Good. But not good enough. The Jamaica Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Edmund Bartlett, was in Toronto last week to talk about tourism in Jamaica. Last year some 380,000 Canadians visited Jamaica. That’s good, and Canadians spend more than most tourists, but it’s below the record of 400,000, Bartlett said. In a report in the Jamaica Gleaner, Bartlett said the Canadian market dropped 6.8 per cent in Jamaica last year. Which is why he was in Toronto to talk with travel planners, Canada’s major airlines and journalists. He told the Gleaner the meetings in Canada “are a crucial part of Read more
Caribbean
There are challenges for sure. But Caribbean tourism officials are grateful for the Canadians who continue to visit year after year. The chair of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Richard Sealy, and the secretary-general of the CTO, Hugh Riley, are in Toronto this week to meet with major players in the business and to be sure Canadians continue to shower affection – and dollars – on the Caribbean. “Things are very good at the moment,” said Sealy, who also is the tourism minister for Barbados, one of my favourite spots in the Caribbean. “Visitor numbers are good, receipts are good. We Read more
It used to be that weddings were held in the neighborhood church. Driving to another province or state for a wedding was a big deal a few decades ago for Canadians and Americans. But our travel habits have changed. And so have our weddings. What was once unthinkable – flying from Canada to the Caribbean for a wedding, or from the U.S. to Fiji – is now fairly common. Still, there are things to keep in mind, says Taylor Cole, spokesperson for hotels.com and ca.hotels.com in both the U.S. and Canada and a renowned travel expert who got married overseas. Read more
Maybe I’ve had it wrong all these years. Like many folks, I’ve gazed over the years at those advertisements for shimmering villas on the shore of an equally shimmering Caribbean Sea and thought, “Yeah, renting one of those would be great. But it’s way out of my league.” I’ve always been more of a hotel guy in my travels. But villas are arguably more popular than ever, as folks tuned into renting private homes discover a wonderful alternative to the same-old hotels in the same-old destinations. Not only are they often cheaper than a hotel of similar quality (sometimes FAR Read more
ST. MAARTEN/ST. MARTIN – Fine, flavoured rum. Sweet-smelling local soaps. And a dreamy beach resort with one of the best massages I’ve ever had. I had the good luck to spend roughly 24 hours in St. Maarten (and an hour or so on the French side, St. Martin) following my Caribbean cruise with Sea Dream Yacht Club. And found a lot to like. We started our day (my wife was with me, which is always great) in Marigot on the French side, where we strolled through the waterfront markets and bought some trinkets to take . home. It feels a Read more
