Caribbean

(Dive Travel Business News - January 25, 2012) -- At the 30th anniversary opening of Caribbean Marketplace 2012, held January 22-24 at Atlantis Paradise Resort Bahamas, President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) Josef Forstmayr spoke to the dirth of competition in the regional airline industry  that is stifling the tourism sector resulting in outrageous ticket prices and an ill-conceived network, lacking a true regional airline system. 

Addressing hoteliers, travel agents, tour operators and buyers from the regional and international community at the official opening of CHTA Caribbean Marketplace 2012, Forstmayr remarked that the CHTA estimated that in 2010, the Caribbean governments collectively paid US$45 million to secure airlift, only to find that the situation is still inadequate and way too expensive for visitors. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - December 29, 2011) -- Dive Travelers are going to have access to more air lift, more access, more options and more gateways from the U.S. this year signaling a comeback in travel from the past two years. The downside - higher fares and full planes. Here is a summary of some of the new air service.

Antigua -
• American began nonstop flights four times a week from Kennedy to Antigua in November.
• St. Vincent Grenadines Air offers daily scheduled service between Antigua and Montserrat.

Aruba -
• JetBlue offers a Saturday flight from Boston to Aruba in addition to its two weekly flights
• AirTran has weekend flights from Baltimore to Aruba through March 14, plus daily service to Aruba from Atlanta and weekend flights from Orlando.
• Delta has weekly nonstop service on Saturday from LaGuardia to Aruba, complementing its Saturday nonstop service from DKennedy and its flights via Atlanta to Aruba from Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark and Westchester County Airport. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - October 17, 2011) -- So much Sargassum seaweed has been washing up on Eastern Caribbean beaches this summer and fall that St. James's Club & Villas in Antigua was forced to close for several weeks in September to clean up the harmless but foul-smelling algae. Beaches on Antigua's northeast and southeast coasts were affected as well as some beaches in St. Maarten and Anguilla.

“The seaweed is gone now. It is floating around here and there, but the resort is back in full swing with white sandy beaches,” said Steve Heydt, president of Elite Island Resorts, a collection of seven properties on four islands, including St. James’s Club. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - March 30, 2011) -- The seventeen guests who joined Explorer Ventures in February 2011 for the maiden voyage of the Carpe Vita Explorer were thrilled with the diving, the state-of-the-art accommodations aboard, and the service and cuisine that the Carpe Vita Explorer crew offered. Guests snorkeled with whale sharks and had many dives with mantas, Napoleon wrasse, parrotfish, snappers, barracudas, jacks and sweetlips and more. Due to the currents during this time of year, guests also enjoyed 120 foot+ visibility.  read more »

Speaking at the launch of the Regional Economic Outlook in October. Gilbert Terrier, IMF's senior advisor for the Western Hemisphere stated that,“Smaller islands in the region have experienced a sharper and more prolonged decline in arrivals than some of the larger islands. Destinations that significantly reduced hotel prices following the crisis experienced milder declines in arrivals.” read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - August 9, 2010) -- The first two months of the 2010 hurricane season only saw three named storms in the Atlantic basin, yet National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) this week reiterated its early June forecast that it could still end up being one of more active hurricane season on record in the region.

NOAA's updated forecast for 2010 calls for 14 to 20 named storms in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Of those named storms, 8 to 12 should become hurricanes, including 4 to 6 "major" hurricanes, with wind speeds above 111 mph, NOAA reports. An average Atlantic hurricane season sees 11 named storms, including six hurricanes, with two becoming major hurricanes.

Tropical storms are given a name when wind speeds reach 39 mph, and are upgraded to hurricane status when sustained winds reach 74 mph.

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(Dive Travel Business News - July 8, 2010) -- Are your clients having difficulty committing to an upcoming group dive trip because of budgeting issues?  Voted "Best Budgeting Site" by Kiplinger's Magazine and  a "Top Pick" by Money Magazine, Mint.com has been helping spenders big and small set goals for their personal and household needs since 2007. In June, it launched a new tool to help travelers set a vacation goal and then save for it.

First, travelers establish how much they think their trip will cost. As a travel professional, you can start them off with package prices, air fare costs and daily spending estimates for their next dream vacation. 

Then with a new tool, Mint Goals, helps Mint users figure out how much they need to save every month to make their vacation goal by the travel deadline. Or, they can tell Mint how much they can save each month, and Mint lets them know when you can reasonably expect to be on that plane headed for their favorite dive destination. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - May 10, 2010 ) -- Travel writer Annie Kazel Wilcox has been a scuba diver for over 20 years. Her dive travels have spanned Baja and Bali, the Mediterranean, Australia's Great Barrier Reef and more. In this Special Article to the Miami Herald, Kazel-Wilcox spells out her favorite Caribbean diving haunts. Here is a summary of her Top 10 Caribbean Dive Sites: 

1.The Elbow, Turneffe Island, Belize
2. Ocean Blue Hole, Andros Island, Bahamas
3. Wreck of the Antilla, Aruba
4. Bloody Bay Wall, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands
5. Mareau Gardens, Tobago Cays, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
6. Wreck of the RMS Rhone, Tortola, BVI
7. Carvel Rock, St. John, USVI
8. Wreck of the Bianca C, Grenada
9. Northstar, St. Croix, USVI
10. Champagne, Dominica read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - May 6, 2010 ) --  The Colorado State University's hurricane forecast team predicts an above-average year of tropical storms for the Atlantic basin, which includes the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.

The forecast for 2010, released calls for 15 named tropical storms in the Atlantic, of which eight will become hurricanes. The team predicts four of the eight hurricanes will in turn develop into major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5) with maximum wind speeds of 111 mph or greater. A typical Atlantic hurricane season sees just 10 named storms — six of them hurricanes with just two major hurricanes.

Colorado State's Tropical Meteorology Project is the nation's longest-running and most well-known hurricane forecast effort. Begun by William Gray in 1984, the forecasts are used by insurance companies, emergency managers and the media to prepare Americans for hurricane season. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - March 14, 2010) --  Vacation Agent - With some of the finest reefs on earth, crystal-clear water and endless shorelines of sugary sand, the Caribbean is attracting the particular attention of environmentalists, who wish to ensure the sustainability of the region’s tourism product. As more and more travelers opt for stays in eco-astute properties, the goal is to make “green” the norm, not the expensive alternative. read more »