The Caribbean tourism industry has shown extraordinary resilience in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, with data revealing a rapid rebound in travel bookings. Despite the initial impact of the storm, which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in the Grenadines on July 1, the region has experienced a remarkable turnaround, driven particularly by visits from the U.S., the region’s largest market. Comprehensive air travel data from ForwardKeys, analyzed in collaboration with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), reveals a short-term decline in Caribbean bookings immediately following the storm, followed by a solid recovery. Analysis of air tickets issued Read more
Caribbean
A couple days after Hurricane Beryl ripped the roof off the home of a Grenada Tourism Authority worker on the island of Carriacou, some of her fellow employees hopped on the first available boat to see if they could help. “She really tried to be strong, but she broke down in tears,” Sekou Stroude, the authority’s Director of Sales for Canada, told me in an interview this week. “It’s gut-wrenching, because she’s such a selfless person; someone who’s always willing to help with whatever’s needed. She’s a real sweetheart, and seeing her go through that kind of pain breaks our Read more
If you’re one of my American friends and are looking for a last-minute option for the Fourth of July, here are some of my fave places in the U.S., including California, New York State, Hawaii, Texas and Florida. VERMONT – Lovely villages with brilliant white church steeples and pretty mountain scenery. Also likely to be cooler than many U.S. destinations in July. Burlington is a great city to check out. DENVER – Not sure being a mile high will keep you cool, but there are always the nearby mountains to explore. Try an electric Tuk Tuk ride of downtown Denver Read more
Canadians have more ways than ever to get to great sun destinations, including Tulum, Sarasota, Saint Martin, Phoenix, Los Cabos and Punta Cana. Air Canada today (June 26) announced it is boosting its 2024-25 winter sun network, with increased frequencies and featuring new routes from Ottawa and Quebec City to Tulum and from Montreal to Saint Maarten. In addition, more flights are scheduled from Halifax, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver to popular vacation destinations in Florida and the Caribbean. This winter, Air Canada plans to operate up to 50 flights departing Canada every day, serving a total of 55 Caribbean Read more
A lot has been written about over-tourism of late. With the summer travel season just beginning, we’re likely to see more about crowding in popular parts of the world, especially Europe. The latest story on the matter comes from the legendary Cinque Terre in Italy, the five scenic villages that dot the coast east of Genoa. “Our problem isn’t overtourism but overcrowding, and during certain periods of the year,” Fabrizia Pecunia, the mayor of both Manarola and Riomaggiore, said in a story posted in The Guardian. “The main challenge is how to distribute tourism across the area, and we need Read more
