Tourism officials yesterday said they are hoping to attract a “routine arrival” of cruise ships to the southern Bahamas, as they bid to increase annual visitor numbers to a total of seven million. Grand Bahama is already up by 5,000 visitors for the month of January.

International tourist arrivals grew by five percent in 2013, reaching a record 1,087 million arrivals, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Despite global economic challenges, international tourism results were well above expectations, with an additional 52 million international tourists travelling the world in 2013.

Manuel Marrero, Cuban Minister of Tourism, and Adolfo Mesquita, Secretary of Tourism of Portugal, expressed their interest in boosting bilateral ties in this sector. Both officials agreed that the two nations will benefit if they work together in a meeting held on the occasion of the 34th Tourism Fair in Madrid (Fitur).

Located at the most beautiful white beach and turquoise blue sea in Aruba, the Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa has been a leader in sustainability and responsible tourism for years. This luxury boutique resort was the first Green Globe member to earn prestigious Gold Status in January 2008.

The Guadeloupe Islands saw a significant jump in arrivals from the United States last year, with a 23 percent year-over-year increase, according to data released by the Guadeloupe Islands Tourist Board during the Caribbean Travel Marketplace conference.

The country received 176,642 visitors in 2012, according to data from the Caribbean Tourism Organization, which was itself a 12.6 percent increase over the previous year. Last year’s count was approximately 197,310 visitors.