FITUR 2008 - Madrid, Spain The U.S. Virgin Islands -comprising St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix- have long been considered one of the safest travel destinations in the Caribbean. In addition, the small archipelago operates under U.S. laws and regulations, so visitors traveling in and out of the islands are not subjected to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) that makes mandatory for all American tourists to have valid U.S. passports for Caribbean traveling. About this and other issues, Caribbean News Digital talked exclusively with Monique S. Hodge, assistant commissioner of the USVI Department of Tourism.

FITUR 2008 - Madrid, Spain The U.S. Virgin Islands -comprising St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix- have long been considered one of the safest travel destinations in the Caribbean. In addition, the small archipelago operates under U.S. laws and regulations, so visitors traveling in and out of the islands are not subjected to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) that makes mandatory for all American tourists to have valid U.S. passports for Caribbean traveling. About this and other issues, Caribbean News Digital talked exclusively with Luana Wheatly, marketing director of the USVI Hotel & Tourism Association.

FITUR 2008 - Madrid, Spain Penciled in as successful destination management company in Jamaica and with over 20 years of experience in the travel business under its belt, Glamour Tours, based in Montego Bay, Jamaica, has proven to be a leading travel agency in the Caribbean dealing with Glamour event planning, guided tours, entertainment, MICE coordination, weddings, hotel bookings and cruises. In this exclusive interview with our correspondent in Spain, Rachel S. Anderson, the company’s business expansion director, tells Caribbean News Digital her opinion about the ongoing increase of European -especially Spanish- tourists and investors landing in Jamaica.

CHA Marketplace 2008 - Bahamas Allen Chastenet is a seasoned veteran of Caribbean tourism who’s dedicated a considerable part of his life to help the region’s travel industry grow. Now he’s jumped on the public-sector bandwagon and from his position as tourism minister of St. Lucia, Mr. Chastenet is not only advocating for his homeland’s development, but also for the advance of all other Caribbean islands. In this exclusive interview with Caribbean News Digital, Mr. Chastenet -a boldface name in both the CHA and the CTO- spells out his thoughts on a number of hot issues related to tourism in St. Lucia and the Caribbean.

CHA Marketplace 2008 - Bahamas Allen Chastenet is a seasoned veteran of Caribbean tourism who’s dedicated a considerable part of his life to help the region’s travel industry grow. Now he’s jumped on the public-sector bandwagon and from his position as tourism minister of St. Lucia, Mr. Chastenet is not only advocating for his homeland’s development, but also for the advance of all other Caribbean islands. In this exclusive interview with Caribbean News Digital, Mr. Chastenet -a boldface name in both the CHA and the CTO- spells out his thoughts on a number of hot issues related to tourism in St. Lucia and the Caribbean.

CHA Caribbean Marketplace 2008 - Bahamas The Caribbean Hotel Association -the region’s leading organization among hoteliers- is trying to put a new spin on the way things are run and many hotel chains from around the world, especially Spanish companies with an increasingly mighty presence in the Caribbean, are pinning their hopes on the election of Dominican-born Enrique de Marchena as the right man to spearhead a genuinely true integration process. In an exclusive interview with Caribbean News Digital, Mr. de Marchena explains what his vision and plans for the region will be once he takes over the reins of CHA in June.