St. Lucia Extends Long-Stay Programme due to Customer Demand

The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority has introduced a new option to the extended-stay ‘Live it’ program, in response to travel trends and customer demand.

Visitors can now embrace island life in Saint Lucia with a multiple entry visa for up to one year. Through both options of the program, Saint Lucia is inspiring travellers to immerse themselves in local culture, while exploring the destination’s natural beauty on an extended stay vacation or working remotely with ease.

St. Thomas being positioned as the next frontier for tourism development in Jamaica – Bartlett

The parish of St. Thomas is set to experience a rapid transformation of its tourism product with the surge of new developments on the way. Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett reinforced this while addressing residents in Hillside during the recently concluded island-wide Destination Assurance tour.

He stressed that once key pieces of infrastructure like the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP) and the new Morant Bay Urban Centre are in place, investments will begin to flow into the eastern parish.

St. Thomas holds onto ‘Best Caribbean Cruise Destination’ title

St. Thomas has been named the top cruise destination in the Caribbean for the second year in a row. The latest accolade for the island, which has been described as “bustling and cosmopolitan, yet quaint and historic”, comes from readers of Porthole Cruise Magazine, who voted for their favorite destination in the region in the publication’s 22nd Annual Readers’ Choice Awards.

The results, published in the November/December 2020 issue of the magazine, also feature dozens of other reader favorites under the categories of best ships, best onboard experiences and best destinations.

Upon hearing the outcome of the vote, U.S. Virgin Islands Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte said, “I’d like to thank the discerning readers of Porthole Cruise Magazine for choosing us once again. It’s really encouraging news for Virgin Islanders, especially in this tumultuous year. It tells us that we have a solid foundation with our current cruise product, and drives us to continue to work on improving it so we can hopefully earn this title again next year.”

“For St. Thomas to be chosen once again in the category of best Caribbean cruise destination, I think really illustrates that the U.S. Virgin Islands is doing something right,” said Bill Panoff, publisher and editor-in-chief of Porthole Cruise Magazine. “Our readers are avid travelers with high standards who really understand the nuance of cruise products, so they don’t make these choices lightly.”

Since reopening its doors to leisure visitors more than a month ago, the Territory has welcomed several thousand guests eager to experience all that the USVI has to offer, and to stimulate much-needed economic activity through their spending on accommodations, activities and attractions.

The Territory has also experienced a significant uptick in U.S. visitors, reporting more than a 200 percent year-over-year increase of all travel insurance policies purchased through Squaremouth.com between March 12 and October 19, 2020, for all future travel.

Cruise industry analysis indicates steadfast interest in cruise experiences despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “No Sail” order, which had prevented cruise ships from sailing in U.S. waters during most of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Travelers are primarily concerned with being assured of each destination’s adherence to stringent health and safety protocols.

“Historically, the cruise sector has been an essential partner in the development of the USVI’s tourism product, and we are always looking for ways to strengthen those key relationships,” noted Commissioner Boschulte, adding that the Department looks forward to welcoming vessels back to the Territory’s ports when cruising resumes in the months ahead.

Porthole Cruise Magazine is a leading cruise-travel magazine, available on newsstands and online.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines marking 43rd year of Independence

Under the theme of ‘Our Resilience, Our Fortitude, Our People’, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines nationals are marking their 43rd anniversary of independence from the United Kingdom.

One of the largest to gain independence, the Caribbean Island nation, located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, was a member of the Federation of the West Indies.

State Department team honored for resettling Afghan refugees

Three State Department employees helped to give more than 72,000 Afghans a chance to build new lives in the United States as part of the largest U.S. resettlement effort in decades. Hilary Ingraham, Holly Herrera and Kiera Berdinner helped connect Afghan families with safe housing, food, clothing and medical care in cities across America following the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021.

State elections in India go ahead as deaths hit record heights

People in the Indian state of West Bengal are voting in the final phase of elections despite soaring Covid cases.

Long queues were seen outside polling booths, raising concerns about further spread of the virus amidst a deadly second wave. Experts fear West Bengal could be the next epicentre as cases recently rose by 17,000 - a state record.

In total, India reported 379,257 new infections, the world's highest single-day total. The country also reported 3,645 deaths from coronavirus - another unwanted record, in this case the highest number of fatalities in a single day since the start of the pandemic.

West Bengal has already seen seven phases of voting. The state is one of the few where Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not have a majority of parliamentary seats.

There has been a lot of criticism that he continued to hold large rallies there even as the virus began overwhelming the country. Some of the biggest rallies, including those attended by Modi, saw throngs of people not wearing masks or maintaining social distancing.

Hospitals have been overwhelmed, oxygen is in critically low supply and crematoriums are operating non-stop. The overall death toll officially surpassed 200,000, though experts believe the actual number could be much higher.

The government had said that all adults will be eligible for Covid-19 vaccinations from 1 May, with online registration opening from April 28. But people on social media complained that they were not able to get slots because the website crashed soon after it opened.

So far, India has been vaccinating health workers, front line workers and adults over the age of 45. But less than 10% of the population has received an initial jab and there are concerns about meeting demand.

Although India is one of the world's biggest producers of vaccines, it does not yet have the stocks for the roughly 600 million people who will be eligible from today (May 1). The White House says the United States is redirecting its own order of AstraZeneca manufacturing supplies to India, allowing it to make more than 20 million doses of the vaccine.

Epidemiologist Bhramar Mukherjee says India must combine the immunisation drive with a widespread lockdown to slow the spread of the virus. Several parts of the country are under lockdown and curfew, including in the capital Delhi.

The government of Maharashtra, which is home to the financial capital Mumbai, is considering extending its lockdown until mid-May. There is no lockdown or curfew in West Bengal state though.

State of Nayarit said to have the most ‘Magical Towns’ in Mexico

The state of Nayarit is in the mood to celebrate. Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) held a press conference in Mexico City where Nayarit State’s Minister of Tourism, Juan Enrique Suárez del Real Tostado, was presented five new Pueblos Magicos, or ‘Magical Towns,’ designations for the Pacific Coast destination, including the towns of San Blas, Ahuacatlán, Amatlán de Cañas,Ixtlán del Río and Puerto Balleto.

Statement by the Commonwealth Secretary-General on the COVID-19 situation in India

Speaking on the impact of the latest surge in COVID-19 cases in India, the Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said: “On behalf of the whole Commonwealth family, I want to express our deep concern and solidarity with the people and the Government of India as your national agencies mobilise to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and as the latest wave of infection continues to spread so distressingly in your country.

“We are immensely grateful for the support provided by the Government of India to small and vulnerable member countries of the Commonwealth earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, it was an immensely generous and practical response to this global emergency.

“And as your country so compassionately acted to support others in their time of need your fellow Commonwealth nations and the institutions which serve them would wish to do all we can to reciprocate in that same spirit of mutual support.

"As such we stand ready to assist in any way that we can and have called a Commonwealth Secretariat rapid response meeting to consider what practical support the Commonwealth Secretariat and our member countries might offer together to be able to help you with your heavy burden.

“As a family of nations, we value our brothers and sisters in India and we, along with the wider Indian diaspora, all of whom have family and friends affected, share your anguish at the impact of this devastating and terrible disease and commit to supporting the Government and people of India in any way possible.”

Statement by the Commonwealth Secretary-General on the passing of former President of Zambia Dr Kenneth Kaunda

Commonwealth Secretary-General The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC has expressed sympathy and a sense of loss at the passing of Zambia’s founding President, HE Dr Kenneth Kaunda.

Statement from U.S. Ambassador Jane Hartley on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

On behalf of the American people and the U.S. Embassy community, I express my deepest condolences to the Royal Family on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  We grieve with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

Statia announce inaugural nature awareness festival

The department of economy, nature and infrastructure (ENI) of the Statia Government has devised a creative way to promote understanding of the connection between sustainable use of natural resources and business stability, heritage, and well-being.

Statia first Dutch municipality to sign on to UNICEF Child Friendly Cities programme

Statia is the first island in the Caribbean Netherlands to participate in UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI).

Statia records better than expected fiscal performance

The Government of St. Eustatius has announced that its financial performance for 2022 exceeded expectations, with a budget surplus of US$1.4 million.

This represents a US$2.1 million turnaround from the US$700,000 deficit recorded by the tiny Dutch Caribbean island in 2021. This improvement owes much to a better-than-projected US$7 million increase in revenue.

Statia responds to Dutch apology for slavery past

Fellow Statians,

The atrocities committed against enslaved people and Africans in the Caribbean, including the Dutch Caribbean, are too many to count.

We know of the long hours our ancestors were forced to work in unforgiving sunshine to enrich their enslavers. We shall never forget the many revolting and abominable acts of cruelty inflicted on our people.

Statia takes ‘giant step’ towards environmental preservation

The tiny Caribbean island of St. Eustatius – known affectionately as Statia - has taken one giant step towards environmental preservation with a commitment to develop critical environmental protection rules.

In keeping with a central government mandate to protect the environment in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, known as the BES islands, the Public Entity St. Eustatius and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management have signed a letter of intent to work together to effectively implement the environmental legislation, thus contributing to sustainable economic growth on the island.

Statia takes ‘giant step’ towards environmental preservation

The tiny Caribbean island of St. Eustatius – known affectionately as Statia - has taken one giant step towards environmental preservation with a commitment to develop critical environmental protection rules.

In keeping with a central government mandate to protect the environment in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, known as the BES islands, the Public Entity St. Eustatius and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management have signed a letter of intent to work together to effectively implement the environmental legislation, thus contributing to sustainable economic growth on the island.

Statia to receive €10 million from The Netherlands to improve living, housing and working conditions

A number of key sectors in Statia stand to benefit from a €10 million cash injection from the Netherlands.

Statia welcomes its first female island governor

The Dutch Caribbean island of St Eustatius, commonly known as Statia, has appointed its first-ever female island governor.

Statue of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna placed at site of helicopter crash

Sculptor Dan Medina took a statue of Los Angeles Lakers basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna to the site of their helicopter crash on the two-year anniversary of the tragedy. The 73kg bronze statue is temporary but Medina hopes a permanent version is sited in a prominent Los Angeles spot.

Stay Strong and Stay Safe - The Phoenix Newspaper Newsletter