritime Borders Now Open for Yachting Tourism

Belize City, Belize, Tues, February 16, 2021:   Belize has officially reopened its maritime borders for yachting tourism. The authorized maritime ports of entry will be San Pedro, Belize City and Placencia.

The reopening has been approved under the following conditions:

• A licensed shipping agent is required for the vessel to enter. Only shipping agents with special licenses are authorized to deal with these non-commercial vessels and are authorized to charge a set tariff of no more than US $150 for their service.
• Notice to enter must be made at least 72 hours prior to arrival.
• The yacht’s crew and passengers must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test upon entry. Both PCR (taken within 72 hours of arrival) and Rapid Antigen (taken within 48 hours of arrival) tests are accepted. Visit travelbelize.org/health-safety for detailed health and safety protocols.

The Belize Port Authority, the regulatory agency for Belize’s maritime borders, is confident that yachting tourism can be carried out safely by following approved local and international health guidelines along with established boarding procedures and protocols.

Yachting tourism in Belize is a niche market with tremendous potential for further growth. COVID-19 has caused many families to rethink travel and yachting tourism allows for families to vacation safely within a “bubble”. Belize’s pristine waters and pleasant tropical climate offer the ideal setting for yachting vacations where visitors can enjoy fishing, snorkeling, diving and many other attractions safely.

The Bahamas Announces “From the Bahamas With Love” Virtual Romance Expo

NASSAU, Bahamas, Feb. 8, 2021 – The Bahamas, one of the world’s leading destinations for weddings and honeymoons, is gearing up to host two virtual events – From The Bahamas With Love – to showcase the vast offerings for romantic escapes throughout the destination. The expo will bring together industry leaders, partners, hotels, venues and services for a truly unique and educational experience for trade and consumer participants.

The virtual events will kick off on Wednesday, March 3, 2021 (from 1pm to 4pm EST), with an afternoon planned specifically for trade professionals, including travel agents and event planners. The second day will be held on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 (from 4pm to 7pm EST), and is open to consumers, including soon-to-be engaged or recently engaged couples, future brides and grooms, bachelorette party planners, honeymoon do-over seekers and more.

The pandemic has caused many couples to postpone or reimagine their romantic getaways over the last year, and the destination wants to ensure future planning is made as seamless as possible in 2021. From the Bahamas With Love will feature a diverse series of panel discussions with experts from across all romance industry sectors, along with opportunities to network directly with partners. Those attending will enjoy a literal “taste” of The Bahamas from home via the following activities and experiences:

• Engaging Panels + Breakout Sessions: Virtual sessions will highlight current trends, how to accommodate various wedding styles and preferences in The Bahamas, keeping the romance alive with activities and adventures for every type of couple and more. Sessions to include:
  • Love On Board (March 3) featuring Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation Deputy Director General Ellison “Tommy” Thompson and the three promotion boards.
  • A New Take on Romantic Travel (March 3) being moderated by Alan Berg, Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and leading wedding business consultant, featuring panelists Lisa Sheldon (Co-founder of Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialist Association), David Woods (President of the Association of Bridal Consultants) and Danielle Andrews (Co-founder of the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada)
  • Romance Reimagined (March 3 and March 10) being moderated by Bridgette King, Executive Director with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, featuring panelists Jena Conway (Director of Weddings and Special Occasions at Atlantis, Paradise Island), Gilda Noboa, Director of Sales and Marketing for USA and Canada (Viva Wyndham); Desiree Moxey, Director of Events (Baha Mar Grand Hyatt) (Boutique hotels will be featured during the consumer day panel discussion.)
  • Love Is All You Need (March 3 and March 10) with moderator Cindy Coakley-Knowles, President of the Bahamas Bridal Association, and featuring panelists Natalie Appleyard, Director of Wildflowers; Marva Munroe of Chic Bahamas Weddings, photographer Lyndah Wells and Kenton Burrows of Expressions Entertainment.
  • Romance Me in The Bahamas (March 10) with moderator Alison McGill, Editor, Weddingbells Magazine, and featuring panelists Tracey Manailescu, Co-founder of The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada and David Cox, Publisher of Caribbean Bride Magazine
• Listen Up and Sell More Workshops (March 3):  featuring well known presenter Alan Berg, CSP who will be discussing how to ask better questions to help you sell more in less time.
• Keynote Speaker (March 10): Jennifer Stein, Editor-in-chief of Destination I Do magazine, will deliver the expo’s keynote address, “ Keep Calm & Marry On” highlighting the shifts in the industry and how couples are finding creative ways to bring to life their weddings, honeymoons and romantic escapes safely amidst the pandemic.
• Virtual Networking Booths: Walk the virtual floor visiting a variety of booths to collect essential information for download or take advantage of the live chat feature allowing participants to ask questions and speak directly with local hoteliers and Bahamas Romance specialists.
• A Taste of The Bahamas Experiences: Be transported to The Bahamas featuring the making of signature cocktails, enjoy the culinary delights of a Bahamian Chef or check out the latest bridal fashion as models walk the runway for a Bahamian fashion show.
• “From The Bahamas with Love” Magazine Launch: Participants will be offered access to the first edition of the digital magazine, launching March 10, with exclusive wedding planning content including — top venue recommendations, bachelorette party planning inspiration, as well as made in The Bahamas decor and styling tips.
• Prizes and Giveaways: Special Media & Travel trade giveaway (March 3)
• Prizes and Giveaways: On the consumer day (March 10), lucky couples will have a chance to win one of 16 romantic experiences, including an all-expenses paid romantic getaway to The Bahamas and a destination wedding or vow renewal.

“With intimate, secluded cays, unmatched turquoise waters and pink- and white-sand beaches, it’s easy to understand why The Bahamas is considered one of the world’s most romantic destinations,” said Joy Jibrilu, Director General of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation. “With so many offerings available, we are thrilled to connect consumers to experts across a number of industries through our virtual romance expo experience to ensure the ease of planning a romantic Bahamian getaway, especially after so many plans were upended this last year.”

Whether couples are planning a wedding, anniversary, honeymoon or simply a romantic escape – the virtual expo offers invaluable access to experts and resources to take all of the stress away from planning and allow more time to find out why It’s Better in The Bahamas.

Links to register for the events: 

Travel Trade (March 3):  https://www.bahamas.com/from-the-bahamas-with-love-trade

Consumer (March 10):  https://www.bahamas.com/from-the-bahamas-with-love-consumer

Dominica introduces new procedures for arriving passengers

Roseau, Dominica – (February 10, 2021) Dominica’s tourism and health authorities initiated new measures to improve monitoring and enforce compliance to health and safety protocols by travellers. Effective February 2, 2021 all arriving passengers and crew who are to undergo a period of quarantine, will be assigned colour coded wristbands. Wristbands will be placed on passengers’ right hand by a medical professional at all ports of entry and will be assigned as follows:

· Travellers who will be on mandatory quarantine at a Safe in Nature certified property will be assigned a neon green wristband.

· Travellers who will be on mandatory quarantine at the government quarantine facility will be assigned neon orange wristbands.

· Crew and passengers on cargo vessels and yachts who will be quarantined on their vessel will be assigned neon orange wristbands.

· Airline crew who will transit overnight at a Safe in Nature certified property will be assigned a neon orange armband.

· In transit passengers who will be quarantined at a Safe in Nature certified property will be assigned a light blue armband.

· Travellers who will be assigned to in room isolation will be given a neon red armband. Those going to in-room isolation at a Safe in Nature property will also be assigned a neon green armband, the latter signifying mandatory quarantine.

· Deportees, detainees and illegal entrants who will be quarantined at the government run facility will be assigned a white wristband.

Wristbands can only be removed by a designated health worker, or the COVID-19 point person at Safe in Nature properties once the traveller has been medically cleared. A penalty of $2500 shall be applied if wristbands are removed before the traveller has been medically cleared. The general public is asked to report any instances of persons seen in public wearing the wristbands.

For more information on Dominica, contact Discover Dominica Authority at +1 767 448 2045. Or, visit Dominica’s official website: www.DiscoverDominica.com, follow Dominica on Twitter., Instagram and Facebook and take a look at our videos on YouTube.

Dominica Revises COVID-19 Country Risk Classification

Roseau, Dominica – (February 10, 2021), The Government of Dominica has taken the responsible decision to revise the COVID-19 country risk classifications for travel based on changes in the number of COVID-19 cases in neighbouring countries.

Effective February 7, 2021, Antigua and Barbuda has been reclassified to the HIGH-RISK classification. Travellers from Antigua and Barbuda to Dominica must submit the online health screening form and submit a negative PCR test where swabs were taken within 24-72 hours of arrival into Dominica. Upon exiting the port of entry, travellers will submit to a quarantine period of up to 7 days where a PCR test is taken on day 5 after arrival and results are expected within 24-48 hours. Travellers must submit themselves to mandatory quarantine and may opt to quarantine at the government operated facility or at a Safe in Nature certified property under a ‘Managed Experience’.

The Safe in Nature Commitment and Managed Experiences are available to all visitors, including guests from high risk classified countries visiting Dominica. More information about the Safe in Nature Commitment and Managed Experiences and a complete listing of the risk classification of countries is available at https://discoverdominica.com/travel-advisory-for-dominica.

Discover Dominica Authority continues to work with health officials to ensure the safety and security of visitors to the island, and with tourism stakeholders to ensure a unique managed experience in a responsible manner.

For more information on Dominica, contact Discover Dominica Authority at 767 448 2045. Or, visit Dominica’s official website: www.DiscoverDominica.com, follow Dominica on Twitter and Facebook and take a look at our videos on YouTube.