Travel Agent is in Jamaica this week for the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) 42nd Caribbean Travel Marketplace. What’s of note? The Caribbean ended 2023 with tourism arrivals on par with the full year of 2019—its high-water mark. As for the first half of 2024 so far, arrivals are up 20 percent over last year. Should these trends continue, the Caribbean may hit pre-pandemic levels of visitation this year. CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig also noted that premium class is significantly outpacing standard class, leading to a more diverse array of hotel product developments. Speaking of, member hotels and destinations have over 18,000 hotel rooms in various stages of development.
In our first day, we also had the chances to hear from several tourist boards about the latest and greatest from their destinations. Here’s a rundown of what we learned:
Anguilla
In what will become a trend among many of the destinations, Anguilla has not only recovered its pre-pandemic levels of visitor arrivals but topped those previous records, according to Haydn Hughes, minister of tourism. In fact, Q1 of 2024 outperformed that of 2019 by over 24 percent. To maintain those arrivals, Anguilla will see several new airline routes this year. American Airlines, for one, began twice daily nonstop service out of Miami this December; the airline will add a third daily flight for this upcoming winter season. In related air travel news, the new FBO terminal at Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport is nearing completion. In addition, the groundbreaking for a new passenger terminal at the airport just took place, with plans calling for a longer runway that can accommodate aircraft of any size (which could mean more direct flights from the U.S., among other long-haul destinations). This is slated for completion in fall 2025. "Our focus this year is on infrastructure improvements on island [to] build a foundation for the expansion of our tourism industry," said Hughes.
The island is also developing its first luxury yacht marina, which will be able to accommodate 118 vessels up to 250 feet in size. In that same development will be a 65-room luxury hotel complete with 58 branded residences and 48 condominiums, a spa, fitness center, duty-free shopping and more. Hughes added that an agreement has been signed with with a "five-star" hotel company and it will be its first outpost in Anguilla.
For visitors looking to experience the culture of the island, Anguilla's Cultural Center has been demolished and a replacement is nearing completion. Built in partnership with DART, owners of Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla, this space will host summer festivals, dance and theater groups, runway shows and more. Hughes said it will be "the epicenter of cultural activities" on the island.
With so many plans to grow tourism, Anguilla is also seeking to become the most sustainable island in the region. Initiatives include protecting native species, creating an environmental stewardship program, and developing food security and nutritional programs. It's also looking to become the first country to operate fully on renewable energy.
The Bahamas
The Bahamas broke all previous tourism records in 2023, according to I. Chester Cooper, minister of tourism. Last year, the destination received 9.65 million arrivals and the forecast shows these arrivals will continue through 2024. Already, this year I pacing 15 percent ahead of 2023 numbers. Upcoming hotel properties will include a Six Senses and a Montage, among others.
Six Senses Grand Bahama will comprise 45 waterfront and canal villas as well as28 branded residences. Spanning 50 acres, the resort will have direct access to a half-mile-long stretch of beach adjacent to the Grand Lucayan Waterway and a newly developed marina. Plans call for a signature restaurant, beach venue, boathouse and pool bar, not to mention direct access to that new marina. Six Senses Grand Bahama is slated to open in 2026.
As for Montage Cay, it will offer a collection of restaurant and bar experiences including all-day dining, a signature dinner-only restaurant, two beach bar and grilles, lobby and pool bars, as well as a spa café and juice bar. The robust water sports and recreation center will provide guests with ways to explore the Bahamas’ coral reefs and more. The 53-acre private island resort in the Abaco Islands will also offer a selection of villa residences, as well as custom homes.
On the cruise front, Grand Bahama will see the opening of Carnival Cruise Line’s Celebration Key next year. The $600 million port development will welcome 2 million guests annually and will offer a family area complete with a beach, a freshwater pool, waterslides, sports and gaming areas and floating cabanas. Guests can also make use of an adults-only area, pickleball courts, shops and more. Royal Caribbean is also investing $165 million private beach club in Nassau. What’s notable is that it will be 49 percent owned by Bahamians. Plans call for three pools with swim-up bars, private cabanas, four island-style spots for quick bites and local fare, and experiences that host local artisans and live music.
Jamaica
Jamaica, the host destination this year, always has plenty going on. In the first four-plus months of 2024, the island has received nearly 1.8 million visitors (that’s about 1 million stopover visitors and over 700,000 cruise passengers). Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett says that the destination could see 4.58 million visitors this year (3.23 million of which would be overnight guests). Two-thousand new rooms are slated to open this year, including the first 1,000 (of 2,000) a the Princess Grand Jamaica, 753 rooms at the Riu Palace Aquarelle and 450 rooms at the UNICO 18°77° Hotel Montego Bay. Between 15,000 and 20,000 rooms are slated for construction over the next five years, many of which located in the “Rose Hall Corridor” (from Montego Bay to about Falmouth, a roughly 21-mile stretch). Other projects on the docket include a Moon Palace resort with 1,250 rooms and new Sandals projects in Port Antonio and Negril, totaling about 1,000 rooms.
A major focus of Bartlett’s, however, is investment in tourism workers. Jamaica has developed a training program for hospitality employees, which has seen 15,000 certified. It also established a tourism workers’ pension (which Bartlett touts as the world’s first), which has, two years in, already saved 3 million Jamaican dollars for workers’ retirements. He is also ensuring that plenty of housing is built for tourism workers. “Workers are at the heart of our future growth, development and services, and we are committed to working together with our private sector partners to create a new labor market environment for the workers,” he said. “The whole effort here is to create a worker core of qualified, certified and competent [employees] so as to uplift the quality of service that is provided and enhance the experience [for visitors].”
In addition, Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay has received a runway expansion, new dining, an expanded immigration hall and upgraded departure lounge, as well as updates to the retail space, Club Mobay and more. Among the immigration updates at 100 new kiosks planned by the end of 2024. An electronic passenger declaration form that can be filled out online up to 30 days in advance also works to speed up the customs and border patrol process.
Saint Kitts
The summer season is becoming an increasingly popular time to visit Saint Kitts, said Tommy Thompson, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. While most legacy airline carriers typically serve the destination in the winter and shoulder months, American Airlines and Delta will both offer service throughout the summer. There will be a haitus from September through October before each resumes their schedule in November, running through the next 10 months. American will operate the flights from Miami and Charlotte (both on larger aircraft) and Delta will operate out of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
Like most other destinations, Saint Kitts is seeing increased visitor arrivals. For 2024 through April, the island received over 13,000 stopover passengers, nearly a 16 percent increase over 2023's numbers and just 6 percent below 2019. Thompson expects visitation to continue as the dual-island federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis celebrates its "Summer of Fun." This includes the St. Kitts Music Festival in June, the Nevis Mango Festival and St. Kitts and Nevis Restaurant Week in July, Nevis Culturama, from the end of July into August, and the Caribbean Premier League cricket tournament in August and September.
New hotel product includes Hotel Indigo – Frigate Bay. The boutique hotel will have 42 suites, a conference room, a modern business center, multiple gourmet restaurants, a gym, a bowling alley, a bar, and a swimming pool. The $100 million project just broke ground.
Good to know: Saint Kitts is offering a travel trade deal. Use www.visitstkitts.com/log-your-bookings to record any client bookings by December 17; travel advisors will receive $150 on completion of the client's travel.
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia could have a whole new look by just next year. The island is expecting to open 2,000 new rooms by the end of 2025—which would increase the current total (9,900) by more than 20 percent. Among the highlights are a 96-room Destination by Hyatt property in Cas en Bas, the 334-room Secrets St. Lucia Resort & Spa (previously the St. James’s Club) in Choc Bay and the new Channels Resort on the southeast of the island, whicht will offer 380 high-end apartments across 11 buildings. In addition, the destination is leaning into wellness, with TheLifeCo “wellness mecca” breaking ground this month. It will offer 523 wellness-inspired rooms and activities in the north end of the island. The locally owned Bay Gardens will open a new property in summer 2025 with Sapphire Sands Villas by Bay Gardens offering beachfront luxury, complete with 24/7 butler service. Lastly, Cabot—which opened its golf club in December—plans to open its accommodation offerings by the end of next year.
Senator Guibion Ferdinand, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, adds that Saint Lucia is looking to attract larger cruise ships. In fact, Castries—the capital and current cruise hub on the island—will be leaning even further into becoming a destination suited toward cruise guests. Last year, the island welcomed a 10 percent increase in cruise arrivals but an expansion at Port Castries will allow it to accommodate the largest cruise ships. Beyond the new, larger berths, Castries will receive a boardwalk and a fisherman’s village, plus a renovation to the Vendor's Arcade. A new augmented reality app will also be launched to help travelers better understand the history and culture of Castries. With the app, you can take an audio or video tour of the destination, with the ability to point your camera at most buildings and the app bringing up information about its history. Saint Lucia also launched its “Shop Local” initiative in October 2023, which helps visitors discover independent shops and artisans. Currently, there are over 30 shops in the online directory.
Last year, Saint Lucia hit 90 percent of 2019 levels of stayover arrivals (which marked a 7 percent increase over 2022). So far in 2024, each month has surpassed 2019 numbers, meaning this could be a banner year for the destination. To that point, Saint Lucia will receive 40,000 more air seats this summer compared to 2023. Highlights include new airlift by JetBlue from New York and Boston as well as by American Airlines from Miami.
Turks and Caicos
Turks and Caicos was the best-performing destination in the Americas in 2023, according to U.N. Tourism, which said the islands saw its arrivals more than double at +127 percent over 2019. Josephine Connolly, minister of tourism, added the latest figures show that for the first four months of 2024 saw 271,326 air arrivals, an increase of 10.5 percent over 2023—meaning Turks and Caicos is on path for another record year. What's good to know is to ensure the destination does not become overtouristed or destroy its natural and cultural resources, the government of Turks and Caicos implemented a Carrying Capacity study, which will assess the impacts of the tourism industry and will guide Experience Turks and Caicos' mandates so that all communities in the destination benefit from tourism.
To additionally accommodate the increase in visitors, Howard Hamilton International Airport (formerly Providenciales International Airport) is undergoing a series of updates, including expanded tented areas prior to security, additional vehicle drop-off areas, more security screening and more. That said, Turks and Caicos is also building a new, $450 million airport, which Connolly called "a vital project that will enhance capacity and efficiency." In addition, the destination will receive international airlift to two new islands, South Caicos and Grand Turk. American Airlines will offer airlift to the Norman B. Saunders Sr. International Airport in South Caicos, while the second airline (still in negotiation) will provide international airlift to JAGS McCartney International Airport in Grand Turk.
On the accommodations front, the following properties have either recently opened or will do so soon: The Strand, South Bank by Grace Bay Resorts; Andaz Turks and Caicos at Grace Bay; Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa; The Loren at Turtle Cove; The Point by Grace Bay Resorts; and Kempinski Grace Bay. A new development by IHG will open in 2027, composed of a 59-suite InterContinental, 192-room Kimpton and 56-room Hotel Indigo properties.
United States Virgin Islands
A common theme at Marketplace was the myriad of islands that were expanding their airport facilities—no doubt driven by the increasing number of visitors to the destination. The United States Virgin Islands were no different. According to Joseph Boschulte, commissioner of the U.S.V.I. Department of Tourism, the destination is expecting to see a 24 percent increase in airlift arrivals this year compared to last. So far, Q1 for 2024 was up 26.5 percent over Q1 2023. To keep up with demand, the U.S.V.I. is redeveloping the St. Thomas and St. Croix airports (to the tune of $250 million) with modern amenities, including additional passenger boarding, bridges and departure lounges.
The highlight on the hotel side is the recently opened Westin Beach Resort & Spa at Frenchman’s Reef. The opening signaled the completion of a $425 million rebuild project at Frenchman’s Reef, which also included a sister resort (Morningstar Buoy Haus Beach Resort at Frenchman’s Reef, Autograph Collection) that debuted earlier last year year. The 482-room property has been "a very important asset in our ability to continue and maintain strong growth," added Boschulte. In addition, the following properties were recently updated or opening: King Christian Hotel and Arawak Bay Inn (St. Croix); The Pink Palm (St. Thomas); and Lovango Resort + Beach Club (St. John). Sugar Bay Resort & Spa in St. Thomas is being rebuilt and plans to reopen in 2025.
The destination has also returned to pre-COVID levels of cruising, which Boschulte said "has long been the backbone of our tourism product." After not seeing a cruise ship for 18 months, the U.S.V.I. is expected to see an 8 percent increase in cruise passenger arrivals this year.
Stay tuned for updates on Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Saint Martin/Sint Maarten, and more
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