Caribbean (Plus) Corner

This fabled sea, covering more than a million square miles and 7,000 islands with diverse languages, cultures, and ecosystems, has become probably the planet's premier vacation playground. Here it's all about its regional issues and allures. And yes, the (Plus) means we're including the Bahamas and Bermuda along with the Caribbean coasts of Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guayana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Suriname, and Panama.

For other individual island forums, check out Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba, Statia (St. Eustatius), St. Barth, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Maarten/Martin, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Chilling on Tortola and Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands

Victor Block My husband Victor and I are travel writers. Which means when we get to a destination, we explore every aspect, constantly seeking out stories. Until we got to Tortola, capital of the British Virgin Islands, with a population around 15,000. That didn’t happen. And it was almost like — dare I say the word? — a vacation. But let’s back up a bit. We are a lot older than our last trip here 30 years ago when my husband had the temerity to actually hazard driving. To put the roads in…

Started by Tripatini

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Rum and much more in Barbados

Victor Block Most travelers know that most Caribbean islands are soaked in rum, but Barbados goes the rest one better because here, locals say, is where rum was discovered. In capital Bridgetown one early-17th-century day, the story goes, a tavern owner was searching for an empty shipping barrel when he inadvertently stumbled across one filled with a concoction worth selling -- a barrel of sugar cane fermented over time. Well, Mr. Rumball -- the tavern owner -- knew a good thing when he…

Started by Tripatini

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In the British Virgin Islands, Anegada and its Lobster Festival

Photos: Victor Block Most travelers have heard of the U.S. Virgin Islands; some of the British Virgin Islands. Those familiar with the BVI usually know Tortola, and maybe even Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke. But it seems that few have ever heard of Anegada. Which is a shame because it has so much to recommend it.

Started by Tripatini

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7 cool things to see/do on Saba

Richie Diesterheft Never heard of it? You´re far from alone – last year just 5,700 flights – by one of the Caribbean´s lowest arrivals figures – landed on its third smallest island (just five square miles/13 sq. kilometers sitting on an dormant volcano Mount Scenery, with a population of just under 2,000). But those in the know realize that the self-styled "unspoiled queen," part of the Caribbean Netherlands (along with Bonaire and Sint Eustatius, aka Statia) and first settled in the 1640s,…

Started by David Paul Appell

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Patricia Borns June 6, 2010 at 5:33am

Jordan wrote, "But I also think AIs have destroyed many parts of the world, and not just simply via over-development." e.g., all-inclusives.
Anil June 6, 2010 at 1:30am

David: I am assuming AIs mean All Inclusive ?
Anil June 6, 2010 at 1:22am

What is the non-US centric view on the Caribbean news bleed ? I suspect that most vacationers from across the pond come for a longer period (soak in the sun and sand for more than a month or so) and their per diem budget is lower than a typical packaged tourist from the US.

To be brutally honest, majority of the americans who I have met in the various islands, go mostly to escape the winter (I discount the folks of the various diaspora living or settled in the US) Summer travel, in my non-data-driven view, is mostly folks returning to their native lands, and some cruise related tourists.

Am I off base here ?
David Lawrence June 6, 2010 at 1:22am

Good discussion but I missed something. What are "Als"?
Patricia Borns June 6, 2010 at 1:13am

AIs and their impact on local economy, what a great thread, if only we werene't expecting 30 people for dinner. You could add ex-pat part-time homes under rental management, too., Melanie I would love to connect w/ you on J history in Jamaica. I spent a year reserching a book w/ related themes and am traveling its trajectory now. patriciaborns@comcast.net ...
Jordan Simon June 6, 2010 at 12:59am

Chelle's right. And it dates back as far as I can remember. During the first Gulf War U.S. tourism to Western Europe plummeted 50% -- and that was well before 9/11 and the economy made the public even more reluctant to travel outside their comfort zones (in more senses than one). Yes, the Net has opened possibilities for more "enlightened" or certainly adventuresome travelers, and that's wonderful. Anil, I've no idea about bottom lines. I suspect Lonely Planet readers don't help the economy that much, but they do interact and are likely to extol the virtues of a lesser-known destination to people who might spend more moolah... But I also think AIs have destroyed many parts of the world, and not just simply via over-development. They may seem like a great short-term fix, but they also destroy individual local entrepreneurship -- restaurants close, cabbies can't get fares, etc. And Melanie, I really didn't mean to suggest that promoting Jamaica as a Jewish tourism destination is ludicrous (Patricia, I first read about it via ETN a few months back), but honestly how much is really there beyond one or two days of exploration? Now I could see organizing a tour of several islands with Jewish roots, say Jamaica, St. Thomas, Nevis, Curacao, etc, just as it would be fun to craft archaeological tours of islands with well-excavated Taino/Saladoid/Arawak ruins, et al. I'd love to see inventive programs targeting various niches that will bring more income and exposure to several islands, from religious to recreational. And exploring one aspect of similarity might help get the word out about the islands' differences. But only if the groups interact meaningfully with locals at some point, unlike a "if It's Tuesday This Must Be Barbados" cruise...
Anil June 6, 2010 at 12:45am

Jordan: Cookie-cutter-all-inclusive tourist !! Are they good for business or is the gruffy-backpacker-type LP-in-hand pension type ? An intelligent and savvy traveler might not be a high-margin. I dont know, but in a way sometimes any news is better than no news.
Melanie Reffes June 6, 2010 at 12:24am

RE: Jordan Simon's comment - Yes, indeed Jamaica has a rich wonderful tourist-worthy Jewish history, who knew ? I have done considerable coverage on this most vibrant sector of Jamaican society and I suggest everyone visiting JA make a side trip to KIN to see for themselves !
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Chelle Koster Walton June 5, 2010 at 11:31pm

How can we expect the public to be able to distinguish the subtleties of Caribbean geography when our media can't get it right. I reference the weatherman who told viewers Hurricane Andrew was about to hit Naples when in fact it was coming ashore in Miami.

In the Caribbean, there's an old calypso song about public perception of one relatively small crime and its impact on the whole region. Wish I could remember it. But the point being, it has always been a huge problem and Kingston has always had its upheavals. I stayed there quite safely 16 years ago when supposedly there was political rioting in the streets.

It's no different now with the oil "spill" - it has only just brushed Pensacola but tourists have been cancelling as far away as the Keys since it all started.

http://Miami.In/

See related links to what you are looking for.
Anil June 5, 2010 at 4:16am

Folks: Caribbean Islands are marketed differently depending on the region, demographics, as well as desires.

Repeat clients/tourists/visitors are different than first timers. Yes, a typical packaged tourist maybe geographically unaware; however any 15-days a year vacationist does not want his/her 15 day botched. You (the packager) have sold it to them.

Outside of the large cities in US, news is normally the 6PM news. If caribbean news negative, a small fraction might cancel - But you'll know your clientele or market - Barring natural calamities, most tourist islands make sure that their cash cow (tourists) are well protected...

[I'am glad a discussion on caribbean tourism has picked up :) ]

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