“All-in-all, though, I gotta say that I came away feeling very inspired by my home island. It’s been a steep uphill climb since (Hurricane) Maria, but one that the people of St. Croix have attacked with a steadfast and overwhelmingly cheerful alacrity you can see and feel everywhere. St. Croix is most definitely open for business, the grateful feelings expressed by most everyone we met over being spared an even worse blow from Maria in many ways making the island more welcoming than ever before.” – Steve Bennett, Editorial Director, Uncommon Caribbean

“Despite fierce regional legal battles and a significant setback in New York, which could set precedence around the world, Airbnb will continue to grab market share from the luxury sector as it expands its upscale portfolio and adds relevant travel products like flights, tour guides and experiences as well as concierge and housekeeping services to its offering.” – Arnie Weissmann, Editor in Chief, Travel Weekly“We’ve all been there: JetBlue had a flash sale two days ago but you didn’t find out about it until it was over. This is where Google Alerts can help – the customizable alerts, delivered to your inbox or RSS feed, are a great way to get the upper hand on sales on flights, hotels, and more. You can customize the alerts to arrive daily, weekly or as they happen.” – Lucas Peterson, Frugal Traveler columnist (The New York Times)

“Entrepreneurship in its truest form is about identifying a gap in the market and creating a product of use to fill that hole and make people’s lives better. Often the best way to find this gap is to look around you – are there services that could be improved or a product that could make something easier?” – Sir Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Group (www.virgin.com)

“It’s in the nature of the human being to face challenges. … We’re required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream.” – Neil Armstrong, Astronaut

“Every day of your life, you have a choice to make. Choose wisely.” – Reverend A.R. Bernard Sr., Founder, Senior Pastor and CEO, Christian Cultural Center, Brooklyn, New York

“Quotable Caribbean” is compiled by Marketplace Excellence Corporation, a full-service, integrated marketing agency committed to excellence in the fields of public relations, marketing and media coaching.

IMAGE: Karolin Troubetzkoy