The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that many Caribbean countries risk becoming what it describes as COVID-19 “economic long-haulers." “Much the same as some patients could suffer from lingering illnesses long after the coronavirus infection has passed, the pandemic’s economic fallout might be felt in the region long after the health emergency is controlled,” said the … [Read more...]
Sun, sand, shots: Caribbean seeks vaccines to revive economy
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The Caribbean is hunting for visitors and vaccines to jump-start the stalled economy in one of the world’s most tourism-dependent regions. Clear waters and warm sand attracted a record 31.5 million tourists to the Caribbean in 2019, but visits plummeted by an estimated 60 percent to 80 percent as the pandemic hit last year. That's devastating for a region … [Read more...]
Caribbean Tourism: Vaccinated? No need for quarantine
Caribbean tourism experts are urging regional governments to seriously consider allowing visitors with proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test result to forego current quarantine requirements. The suggestion was raised Wednesday and immediately picked up traction among industry leaders at an online discussion hosted by the umbrella Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) under the theme … [Read more...]
More vaccination means less worry to travel – How the COVID-19 vaccines will impact Caribbean tourism
Like the rest of the Caribbean tourism industry, Jamaican hotelier Josef Forstmayr is closely watching the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines in the major markets in Europe and North America, hoping that enough people will be vaccinated to encourage a rapid return of large numbers of tourists to Caribbean shores. “The more of us that have been vaccinated, the less worried persons will be about … [Read more...]
Aruba Becomes First Caribbean Nation to Partner with JetBlue on Entry Testing
[Reprinted: Valdosta Daily Times, 11-11-2020] JetBlue today announced Aruba is the first Caribbean nation to partner with the airline for seamless entry testing through JetBlue’s testing partner, Vault. The decision by Aruba to begin accepting the convenient PCR test facilitated by Vault’s technology platform for JetBlue customers arriving on the island was made after assessing the supervised … [Read more...]