Holiday & Travel

The King and Queen of Spain inaugurated the 43rd edition of FITUR, the International Tourism Trade Fair organized by IFEMA MADRID, which is being held at a key moment in consolidating the recovery of tourism activity worldwide. H.M. King Felipe VI and H.M. Queen Letizia were received by the president of IFEMA MADRID's Executive Committee, José Vicente de los Mozos, and were able to greet the president of Guatemala, a FITUR Partner Country, Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei Falla. 

Barbados will host the 41st edition of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Caribbean Travel Marketplace, May 9-11, 2023.

CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig announced that the influential trade association’s largest annual event, which brings together buyers and sellers of the region’s tourism products and services, will be staged in Barbados for the first time in the organization’s history.

Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Grenada, Jamaica, among other island nations are outspoken when it comes to the deep bond with Africa.

Cuthbert Ncube, the Chairman of the African Tourism Board, feels this bond with the Caribbean as well. Caribbean and African ties run deep. They are based on a shared history, culture, and sense of a common identity forged by the slave trade. African Diaspora in the Caribbean is everywhere.

China’s decision to ditch its zero-COVID policy has triggered a surge in flight bookings, according to the latest data from the industry analysts. And it’s China’s intra-regional neighbours in Asia who will reap the benefits the most.

According to the Chinese Traveller Sentiment Report, more than 60% of survey respondents said they wanted to travel outside of mainland China in 2023. This group expressed high expectations about the freedom of cross-border travel this year.

Three service providers have been commissioned to conduct passenger screenings on behalf of Fraport AG from January 1, 2023. Since January 1, 2023, Fraport has assumed responsibility for the organization, management, and performance of the security checkpoints at Frankfurt Airport (FRA).

The German Federal Police, who were previously tasked with these responsibilities, will continue to hold statutory oversight and supervision roles, as well as overall responsibility for aviation security.

Just a few hours away from the tee-off of the FITUR 2023 International Tourism Trade Fair, some destinations are wasting no time and have begun to showcase their charms. Such is the case of the Mexican state of Querétaro, which this Sunday at noon held a presentation for Spanish tour operators and media at the Casa de México in Spain, in Madrid.

The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) has just become the 25th Caribbean Tourism Organisation member country.

The Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) has started 2023 by welcoming the United States Virgin Islands as its 25th member country. The USVI joins the organization of regional tourism leaders at a time when the CTO seeks to refocus its mandate on shaping the Caribbean tourism sector of the future.

The Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Burlington, Ontario, has received the Golden Circle Award from The Marriott Select Global Brand Management Team. Gold status is designated for hotels scoring in the top 10 percent.

Each year, the Marriott Awards of Excellence recognizes the “best of the best” at Marriott International. Established in 1987 and named after our founder, the J. Willard Marriott Award of Excellence honours the company’s finest associates who represent the characteristics of the award: achievement, character, dedication, effort, and perseverance.

The Turks and Caicos Islands is blessed with visionary hospitality leaders in government and the private sector whose combined efforts have helped to position the British Overseas Territory as one of the leading destinations in the Caribbean. The Territory has seen continued growth and development of an attractive high-end tourism product throughout the years and has benefited from the steady leadership of one of the region’s leading hotel association executives.

Stacy Cox, a native of the Bahamas, has served as Chief Executive Officer of the 30-year-old Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (TCHTA) since 2011. As the lead executive of TCHTA, Cox represents her membership on matters affecting the Territory’s bread-and-butter tourism sector, locally, regionally, and internationally, and believes in the steady growth and promotion of a sustainable tourism product through education, awareness, and outreach.

Cox moved to the Turks and Caicos after enjoying success at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas and later served as general manager at both Windsong Resort and Royal West Indies Resort in Providenciales. She volunteers her time for many causes in her community as well as with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) and the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives (CSHAE), where she served as president for three years.

The award-winning industry professional launched a social media page “Women in Tourism – Caribbean”, which has more than 13,000 followers on Facebook. Stacy’s life motto comes from the holy scriptures: “Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable – think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8).

One of her association’s priorities for 2023 is to promote wellness in Turks and Caicos and remove the stigma associated with mental illness, especially given the widespread impact and after-effects of the COVID pandemic.

Stacy Cox’s work in the Turks and Caicos Islands over the past 25 years has been nothing short of honourable and commendable.

China’s aviation regulator plans to restore flight capacity to 88% of pre-pandemic levels by January 31

China’s decision to ditch its harsh zero-COVID policy has triggered a surge in flight bookings, according to the latest data from airline industry analysts. On December 7, 2022, Chinese government announced that a negative PCR test would no longer be required for air travel between provinces within China.

Carnival celebrations are back in Dominica, with the official opening of Mas Dominik 2023 which took place on Saturday, January 14, 2023, from 6 pm at the Stadium Forecourt preceded by the National Street Parade at 3 pm, under the theme, “Mas an Lawi”. After a two-year absence carnival in Dominica is back with colour, excitement, music, cheerleaders, masquerades, costume bands, T-shirt bands, and troupes.

With members in 129 countries, WTN (World Tourism Network) has become the voice for SMEs of the travel industry around the globe. Montenegro took a key role. The Minister of Economic Development and Tourism for the Republic of Montenegro, the Hon. Goran Đurović said why his country joined the WTN.

Having opened its doors more than five years ago, Sailrock South Caicos in Turks and Caicos has perfected its combination of luxury, sustainability and service to offer a unique Caribbean experience that’s hard to find in the western hemisphere.

Located on the island of South Caicos, known in the Turks and Caicos Islands as “The Big South” and the fishing capital of the British Overseas Territory, the five-star resort and residential villa community recently chalked up a bevy of awards, including the World’s Leading Luxury Villa Resort 2022 at the World Travel Awards in November, and the 2023 Condé Nast Johansens Best Service Award of Excellence for the Americas.

Federal Aviation Administration stressed that planes already in the sky were not at risk as a result of the NOTAM outage

The United States Federal Aviation Administration announced that a computer software malfunction affected the Notice to Air Missions System (NOTAM) earlier today, forcing the civil aviation regulator to suspend all domestic departures nationwide.

USA Today 10Best recently announced the winners of its annual Caribbean Readers’ Choice Awards. Soggy Dollar Bar and Hendo’s Hideout were included in the Best Caribbean Beach Bar list with Soggy Dollar Bar taking the number one spot.

The Baths National Park was named one of the best Caribbean Attractions and Callwood Rum Distillery was named one of the best Caribbean Rum Distilleries for 2023.

The Tenerife Carnival, considered one of the best carnivals in the world and the world’s second largest, will be dedicated to New York in this year’s edition. Declared a ‘Festival of International Tourist Interest’, the Tenerife Carnival is expected to welcome thousands of travellers to Santa Cruz, the island’s capital city, from 17^th January, when it will officially kick off.