Cuban tourism surges as rest of Caribbean stalls

Cuba’s vacation industry has remained as hot as the tropical sun here, even as the world economic crisis sparks cancellations and layoffs elsewhere in the Caribbean. The communist country says it’s booked solid through December and expects a record 2.34 million visitors this year — largely because global financial woes have so far been softer on Canada, its top source of visitors. Luck... [Read more]

Cruise lines drop fuel surcharges

Finally some good news for travelers with regard to fuel surcharges. Or is it? Carnival and Royal Caribbean announced recently that they are rolling back fuel surcharges in response to falling oil prices. Starting this fall, both cruise lines said they would eliminate the surcharge for all new bookings for 2010. The companies also said they would refund guests the fee for sailings in 2009 if the price... [Read more]

Caribbean officials working to lure visitors back

Caribbean tourism officials are working overtime to reassure reluctant travelers that plenty of sun-soaked islands were untouched by a recent spate of deadly tropical cyclones. Potential visitors may assume the entire region was ravaged by four storms that pummeled several islands since mid-August — but they assume wrong, said Alec Sanguinetti, head of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association. The... [Read more]