CARIBBEAN TRAVEL NEWS ROUNDUP- NOV. 8, 2019

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. NOV. 8, 2019: Here are the top stories making news on the Caribbean travel scene for the week-ending Nov. 8, 2019:

The Caribbean has seen a spike in visitors to the region in the first half of 2019. Between January and June this year, there were 17.1 million tourist trips to the Caribbean, 1.5 million more than the corresponding period in 2018 according to the CTO.

The Dominican Republic with 3.6 million dominated Caribbean tourism in the first half of 2019 but it’s likely that number will drop off in the latter half due to the crisis that hit the island over the summer, according to the CTO.

Forward bookings to the top destination of the Bahamas is currently 1.4% behind but ForwardKeys says post-hurricane Dorian recovery has reached 80% of pre-hurricane arrivals.

Jamaica’s local tourism industry is in mourning, after the sudden passing of the co-owner of Jamaica Inn, Peter Morrow. He passed away last Thursday in Ocala, Florida, after a small plane he was travelling in crashed into a vehicle.

American Airlines is adding a third daily flight between Miami and St. Croix next summer. American Airlines flight 2531 will depart Miami at 10:35 a.m., arriving in St. Croix at 1:14 p.m., while the return flight departs St. Croix at 1:59 p.m., arriving Miami at 5:10 p.m.

Rosewood Little Dix Bay Resort in the Valley, Spanish Town, British Virgin Islands is set to reopen on January 1, 2020, three months ahead of schedule.

And the second Creole Food Festival showcasing black and brown chefs from Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, South America and the Southern US returns to Miami on Nov. 23rd. Get tickets on eventbrite.