PHILIPSBURG, Netherlands Antilles -- Regional airline, Windward Islands Airways International (WINNAIR) has announced special fares in observance of three special events to take place in three of its nine destinations. The events are St Maarten Day, which will be observed on November 11... read more...

---

WASHINGTON, USA (Reuters) -- The founder of the defunct online offshore gambling firm BetOnSports, Gary Kaplan, was sentenced to the maximum 51 months in prison for conspiring to violate US racketeering and other laws. Kaplan set up business entities offshore in Aruba, Antigua and Costa Rica. read more...

---

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands-- The Cayman Islands signed a Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) with the Netherlands Antilles on 29 October 2009 whilst attending the CFATF Plenary, held in Curacao. The agreement is the fourteenth TIEA signed by the Cayman Islands. read more...

---

HAMILTON, Bermuda -- Bermuda's Minister of Finance Paula Cox announced on Tuesday that Bermuda has concluded a bilateral agreement with Aruba that provides for a full exchange of information on criminal and civil tax matters between Bermuda and Aruba. The tax information exchange agreement... read more...

---

CORAL GABLES, USA -- In the current economic climate, the hospitality industry has been feeling the effects of travelers cutting back, and no place is this more evident than in the Caribbean. In spite of this, some Caribbean resorts are weathering the storm thanks to solid service and marketing programs. read more...

---

HONG KONG, China (Bloomberg) -- Aruban Prime Minister Nelson Oduber expects to be able to agree soon with PetroChina Co. about the sale of a Valero Energy Corp. refinery on the island, Dutch news agency ANP reported, citing the politician. Valero said in July it was continuing talks with PetroChina. read more...

---

ORLANDO, USA -- AirTran Airways has released schedules for new service to Aruba. These flights will mark the airline's fifth Caribbean destination and are in addition to recently announced service to Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Nassau, Bahamas and existing service to Cancun, Mexico, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. read more...

---

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao -- The status of the Netherlands Antilles as a co-operative, transparent and internationally responsible jurisdiction has been recognized by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on September 11 2009. According to a press release on Saturday... read more...

---

NEW YORK, USA -- JetBlue Airways will waive change fees and fare differences to allow customers booked to or from St Maarten to postpone their travel plans due to the projected path of Tropical Storm Erika. JetBlue serves St Maarten with nonstop flights from Boston and New York/JFK. read more...

---

PHILIPSBURG, St Maarten -- Winair has announced there will be a number of changes to its schedule for Thursday, 3rd September 2009. Despite the following destinations: Nevis, St Barths, Statia and Saba operating normally on Wednesday, they will join the other destinations on Thursday in not operating. read more...

---

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao -- The Netherlands Antilles and Mexico have signed a tax agreement which spells out a framework under which both nations will exchange information on tax matters in order to prevent tax fraud, financing of terrorism and money laundering. State Secretary of Finance... read more...

---

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao -- The Netherlands Antilles and Canada have signed a bilateral agreement for the exchange of information for tax purposes. The Netherlands Antilles will in the next two weeks sign similar deals with Mexico, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Faroe Islands and Greenland. read more...

---

DALLAS, USA (Bloomberg) -- Valero Energy Corp. said its Aruba refinery, the third-largest in the Caribbean, will be closed indefinitely and “nearly all” the remaining contract workers fired. The refinery stopped production July 16. Valero notified workers Wednesday that the shutdown will continue. read more...

---

ATLANTA, USA (Reuters) -- Low-cost airline AirTran Airways said on Tuesday it filed applications with the US Department of Transportation to offer flights to three stops in the Caribbean in a bid to expand its international service. The unit of AirTran Holdings Inc said it has proposed offering service to Nassau... read more...

---

PHILIPSBURG, St Maarten -- Frans George Richardson has been appointed as Commissioner of Tourism and Economic Affairs, Aviation and Sports for St Maarten. Prior to this position, Richardson served for three years as a Senator representing St Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles Parliament. read more...

---

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao -- The Netherlands Antilles will sign tax information exchange agreements with Canada on the 30th August in Vancouver and with Mexico on 1st September in Los Cabos. These agreements will provide for full exchange of information on criminal and civil tax matters. read more...

---

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (SKNIS) -- Commissioner of Culture, Sport and Youth Affairs in French St Martin, Jean David Richardson, has officially apologized to the government and people of St Kitts and Nevis for an incident that occurred on July 17, when a visiting Under 17 and Under 15 football team was attacked. read more...

---

WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao -- Effective November 19, 2009, American Airlines will fly twice daily to the island of Curaçao, often referred to as the Caribbean’s Hidden Treasure. The additional non-stop service from Miami International (MIA) offers travelers more flexibility in their vacation planning. read more...

---

PHILLIPSBURG, St Maarten -- Windward Islands Airways (WINAIR) has once again made a significant announcement which is geared at providing relief to the travelling public. The airline through its Managing Director, Edwin Hodge has announced the airline’s sizzling, spicy summer carnival special. read more...

---

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands -- Technical negotiating teams from the Cayman Islands and the Netherlands have finalised the terms of an agreement and protocol for the exchange of information with respect to tax matters. The proposed Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) was drafted in George Town. read more...

---

NEW YORK, USA (Bloomberg) -- Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA, Brazil’s second-largest airline, is adding routes to the Caribbean and smaller domestic cities while scaling back flights in the rest of South America as demand slows, Chief Executive Officer Constantino de Oliveira Jr. said. read more...

---

WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao -- Ten lucky North Americans will be put to the test when they compete in a real treasure hunt on the island of Curaçao in hopes of winning half a million dollars. The Curaçao Treasure Hunt will take place from August 23-25, 2009.  Stretching from California to New York, and as far north as Canada... read more...

---

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) -- A Spanish cruise ship hit by an outbreak of the H1N1 flu virus among its crew headed for its final stop at the Caribbean island of Aruba on Thursday, the ship operator said. The Ocean Dream, owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises, was on a week-long cruise due to end on Friday. read more...

---

WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao -- By September 2009, the Netherlands Antilles will have signed nine new tax treaties bringing its total to sixteen. Of these treaties, a total of fourteen treaties will have been concluded with OECD countries. Scheduled to be signed are tax information exchange agreements with Canada, Mexico, Denmark... read more...

---

WILLEMSTAD, Netherlands Antilles (Reuters) -- A refinery on Curacao operated by Venezuela's state oil company is damaging people's health and must cut emissions or face multi-million dollar fines, a court on the Caribbean island ruled on Thursday. Critics also say PDVSA provides few benefits to the island. read more...

---

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao -- Caribbean tourism human resources professionals meeting in Curacao have been challenged to adopt a new approach to human resources that will lead to a more hospitable experience for visitors. The conference is organised by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). read more...

---

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao -- Tourism leaders across the region are being encouraged to value the importance of human resources in the sector. The subject of investment in human resources development was a key talking point at the opening of the 5th Annual Caribbean Tourism Human Resources Conference. read more...

---

The scriptures teach us that there is safety in the multitude of counselors, and following a recent visit to the Dutch Caribbean territory of St Maarten I got the impression that tourism leaders there - from the director of tourism to the head of a local destination management company - have expelled insularity read more...

---

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao -- The delegations of the Netherlands Antilles and Jamaica reached an agreement regarding a tax treaty; and a draft for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion was initialed last Thursday in Kingston. It is hoped that this treaty will be signed later this year. read more...

---

PHILIPSBURG, St Maarten -- Caribbean leaders who continue to resist the call to market the region as a single destination should be inspired by the nations of St Maarten and St Martin, which share an island and are successfully branding themselves by embracing the concept the sum is greater than the parts. read more...

---

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao -- The second round of negotiations between the Netherlands Antilles and Jamaica on Double Taxation Avoidance starts on Monday in Kingston. During the first round of negotiations which took place on the island of Curacao in January 2009 considerable progress was made. read more...

---

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao (Reuters) -- Curacao residents voted in a referendum on Friday that may give them increased autonomy from the Netherlands and allow a restructuring of the Caribbean island's foreign debt. If the referendum is approved they will be allowed more say in their home affairs. read more...

---

KRALENDIJK, Bonaire -- The Tourism Corporation Bonaire on Tuesday announced that Insel Air will be commencing a new weekly non-stop flight from Miami, Florida to Bonaire effective July 4, 2009. The flight will operate weekly on Saturdays throughout the year. Insel Air will use either an MD 82 or MD 83 aircraft. read more...

---

ROAD TOWN, BVI -- The British Virgin Islands has been chosen to spearhead the development of a regional programme that will benefit the Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME) in the British and Dutch territories in the Caribbean. After a series of talks, the British and Dutch territories agreed to move forward. read more...

---

CORAL GABLES, USA -- With Earth Day just around the corner, eco-conscious resorts throughout Central America and the Caribbean are offering guests the opportunity to honor Mother Earth. Highlights on April 22 include nature hikes, gardening, beach cleanups and celebratory “Green Mojitos.” read more...

---

ZURICH, Switzerland (Reuters) -- Offshore centres are rushing to sign data exchange tax deals with small Nordic countries such as Greenland to be taken off a "grey" list of tax havens, making a mockery of a G20 bid to clamp down on evasion, campaigners said. The G20 summit named 40 or so countries. read more...

---

PHILIPSBURG, St Maarten -- Winair has come in for high praise after playing a key role in rescuing a lost fisherman whose boat had capsized early Sunday. The St Maarten-based airline company was alerted of the disappearance of the fisherman from Statia, who according to reports was fishing when he disappeared. read more...

---

WASHINGTON, USA: Veteran Washington-based broadcaster Von Martin joined thousands all across the Caribbean, North America, and elsewhere, mourning Eugene Godfried, the champion radio broadcaster, community organizer, music producer and ethno-musicologist, who died this past Sunday. read more...

---

The upcoming May 15 referendum in Curaçao is sure to have important repercussions for the political future of the Netherlands Antilles, a group of islands located in the southern Caribbean, which make up part of the Kingdom of Holland, and one of the last remnants of overseas colonial territories in the Caribbean. read more...

---

ST MAARTEN, Netherlands Antilles: Managing Director of Winair, Edwin Hodge edged his company another step closer to profitability as he inked a major deal with a leading Caribbean Insurance company. This new agreement is geared towards enhancing the airline’s aircraft fleet and liability coverage. read more...

---