Recommend January 2014 - (Page 33)

PAP) MBJ) THE CARIBBEAN, THE BAHAMAS & BERMUDA UVF) ) SXM) STT) os PLS) gin ds . homas St. Maarten/ St. Martin Antigua & Barbuda St. Kitts Saint Lucia Grenada These are exciting times in the Caribbean-and in the very best sense. Don't look now, but the region has been reinventing itself, and not surprisingly, much of the effort has focused on diversifying the tourism industry. For example: Not only have new hotels been opening, but some of them fall into categories that didn't even exist before. Thousands of new condos and villas, some of which are afﬁliated with resorts and almost all of which feature concierge service, have debuted as well. The quantity, quality, and variety of ecotourism activities beyond the hotel gates have increased dramatically. These include not just the usual suspects (hiking, snorkeling, birding, nature walks), but also leave-no-footprint sports like stand-up paddleboarding. Because both local entrepreneurs and travelers themselves are increasingly drawn to these ecotourism pursuits, Caribbean governments and NGOs are making enormous progress restoring heritage sites, reefs, forests, and mangrove wetlands, as well as bird, ﬁsh, and turtle populations. But take note: Caribbean islands are also determined to diversify their economies beyond the tourism industry. This is a massive undertaking, but the commitment is there, and perhaps paradoxically, such diversiﬁcation will help the travel industry, too. Here are some of the things going on right now: Caribbean governments have been dramatically improving their transportation infrastructure-expanding and modernizing airports, roads and highways, and maritime facilities. They're encouraging more efﬁcient uses of energy while also developing alternative energy sources like geothermal, solar, and wind energy. Some of these efforts are already helping Caribbean hotels, whose energy bills have traditionally been onerous. National governments, local governments, NGOs, hoteliers, and restaurants are spurring a reinvigoration of agriculture in the islands. This is good for preserving landscapes, increasing income for rural populations, improving food quality for the hospitality industry, and keeping shipping costs down. The authorities want to encourage non-agricultural industries, too, from manufacturing to banking to high-tech. Of course, much of this success depends upon airlift, and that's where Delta comes in. Over the past few years the airline has created new routes to the Caribbean, and it continues to expandSt. Croix the connections between North America and the islands. These are exciting times, and Delta is playing an important role in them. IN THIS SECTION: Antigua ..................................................... 12 Aruba ....................................................... 12 The Bahamas ..................................... 14, 16 Bermuda ................................................... 16 Bonaire ..................................................... 18 Cayman Islands........................................ 18 Dominican Republic ...........................20, 22 Grenada ...................................................22 LA Haiti ..........................................................24 Jamaica ..............................................24, 26 Puerto Rico ...............................................28 Saint Lucia ................................................30 Aguadilla St. Kitts .....................................................30 St. Maarten/St. Martin ..............................32 Turks & Caicos .........................................33 USVI .........................................................34 Tob Trinida Port of Spain 11 D10-D11 CB INTRO.indd 11 12/20/13 8:47 AM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend January 2014

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Aloft Hotels
Tour Talk: Swain Destinations
Uniworld's Queen Isabel
Disney Magic
Delta Air Lines Travel Guide 2014
Macau
Egypt Update
Scandinavia Exposed
B Hotels & Resorts
What's New in Las Vegas

Recommend January 2014