Following a meeting with American Airlines in Dallas, Texas on Friday, U.S. Virgin Islands Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte announced that the nation’s largest carrier will expand its service to the Territory to meet increased demand for summertime travel.

Beginning on June 3, 2021, passengers in Dallas or connecting from Western and Midwestern cities will have not one but two daily flights from which to choose when traveling to St. Thomas, while Charlotte, North Carolina-based travelers will benefit from three flights per day, up from twice a day.

The airline will also increase daily flights from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Cyril E. King Airport (STT) on St. Thomas. Up to four daily departures will be available in April and May from the key south Florida airport before the schedule is adjusted to three daily flights in June, July and August.

Daily service to St. Thomas from the New York tri-state area, out of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), which continues to be an exceptionally strong market for the Territory, as well as from Philadelphia to St. Thomas, will meet the travel needs of visitors and members of the large U.S. Virgin Islands diaspora who reside in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the country.

“The Department of Tourism is extremely pleased by the increase of summer airlift into the Territory,” said U.S. Virgin Islands Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte, who expressed confidence that demand for experiences in the USVI will continue to grow as mainland-based travelers, including the increasing number of those who have been vaccinated, regain confidence in travel.

American will serve St. Croix’s Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) from Miami with at least two daily flights, and summer travelers from Charlotte will continue to enjoy daily flights to the “Big Island”. Overall, St. Croix has experienced an increase of 19 percent in weekly seats year-over-year from 2020 to 2021.

“We are grateful to our partners at American Airlines for supporting our lifeblood industry by enhancing service to our islands with these additional flights, as they represent critical opportunities to help stimulate the economy of the U.S. Virgin Islands,” said Commissioner Boschulte, who addressed meeting planners, travel agents and media representatives at a travel industry luncheon in Dallas on Friday.

This summer the Territory also will welcome new flights (four days a week) from the New York tri-state area when JetBlue Airways begins service between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and St. Thomas. The new service is a result of a new codeshare Northeast Alliance with American Airlines, which will see JetBlue add more than a dozen new markets in greater New York City.

Comfort Suites Paradise Island has announced the availability of free COVID-19 rapid antigen testing for all of its international guests who have plans for return travel to the United States. The popular all-suite hotel reopened to guests in December 2020 and has since taken stringent measures to ensure the safety, health and convenience of its guests.

The Bahamian government requires all visitors to take a rapid antigen COVID-19 test on the fifth day of their stay, and guests must produce a valid negative result. This second test follows the initial PCR test that is required no more than five days prior to each guest’s arrival in The Bahamas.

Additionally, the United States government requires travelers returning to the U.S. to likewise present a negative result from a rapid antigen COVID-19 test taken within three days of departure and presented at the airport. Visitors returning to the United States are permitted to use their Bahamian government-required, fifth-day rapid antigen test results to reenter the United States, once the traveler departs on his or her sixth, seventh or eighth day of stay.

Given these restrictions and requirements, Comfort Suites Paradise Island decided to offer rapid antigen COVID-19 tests to all registered guests free of charge, for return travel to the U.S., excluding stays with gift certificate redemption.

Yasmine Mills-Strachan, Director of Sales at Comfort Suites Paradise Island, said: “At Comfort Suites Paradise Island, we understand that the current travel restrictions can be a bit confusing, however, we would like to remind our guests that it is still very important to abide by these protocols. With this new, free rapid antigen (COVID-19) testing service provided by our hotel, we hope to make guests’ stays more comfortable, while ensuring their safety, as well as that of our staff and residents.”

Comfort Suites Paradise Island has also partnered with Ocean Club Golf Course and neighbouring properties, including Atlantis Paradise Island Resort, and The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, to create the ideal Paradise Island Safe Zone (Paradise Island Bubble). Guests can feel safe moving freely throughout each of these popular vacation spots where COVID-19 precautions are of utmost priority.

Guests receive free access to the facilities of Atlantis Paradise Island Resort, including the Aquaventure water park. Through May 31, 2021, visitors can take advantage of Comfort Suites Paradise Island’s “4th Night Free” promotion, which affords guests a complimentary fourth night with three paid nights at the property.

The promotion includes food and beverage credits of up to US$300 (based on length of stay), which can be used at the hotel’s Splash Pool Bar, Bamboo Lobby Bar and Crusoe’s Restaurant.

It may only be possible to introduce a vaccine passports scheme once all adults have been offered a jab, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested.

He said no decisions had been made but there would be an update on the idea in April. A review will report in June. He also said that there were difficult issues, moral complexities and ethical problems that need to be addressed. Any passport could also reflect a negative test result as well as whether someone was vaccinated or has immunity.

It comes as publicans cast doubt on a suggestion from Mr Johnson that pub-goers might have to prove their vaccination status when venues reopen. A government review into the possible use of coronavirus passports or status certificates to allow people to visit pubs and other venues is taking place under the plans to ease England's lockdown.

The Prime Minister said previous coronavirus infections could be a feature used if they are adopted. "There are three basic components.” He said. “There's the vaccine, there's your immunity you might have had after you've had Covid, and there's testing - they are three things that could work together."

He added: "No decisions have been taken at all. One thing I will make clear is none of this is obviously going to apply on April 12 when it will all be outdoors anyway.

"There are some people who for medical reasons can't get a vaccination, pregnant women can't get a vaccination at the moment, you've got to be careful about how you do this. You might only be able to implement a thorough-going vaccination passport scheme even if you wanted such a thing in the context of when absolutely everybody had been offered a vaccine."

In the Commons, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told MPs: "A system that relied purely on vaccination would not be appropriate - that what would be right was a system that ensured we could open up our economy to the maximum extent that takes into account both of vaccine status but also of recent test status and indeed potentially also antibody status as well." Under government plans to ease the lockdown in England, pubs will be able to start serving customers indoors - with a size limit applied to groups - from 17 May at the earliest.

The idea of asking pub-goers to show a so-called vaccine passport or certificate was raised at Wednesday's House of Commons Liaison Committee hearing when Boris Johnson was asked whether they were compatible with a free society such as ours. His reply came with him saying: “The concept should not be totally alien to us."

He pointed out that doctors already have to have hepatitis B jabs - although he stressed such a move in future may be up to individual publicans. A Downing Street source earlier said the review would include looking at how people's vaccination and testing status could be stored securely and displayed on a mobile phone, and the circumstances under which such a system could apply.

PM Johnson said: "All sorts of things were being considered and it is a bit premature to speculate on details about how a possible vaccine passport would apply to pubs”. Peter Marks, from nightclub owner Rekom UK, said: “A vaccine certificate could work in his industry and would probably be accepted by customers already used to carrying IDs to get into venues. However, he said he was concerned introducing such a measure could delay the reopening of businesses.

Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband said that Labour was happy to look at any government proposals for vaccine and testing certification, but he called for clarity for the hospitality industry about how the measures could work in practice.

He said the hospitality industry had been through difficult times over the last year, adding: "And suddenly the prime minister comes along, out of the blue, to say here's a new responsibility you're going to have to deal with, without much clarity."

As part of its global efforts to work with governments and tourism agencies to support responsible travel and local economic growth, Airbnb announced its partnership with the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) to promote its member countries across Airbnb's vast global community. This collaboration is designed to amplify the Caribbean's recovery from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic by promoting safe, responsible travel to the region.

As part of this partnership, Airbnb is launching a marketing campaign that includes the rollout of a series of email newsletters and a landing page highlighting the CTO's member countries and their respective protocols for safe travel during this time. Airbnb has also pledged to share data with the CTO, including travel trends, to facilitate informed marketing decisions during this recovery period. The promotional landing page for this partnership will be unique to others worldwide. It will integrate 18 countries from the English, French and Dutch Caribbean, promote homes in each destination, and links to each country's website. 

"With the Caribbean continuing to re-open, we're helping to usher in the safe return of travel to this wonderful region by shining a light on the many places to see and things to do," said Carlos Munoz, Airbnb Policy Manager for Central America and the Caribbean. "We're also excited to promote the important economic impact driven by hosting on Airbnb."

This partnership is one of the many initiatives in the CTO's ongoing programme to help its members rebuild tourism in their destinations. "The partnership with Airbnb will help us to promote the region responsibly by providing our members with a platform to showcase their destinations while at the same time highlighting the health safety measures that each has implemented to ensure that visitors can enjoy a safe Caribbean experience during this time," shared Neil Walters, Acting Secretary-General of the CTO.

Professor Avinash Persaud, the chairman of Barbados’ supra regulatory body, the Financial Services Commission (FSC), says the island continues its push for a healthy balance between strong regulation and increased efficiencies.

Persaud, an economist and prolific commentator on the financial sector, is the keynote speaker for the inaugural Barbados Risk & Insurance Management (BRIM) virtual conference, which is being hosted on March 24 and 25 by BIBA, the Association for Global Business. In a preview of his highly anticipated presentation, Prof. Persaud said Barbados is home to almost 300 captive insurance entities.

And, he notes, those in the international insurance sector are satisfied with the knowledge that the island is “a place where they will be well regulated”. According to the FSC chairman, it is “a very exciting time for the insurance sector”, as old models are being challenged on both the assets and liabilities sides by issues such as climate change and pandemics.

“There is a tremendous amount of opportunity as new technology allows you to reach new customers. We see new opportunities for assets like renewable energy ... and new types of instruments that can help insurers better manage their liabilities.” Describing the period as an “age of transition” for the insurance sector, Prof. Persaud said Barbados’ regulators were examining ways in which they could support the sector “in an appropriate and safe manner”.

Simultaneously, the regulator said the agency remained focused on its key roles of “protecting consumers and making sure the financial system was safe”. For captive insurance companies, improved FSC processes have reduced application times from 12 to four weeks, and efforts continue to reduce that period to a fortnight.

Barbados was recently removed from the European Union’s (EU) blacklist for tax purposes, following four months of vigorous arguments and actions led by the island’s Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley. The FSC has assembled a team of international and local experts to support the Barbados regulators in ensuring its reputation is untarnished.

In this connection, the FSC chairman said the administration was investing heavily in building out regulatory and enforcement agencies and creating new structures to
boost Barbados’ response capabilities and compliance. “We think we are going to be off these lists, and we are investing heavily in remaining off these lists,” he said, adding that the country was taking a long-term approach, anticipating international regulations that may be coming in the future.

Persaud is among a stellar line-up for BRIM 2021, which includes Michael Serricchio, Managing Director of Marsh Captive Solutions in the Americas; Daryl Senick, Partner and National Insurance Leader with BDO Canada; Elizabeth Emanuel, Technical Assistance Manager for CCRIF SPC (formerly Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility); and Ben Arrindell, Deputy Chairman of Cidel Bank & Trust and a special advisor to Prime Minister Mottley on international business matters.

Among the many topics up for discussion at the conference are:

• Risk Management Post-Pandemic
• Emerging Markets – New Opportunities
• Investment Opportunities in a Low Yield Environment
• New Initiatives in Captives - Covering Cyber Risk and Pandemic Risk
• Risk Management & Climate Change
• Managing Investment Portfolios for Captives
• Regulation in a Post-COVID World
• Disaster Risk Financing and Sustainable Development - A Look at Parametric Insurance at the Sovereign and Micro Levels
• IFRS 17 - It's time for a Straight Line to the Finish

Persaud showered praise on BIBA for highlighting the group’s commitment and innovation in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. “BIBA has stepped out and is using technology and the occasion to reach a wider audience on a specialized and interesting topic. I am very excited about the event.”

The staging of this conference is made possible by Diamond Sponsors RBC Dominion Securities Global, and the USA Risk Group; Platinum Sponsor London & Capital; Gold Sponsor Strategic Risk Solutions; Silver Sponsors Clarity Life and C&W Business; and Bronze Sponsors Invest Barbados, Sagicor Life Inc, and Summit Asset Management.

P&O Cruises has said that anyone wanting to take its cruises around the British Isles this summer will need to be vaccinated first. Travellers will have to prove that they have had two coronavirus jabs to take the trips which depart from June.

Saga Cruises and Virgin Voyages in the US have made similar moves recently. It comes amid renewed fears about the damaged travel industry, with airports warning that summer 2020 passenger numbers were their lowest since 1975.

P&O Cruises, part of the Carnival group, will run trips on two ships this summer. The Britannia will cruise from Southampton along the south coast of England for three or four days, and the Iona will travel up to Scotland from Southampton for seven-day trips.

Carnival said that passengers wishing to board would have to have had both.

Guests will also have to have travel insurance that "must include medical and repatriation cover" and medical expenses related to Covid-19. Guests and crew will be expected to respect social distancing rules and wear masks when appropriate. Should anyone test positive on board, they will be isolated and quarantined.

Paul Ludlow, the president of P&O Cruises, said: “Carnival expected a government-approved way to prove people had been vaccinated by the summer.

"This is moving at pace," he said. "We anticipate by the 27 June, which is our first sailing, there will be a government-accredited scheme to prove your vaccination, but at the very least, then of course, a letter from your GP would suffice."

He said that P&O Cruises was "in close conversation with government every day" about travellers being able to prove their vaccination status.

"At the moment we're stipulating that all guests of all ages must be vaccinated to come on board with us."

Carnival follows Saga cruises, which said in January that all customers had to be vaccinated. British Airways also plans to let people register when they have had two vaccinations on a smartphone app. The cruise industry was brought to its knees after regulators around the world stopped ships from sailing to try to limit outbreaks.

There were a number of deaths from Covid-19 after people were infected on board Carnival ships early last year. The first UK citizen to die of coronavirus was infected on the Carnival-run Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. At the time, the outbreak on the ship was the largest outside mainland China, with more than 600 people infected.

Simon Calder, travel editor of the Independent, said: "A lot is unusual" about the "staycation" cruises P&O is planning.

"Because the voyages are 'cruises to nowhere', the captains will look at the weather forecast and aim to sail where it is warm and sunny." He added the P&O concept is "you can look but you can't touch".

"On a voyage around the Scottish islands, for example, Iona will anchor off Iona, the magical island after which she was named, but you can't step ashore," he said, adding: “Doing this circumvents all kinds of problems.

"There are concerns about shore excursions. Some ports of call may not welcome hundreds of people from a wide range of locations wandering around, and conversely some cruise lines do not want their passengers to mingle with locals - MSC Cruises has made it a condition of travel.” Carnival has been burning through cash and last quarter said it had made a net loss of $2.2bn.

Airport operators have also been on the ropes due to the coronavirus crisis. They said that passenger numbers travelling through UK airports last summer plunged to their lowest level since 1975. Airport Operators Association chief executive Karen Dee called for tailored government support.

She said: "Despite dealing with the biggest crisis in their history, most airports remain operational to support vital public services, such as Royal Mail, air ambulances, Coastguard and the National Police Air Service, as well as other critical services such as freight, including PPE and vaccines."  The Unite union also called for tailored support, saying that more than 5,100 UK aviation and related jobs have been lost every month since February 2020.

Unite assistant general secretary for transport Diana Holland said: "It has been heart-breaking to see so many UK jobs go in aviation when we know that demand will come back.

"A staggering number of workers in the sector are now unemployed but when we look across the Channel, we see that a different approach from governments actually saves these jobs.” The government has previously said that it has provided unprecedented support to businesses across sectors of the economy including aviation.

A spokesperson said that the government was committed to restarting cruise travel when it is safe to do so, and is working closely with the sector to prepare for a safe and successful restart.

The spokesperson said: "We have put in place an unprecedented package of business support and recently extended government-backed loans and furlough payments to businesses, including in the travel industry. Around £7bn has been pledged to the aviation sector since the start of the pandemic, and through the Global Travel Taskforce we are working hard to restart international travel when it is safe to do so."