What's new in Barbados, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Turks and Caicos.
Travel Courier was on location for the recent Caribbean Travel Marketplace held in Antigua & Barbuda to get all the news from fan-favourite Caribbean destinations like Barbados, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Turks and Caicos.
Saint Lucia
The underwater exploration set will soon be offered an intriguing sub-ocean-surface sight when diving off Saint Lucia’s shores.
Louis Lewis, CEO of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority told some of those on hand for Marketplace that an underwater sculpture park is set to open off Saint Lucia’s shores this year.
And it’s experiences like that he said that’s boosting interest in Saint Lucia vacations.
“There’s a very strong demand for Saint Lucia,” he said, adding the destination saw visitation records in seven months in 2024.
Lewis said resorts on his island are continuously working to lower their carbon footprints, determined to safeguard what he described as a particularly scenic part of the world. “We’ve been blessed by nature.”
He said his destination is undergoing a “bold transformation,” with Hyatt and Marriott among hotel companies among those having recently decided on Saint Lucia properties.
Meanwhile, Lewis said plans by some Canadians to avoid the United States when it comes to choosing vacation spots may serve Saint Lucia well.
“We have a very nice, warm place they can come to,” he said adding current Canada-U.S. tensions provide opportunities for Saint Lucia’s tourist trade.
Turks and Caicos
Experience Turks and Caicos’ Paul Pennicook said those who choose his part of the world for a holiday will find their stays comfortable indeed.
“We know we’re in a very competitive market,” he told Marketplace attendees, saying that tourism officials are committed to ensuring that tourism services “that are delivered are of the highest quality.”
Among the latest hotel companies deciding to host Turks and Caicos tourists are Hyatt, Kimpton and Kempinski.
The Turks and Caicos has numerous islands, with Pennicook billing it a “multi-destination destination.”
Pennicook was asked by one journalist during his presentation if would-be tourists have to have the financial resources of a celebrity to afford a Turks and Caicos vacation, prompting him to reply that there are upscale properties and also others that are “$200 a night. So I think your readers will be able to come.”
Pennicook added that his destination is committed to “sustainable development.”
Jamaica
Jamaica is on the cusp of gaining its first casino, a development that’s expected to be a significant boost for its tourism trade.
Philip Rose of the Jamaica Tourist Board said the gambling operation will be found at the Princess Grand Jamaica and tourism authorities are excited about it.
“That’s going to be a big cash injection (into the tourism economy),” he predicted.
Jamaica saw 2.9 million stop-over visitors last year and this year’s figure is expected to top 3 million.
Meanwhile, Rose touted the connection between his homeland and famed secret agent James Bond, who he said “was actually born in Jamaica.”
Bond creator Ian Fleming spent a lot of time in Jamaica and the country has an airport named after him.
Barbados
A spate of hotel openings will give those planning to vacation in Barbados more accommodation options.
CEO of Barbados Tourism Marketing, Andrea Franklin told delegates to the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s Caribbean Marketplace that a resort called Indigo will open in southern Barbados later this year, while the last quarter of 2025 will see the opening of the Blue Monkey Hotel & Beach Club. The latter “very high-end” propery will be a member of Leading Hotels of the World.
Also in the works are a Royalton CHIC, a Beaches, and a Hyatt Ziva.
The official told her Antigua audience that nature enthusiasts will appreciate the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, which she said is “one of the last remaining wetlands in the region.”
Underscoring Barbados’s festive side is its Barbados Food and Rum Fest, held in November. “This really is a showcase of our mixologists,” the official said.
Early December sees the staging of Run Barbados, which has running races of different lengths.
The official said Barbados is frequently viewed as an upscale destination but does have budget and mid-range accommodations as well.
Meanwhile, the official said her destination is making inroads in the Canadian market, having hosted 87,142 of us last year, a 13% increase from 2023.
