Caribbean Report Newsletter

Secret Bay in Dominica is the number one resort hotel in the Caribbean.

According to Travel + Leisure readers, the “Nature Isle” gem took the top spot among the Top 25 Best Resort Hotels in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and The Bahamas. 

The Relais & Châteaux, six-star resort was also named the best resort in T+L’s 2020 survey.

Every year for the World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on their global travel experiences — including their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels (including safari lodges) were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. 



According to T+L, “Secret Bay, for example, is a rain-forest resort with luxe clifftop villas, each with a private plunge pool, dedicated chef, and on-call concierge — attributes that helped it snag the top spot in this year’s list.”

St. Lucia’s Jade Mountain, with its unique three-walled suites, stellar infinity pools and Piton Mountain views, took the number two spot in the region.

Secret Bay earned number 45 in the world, and Jade Mountain number 61. Click here for the Top 25 Caribbean list, and here for the Top 100 in the world.

Cayman Airways opens up west coast with LAX service

From Sunset Boulevard to Cayman sunsets, Cayman Airways is making new connections between California and the Caribbean.

National flag carrier Cayman Airways will inaugurate weekly nonstop Saturday service between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Grand Cayman (GCM), beginning on November 5, 2022. With a flight time of approximately five-and-a-half hours, the flight will operate on Boeing 737-8 aircraft with 164 seats (16 in business class, and 148 in economy). Cayman Islands Minister of Tourism Kenneth Bryan said the new flight will be a “game changer” for the destination, opening up the west coast as well as facilitating connections from Asia and Australia. Cayman Airways President and CEO Fabian Whorms said the decision to operate the new service is part of a continued national strategy to act as an economic lever or accelerator for the Cayman Islands. He is optimistic the frequency will eventually increase to three weekly flights.

Momentum building for Caribbean Travel Marketplace

Karen Whitt, Chair, Caribbean Travel Marketplace

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) reports registration for the 40th Caribbean Travel Marketplace is outpacing expectations.  Slated for San Juan, Puerto Rico, from October 3 to 5 this year, Caribbean Travel Marketplace Chair Karen Whitt reported that systems are “gearing up beautifully” for the upcoming meeting.  “The Caribbean is still one of the world’s most desirable destinations and we are looking forward to the convergence of buyers and sellers of Caribbean tourism to advance the region’s recovery,” she stated.   Whitt, who is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Hartling Group in Turks and Caicos, reported while CHTA prepares for the spectacular showcase of the region’s offerings, buyers from 14 countries and suppliers from 21 countries and territories have confirmed their participation to date.  The online directory for requesting appointments will be open in two weeks at chtamarketplace.com.

Caribbean economist addresses SEC forum

Economist Marla Dukharan

Distinguished Caribbean economist Marla Dukharan was the guest speaker at a special talk hosted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Caribbean American Heritage Committee and the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion. During her remarks Dukharan congratulated the SEC for its inclusiveness, progressiveness and fairness and noted the existence of a Caribbean Heritage Committee indicates that the Commission understands the importance of lifting minority voices. She described three main sources of unfairness to which Caribbean people are subjected: gender discrimination, racism, and climate catastrophe. Despite the inequities, Dukharan delineated opportunities to affect positive change in the region. In terms of gender parity, she said “Look at your policy framework and see how you can support women and families. A disproportionate burden is laid on women and we need to find a way to support them.” On racism, she encouraged people to reach out to their legislators and amplify their voices. Addressing climate challenges, she said, “It’s very important to be extremely mindful in the way that we live our lifestyles. Not only on food, but what kind of car you drive, its fuel source, how that fuel is delivered, all these make a difference. Absent net-zero by 2050, the climate crisis will only worsen, and nobody will be spared the fallout.”

Digital Digest

Twitter: A power-packed communications platform

Twitter is celebrating 16 years as a major player in the world of social media. It is a unique microblogging platform similar to instant messaging that forces content generators to articulate thoughts in limited characters. It aligns well with the news industry and requires an almost instantaneous response during a conversation.

Here’s a guide to using Twitter for marketing.

• Strategy: Unlike other platforms, Twitter requires not only constant content generation but also quick responses. Twitter should be used to engage with influential audiences, start/ride a trend, distribute news, make announcements, establish a brand voice and stay relevant with your target audience.
• Publishing: Sharing content on Twitter is a daily exercise. Businesses should identify high engagement time periods and publish content with relevant hashtags at least 2-4 times a day. The motive should be to start a conversation organically and lead the narrative from time to time. 
• Hashtags: Twitter communication is heavily dependent on using hashtags and tagging the right audience. Hashtags require following and engagement to become powerful; a good idea is to use a combination of branded hashtags and trending hashtags to become part of the conversations. 
• Audience: Twitter is the go-to platform for politicians, celebrities, influencers and almost all brands. Starting the right conversation on Twitter is easy when you have the right following. Brands should work to accumulate a specific follower base on Twitter as an active following will engage and keep the conversation going.
• Creative: Support for all content formats is available on Twitter. An ideal combination is a mix of media and non-media tweets. Non-media tweets are text-based and media tweets use pictures, video, gifs, etc. Being a highly responsive platform, Twitter provides a good opportunity for brands to test creatives and concepts.

Medical Moment

World Hepatitis Day takes place annually on July 28. This year’s theme is “Bringing hepatitis care closer to you”.

Viral Hepatitis causes liver inflammation and can lead to severe disease and liver cancer.

In 2022 the aim is to raise awareness about the need to simplify and bring care closer to communities and people wherever they are.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that millions worldwide are living with or are newly infected with hepatitis.

The following actions can prevent Viral Hepatitis:

• Use sterile injections always
• Use your own razors and blades
• Practice safe sex
• Use safe tattooing and piercing equipment
• Vaccinate infants against Hepatitis B

MPE Caribbean Report

Jamaica’s Diaspora contributes in many ways to the sustainable development of the “Land of Wood and Water”. Jamaica’s Director of Tourism Donovan White sounds a strong “big up” to the Diaspora in this week’s MPE Caribbean Report.

Marketplace Excellence Corporation (MPE) is a global public relations, marketing and media company.