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St. Kitts & Nevis Approves Antigen Test for Departing Air Travelers 

Basseterre, St. Kitts (October 21, 2021) – St. Kitts & Nevis announced yesterday, October 20, 2021, that the Antigen test would be offered to outgoing air travelers whose countries accept approved rapid testing upon return from international destinations. The Federation has removed the exit testing requirement for travelers whose countries of origin do not require return testing.

The exit tests will be taken at the visitors “Travel Approved” hotel or accommodation solely by a Ministry of Health approved health professional 48 – 72 hours prior to departure, with samples tested in a certified local lab. Scheduling of the test must be through the hotel concierge at the respective “Travel Approved” hotels; travelers staying in villas, condos and/or private homes are advised to contact the COVID-19 taskforce hotline 311 or Covid19taskforce@gov.kn to schedule their test. Please note the tests are at the traveler’s cost with cost ranging between USD 50.00 and USD 55.00.

Approved labs at this time are: The Joseph N. France Laboratory; Next Gen Laboratory; Avalon Laboratory and Quality Diagnostics.

For entry into entry into the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis, all Travel Protocols and Requirements remain in place, including the submission of negative test results from an RT PCR test 72 hours prior to arrival. For full information, please see  https://www.stkittstourism.kn/travel-requirements.

Visitors are reminded to regularly check the St. Kitts Tourism Authority (www.stkittstourism.kn) and Nevis Tourism Authority (www.nevisisland.com) websites for updates and information.

Jamaica Wins Top 2021 TravelAge West Wave Award

KINGSTON, JAMAICA, October 22, 2021 – Continuing to cement its place as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations, Jamaica has been recognized with a 2021 WAVE (Western Agents’ Votes of Excellence) Award as the ‘International Tourism Board Providing the Best Travel Advisor Support’ by TravelAge West. It is the 10th time Jamaica has earned this honor in the 16-year history of these Awards.

“We are deeply honored to receive this distinction again for the 10th time, which is something no other destination in the world has done before,” said Director of Tourism, Jamaica, Donovan White. “Our sales teams operating in our various source markets work hard to provide the highest level of service and support to our valued travel trade partners, so this recognition by TravelAge West and its readers is truly a testament to their dedication and the success of their efforts.”

More than 3,500 travel advisor professionals throughout the 15 Western states and readers of TravelAge West voted on the best-of-the-best from a list of Editor’s Pick award recipients, that were chosen after careful review by TravelAge West Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Kenneth Shapiro and the editorial team of TravelAge West. Review methods included product analysis, on-site visits, a survey of a select group of industry advisors and online research.

TravelAge West has been serving the travel industry for 52 years, as a leading source of travel industry news and product information. Held on October 7 in Marina del Rey, California, the TravelAge West 2021 WAVE Awards gave travel advisors in the Western U.S. the opportunity to recognize outstanding qualities and services of their travel supplier partners. The Awards, which are held annually, were provided to more than 140 companies, individuals, and destinations across 49 categories.

Jamaica remains open for travel and continues to welcome visitors safely. It’s health and safety protocols were among the first to receive the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels recognition that allowed the destination to safely reopen to travel in June 2020. Since then, the island has successfully welcomed over one million visitors to its shores.

For more information on Jamaica, please go to www.visitjamaica.com.

Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. Appoints Chief Executive Officer

After an intensive global search, the Board of Directors of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. is pleased to confirm the appointment of Mr. Jens Thraenhart, as Chief Executive Officer of the island’s destination marketing agency, effective November 1^st 2021.  Mr. Thraenhart, a tourism veteran of 26 years, emerged as the top candidate from an initial pool of 178 candidates of qualified professionals from around the world. The list included 20 applications from Barbados and 27 from the wider Caribbean region. The search and selection process was undertaken by Profiles Caribbean Inc. and a sub-committee of the Board and industry professionals. The agency also conducted proactive outreach to regional and international industry partners of the BTMI.

This announcement will usher in a new era for the organization, one that will see the BTMI transition to a more commercial marketing enterprise which is reshaping its operations to better compete in the new pandemic era of global tourism. Thraenhart, is a German Canadian tourism practitioner, versed in global tourism strategy and execution, and leadership experience from North America to Asia, having worked for the Canadian Tourism Commission (now Destination Canada) and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (now part of Accor), and most recently as Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, appointed by the six member governments in Southeast Asia for four consecutive 2-year terms.  During his almost eight years in office, he created various award-winning campaigns and initiatives, and created the private-sector tourism board Destination Mekong to foster public-private partnership collaboration.  He is conversational in three languages, including English, French, and German as well as basic Spanish, Thai, and Mandarin. A results-driven entrepreneur, Thraenhart brings a depth of experience executing innovative technology solutions in tourism marketing. An expert in China Outbound Tourism, Thraenhart co-founded award-winning travel technology agency Dragon Trail, authored  the China Travel Trends books in 2010 and 2012, and chaired the China Chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), while living in Beijing for five years.

He is the 2^nd Vice Chair of the Affiliate Members Board of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and has served on industry boards including the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association (HSMAI), and the International Federation of IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT), bringing key stakeholder relationships in key target markets for Barbados tourism. Thraenhart has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Travel and Hospitality three times, was recognized by Travel Agent Magazine as one of the Top Rising Stars in Travel,  and was added to the Hall of Global Tourism Heroes in 2021.  An MBA graduate of Cornell University, he is currently completing his doctorate thesis with a focus on ‘strengthening tourism integration resilience via stakeholder collaboration’ at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Chairman of the BTMI, Mrs. Roseanne Myers confirmed the appointment. “The team at the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc has done a great job of reopening markets, using their knowledge and experience and established trade relationships. We believe that coupled with Jens’ international tourism experience, proven track record in strategy execution and entrepreneurial perspectives, the BTMI will emerge from this period of the pandemic, a much stronger, high-performing destination marketing company that brings increased benefit to our industry and the wider economy.  We undertook the challenge to find the best candidate for the CEO position to help shape the way forward, and we are exceptionally pleased to have done so, after a thorough and transparent process. We welcome Jens to the Barbados team.”

The Bahamas’ New Website Receives Top Honours in 2021 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards

NASSAU, Bahamas, Oct. 20, 2021 – The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation took home Gold in the “Destination Marketing Website” category during the 2021 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards for its newly relaunched website.

“Travel Weekly is an influential provider of travel industry news, research and analysis, and to be recognized by esteemed industry experts is a great honour,” said Deputy Prime Minister The Honourable I. Chester Cooper, Bahamas Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation. “We are so proud to be acknowledged amongst the best in the industry.”

Highlights of the redesigned website, which is now available in six languages, include an “Itinerary Planner” that allows travelers to build a custom itinerary and in-depth “Experiences” pages that leverage the power of storytelling to showcase the islands’ most unique experiences. In addition, the revamped website offers new features and functionalities that make planning a vacation in The Bahamas fun, easy and informative.

“The relaunch of Bahamas.com was truly a team effort. Each new feature on the website was meticulously designed to ensure that every person who visits the site leaves with a deeper understanding of our beautiful destination,” said Joy Jibrilu, Director General of Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation. “We wanted to make the vacation planning experience seamless, while inspiring visitors with real, culturally enriching Bahamian stories.”

“We are proud to work alongside The Bahamas to help share the story of its 16 islands across the world,” said Rafael Cardozo, founder and CEO of Tambourine, The Bahamas’ agency of record. “To receive the Magellan Gold Award, which is easily one of the industry’s most coveted and widely recognised awards, is the icing on the cake.”

Travellers can check out the interactive website and plan their next Caribbean escape by visiting Bahamas.com.