Archives for Wednesday, December 31, 2003:

Independence overshadowed by mounting unrest in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Haiti on Thursday marks the 200th anniversary of its hard fought independence amidst new fears about security in the impoverished state, and mounting protests against its president... read more...

Antigua Labour Party says Opposition Leader "may be living on another planet"

ST JOHN'S, Antigua: According to a statement released by the Antigua Labour Party, the Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP) Mr Baldwin Spencer insulted the people of Antigua and Barbuda in his weekly broadcast on Sunday by suggesting that they were little better than Haitians... read more...

Grenada bans US beef imports and Cuba suspends U.S. cattle purchases

ST GEORGE'S, Grenada and HAVANA, Cuba: The Grenada government has announced a temporary ban on the importation of beef and beef products from the United States. Cuba said Tuesday it had also suspended purchases of live animals from the United States but expressed confidence it would resume them soon and add beef to a growing list of imported U.S. foods... read more...

Cooperative efforts boost vacation for passengers on impounded cruise ship in USVI

UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS: The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism and several partner tourism agencies combined their resources to enhance the vacation experiences of passengers aboard Royal Olympia Cruises' Olympia Voyager, which was impounded in the USVI last week following bankruptcy proceedings... read more...

Keep tourism on top of political agenda, urges CHA chief

BRIDGETOWN, (Barbados: Simón Suárez, president of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), welcomed the "very healthy maturation process" of the relationship between the media and Caribbean tourism, "thanks to CMEx," as he addressed the Fifth Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx) at the Almond Beach Village Resort in Barbados earlier this month... read more...

St Lucia medical school under fire

HARTFORD, USA: In a recent two-part series, the Hartford Courant disclosed that nearly 900 doctors in the US studied at foreign medical schools so deficient that their graduates are banned in several states. One extreme example, according to the report, is Spartan Health Sciences University in St. Lucia, whose students are banned in six states.. read more...

Pre-Christmas holiday in Nevis for Duchess of York

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: The Montpelier Plantation Inn in Nevis has confirmed a London Times newspaper report that the Duchess of York and her two daughters were guests at the resort for a pre-Christmas break... read more...

TRAVEL NEWS

Spirit Airlines aims for the Caribbean

FORT LAUDERDALE, USA: Florida-based Spirit Airlines has signaled it plans an expansion into the Caribbean and Central America that could give it almost as many foreign destinations as domestic ones during the next five years... read more...

Property additions and updates to the "USVI Ice Breaker" promotion

UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS: The USVI Department of Tourism has released an updated list of properties participating in the new "USVI Ice Breaker" promotion... read more...