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!
A quick peek at the best of Bonaire
Matt KiefferOne of the “ABC” islands* of the Dutch Antilles, just 50 miles off the coast of Venezuela, this 111-square-mile island is a welcoming and tranquil trove of eco-adventure (which they play up with the tourism tagline “It´s in Our Nature”), and it´s known especially for its diving and snorkeling. For a nice, laid-back slice of the old Caribbean (albeit a pretty arid one, so please don´t go expecting luxuriant greenery), many travelers in the know very much appreciate this…
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We all know the differences from one island to the next, historically, topographically, culturally, linguistically, gastronomically, etc. It's never been easy conveying the Caribbean's heterogeneity to our readers. Now in these times when outlets want 47-word Twitter-esque write-ups (that fit on a typical cell phone screen), it's well-nigh impossible.
And while the Caribbean nations try to cooperate on larger PR initiatives, they remain competitors, so don't be surprised to see some islands subtly capitalize on the Kingston problem, just as they did after Natalie Holloway's disappearance on Aruba (which impacted overall tourism to the region!)---or just as the ABC Islands take pains to point out that they don't suffer major weather events, the promotional equivalent of hitting below the hurricane belt.
"Jamaica unrest said creating problem for regional tourism
LAST week's deadly unrest in Jamaica's capital of Kingston has created a major public relations crisis for the Caribbean, St Lucia's Tourism Minister Allan Chastanet has said.
Chastanet, a former chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the region's tourism product is suffering from the television pictures of burning buildings, soldiers engaging gunmen in street battles and coffins containing bodies being splashed across the globe.
He said when visitors speak of coming to the Caribbean for a vacation, Jamaica is among the first countries that come to mind.
Chastanet said tourists view the Caribbean as a group of countries that are connected and 'there are some people that are not able to differentiate one island from another'."
Could you take a look at a collaboration that we are doing with Cap Maison on St. Lucia? If so I'll forward over the details and press release..
Steve
Allie, I wish I could, too, but the word-count restrictions are intense -- and while my editors do a fine job, inevitably some details, factual to evocative, are lost in the cutting and rearranging....