Just 8 kilometers east of Roseau, the capital of Dominica, it’s a three-hour walk from Laudat to Boiling Lake. Three hours of humid forest, desolate valley, soil-heated rocks and sulfurous fumes. At the end of the path, a 63-metre-wide pool. Inside, the water bubbles almost continuously, with temperatures measured up to 91.6°C at the edges. It’s the second largest bubbling lake in the world.
A rare phenomenon in a UNESCO park
The world’s first is Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand’s Waimangu Valley. But the Dominican Boiling Lake is in a class of its own. Firstly, because it can only be reached on foot, after a demanding hike. Secondly, because it is part of a national park that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997: Morne Trois Pitons National Park. This makes it one of the most singular geothermal phenomena protected in a world-renowned natural site.
A flooded, rain-fed fumarole
Geologically, Boiling Lake is what scientists call a flooded fumarole – an opening in the Earth’s crust that lets out volcanic steam and gases. The heat comes directly from the volcanic activity below. The lake is fed by rainfall, nearby slopes and small streams. Its exact depth is difficult to determine: the first measurements in 1875 indicated a depth of over 59 metres, but recent data vary according to sources and the state of the lake.
An unstable lake since the 19th century
The lake was first observed in 1875 by Edmund Watt and Dr Henry Alford Nicholls, two Englishmen working in the colony, accompanied by their guides. Since then, lake levels and temperatures have fluctuated dramatically. In 1880, a phreatic eruption in the Valley of Desolation had a profound effect on the area. There have also been several episodes of significant drops in water levels, notably in 1988 and between December 2004 and April 2005. The UWI Seismic Research Centre, based in Trinidad, monitors the lake’s activity as part of its volcanic monitoring program in Dominica.
Dominica, an island of visible geology
Dominica’s absolute uniqueness lies in a particular alignment. The island – around 750 km², with a population of almost 70,000 – boasts a geological and ecological density that is rare in the Caribbean: several potentially active volcanic centers, 365 rivers according to the country’s tourism communication, a tropical forest that is still very much present, and the last pre-Columbian Kalinago population in the eastern Caribbean. Boiling Lake is one of the jewels in the crown.
A human memory around a natural site
For the Kalinago people, Dominica’s land, landscapes and natural spaces bear an ancient memory. During the colonial period, the island’s mountains and forests also served as refuges for Maroon populations fleeing the plantations. This dual indigenous and African memory gives the territory a historical depth that few geological curiosities can claim. Boiling Lake is not just a natural curiosity. It’s part of an island of memory.
A demanding hike, not a simple excursion
The hike to the lake is a demanding one. The official trail starts from Ti Tou Gorge, near the village of Laudat, and takes about three hours to get there, then the same to get back. The route passes through the Valley of Desolation, where steam comes out everywhere, sulfur deposits stain the rocks, you can sometimes cook an egg in the cracks in the ground, and the smell of sulfur marks the air. The authorities strongly recommend that you set off with a certified guide, don’t start hiking after 10 a.m., wear suitable footwear and check the weather forecast before setting off.
What Boiling Lake has to say about Caribbean tourism
At a time when the Caribbean is seeking to position itself as a destination for experiential tourism, Dominica offers a clear answer. No all-inclusive beaches. No over-the-top resorts. A hike of several hours to see a lake boil. And UNESCO status to protect it all. Boiling Lake tells the story of another Caribbean: a Caribbean of volcanoes, forests, rivers, trails, memories and landscapes that don’t come without effort. Perhaps that’s where its strength lies. Dominica doesn’t just sell scenery. It’s a reminder that Caribbean nature can still command respect.
Boiling Lake is located in Dominica’s Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. The hike usually starts from the Laudat area, near Ti Tou Gorge. It takes around three hours’ walk each way to reach this bubbling lake, set in a volcanically active environment of rainforest, hot springs, sulphur deposits and the Valley of Desolation.
Boiling Lake is famous for being the second largest bubbling lake in the world, after New Zealand’s Frying Pan Lake. Its basin is around 63 metres wide and its water reaches temperatures close to 92°C at the edges. This rare natural phenomenon provides an insight into the volcanic power of Dominica, an island where geology remains visible through fumaroles, hot springs and volcanic landforms.
We strongly recommend that you visit Boiling Lake with a certified guide. The hike is long, physical and sometimes challenging, especially due to the heat, humidity, slippery rocks, sulfurous fumes and rapid weather changes. The trail passes through geothermally active areas, notably the Valley of Desolation. A guide helps to make the route safe, explain the site and avoid mistakes in an impressive but potentially dangerous natural area.
At the Montego Bay Convention Centre, the image speaks for itself. Local entrepreneurs showcase their products, hotel representatives circulate, meetings follow one another. Behind these rapid exchanges, one question weighs heavily: when tourism makes money, how much really stays in Jamaica?
This is at the heart of Tourism 3.0, the new direction championed by Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett. At the Tourism Enhancement Fund’s 11th Speed Networking Event, he set out a clear ambition: to make tourism a more direct driver for Jamaican producers, artisans, manufacturers and suppliers.
Tourism that no longer just wants to attract
Jamaica knows how to welcome visitors. But the challenge is no longer just to fill hotels or increase arrivals. The real challenge is to retain more value in the territory. Edmund Bartlett has recognized a structural weakness: a large proportion of the goods and services consumed by the tourism industry are still imported. Food, equipment, vehicles, items sold to visitors, specialized services: too much spending still leaves the island instead of feeding its local economy.
With Tourism 3.0, the Jamaican government is looking to change its approach. It’s no longer just about selling a destination. It’s about building a tourism economy where Jamaicans are not just employees, but also suppliers, creators, owners and beneficiaries.
The "Local First" challenge
This orientation is in line with the “Local First” policy, which aims to place Jamaican companies at the heart of the tourism chain. The stated objective is concrete: to increase the share of the tourism dollar remaining in the national economy. This point is essential to understanding the scope of Tourism 3.0. In many Caribbean territories, tourism generates substantial revenues, but some of this wealth is exported through imports. Jamaica wants to reduce this economic drain by strengthening its own production capacities.
The Speed Networking Event does just that. This year’s event brought together 137 local manufacturers and 25 tourism companies for scheduled meetings. The aim is not symbolic. It’s about creating contracts, structuring volumes, bringing hotels closer to those who can supply them.
A strong commitment to local suppliers
Edmund Bartlett also sent a direct message to Jamaican producers. Tourism 3.0 needs creativity, but it also requires consistency. A hotel can’t run on a few samples. It needs sufficient volumes, consistent quality, on-time delivery and competitive prices. This is where Tourism 3.0 becomes a profoundly transformative project. To succeed, local businesses will have to step up their game. Farmers, craftsmen, furniture makers, food producers, object designers and service providers will have to respond to a professional, continuous and demanding demand.
In this sense, Tourism 3.0 is not just about the Ministry of Tourism. It involves agriculture, finance, education, health, security, economic development organizations and professional associations. Tourism becomes a national affair, not just a hotel affair.
A new framework for a new ambition
The Jamaican government also wants to modernize the sector’s legal framework, with the development of a new Tourism Authority Act. The aim is to adapt tourism governance to an industry that has become more complex, connected and strategic. This change adds an extra dimension to Tourism 3.0. Jamaica is not just looking to improve its tourism image. It wants to rethink the way wealth flows between visitors, hotels, producers and local communities.
This news isn’t just about the economy. It questions the productive dignity of a Caribbean territory: who feeds tourism? Who produces what it consumes? Who really earns when the world comes to vacation? Jamaica is blazing a trail that other islands will be watching closely. It remains to be seen whether Tourism 3.0 will become a measurable, financed and sustainable reform. For in the Caribbean, the future of tourism will not be played out in arrivals alone. It will also depend on the ability of territories to keep the value they create at home.
Tourism 3.0 refers to the new direction advocated by the Jamaican government to transform tourism into a more local economic lever. The aim is not just to attract more visitors, but to ensure that more of the money spent in the sector stays in Jamaica. This means better integrating local producers, craftsmen, manufacturers, farmers and suppliers into the tourism chain.
Tourism 3.0 is important because it addresses a common weakness in Caribbean tourism economies: a significant proportion of the goods and services consumed by hotels and visitors are imported. Jamaica wants to reduce this dependence by giving more room to local businesses. If successful, this strategy could create more income for Jamaican producers, boost local employment and limit the outward flight of value.
Yes, Tourism 3.0 could be of interest to other Caribbean territories facing similar challenges. In several islands, tourism generates substantial revenue, but local spin-offs are sometimes limited by imports and poorly structured supply chains. The Jamaican approach points to a way forward: connecting hotels, visitors and institutions more closely to local producers, so that tourism benefits local communities more directly.
On Redonda, the third largest island in Antigua and Barbuda, vegetation has increased by over 2,000% in eight years. “The island has been transformed before our very eyes,” sums up Johnella Bradshaw, program coordinator at the Environmental Awareness Group. No village, no road, no hotel, just a 1.6 km² volcanic rock that today tells the story of one of the most beautiful ecological restorations in the Caribbean.
An isolated rock off the coast of Antigua
Seen from the sea, Redonda first appears to be a mineral mass. An abrupt relief, set between Antigua, Montserrat and Nevis, off the beaten tourist track. It measures around 1.6 km² and rises to almost 305 meters above sea level. It is the smallest of the three islands that make up Antigua and Barbuda, but its recent history far exceeds its size.
2017, the year of changeover
The fact that changes everything comes down to one date: 2017. That year, teams from the Redonda Restoration Programme removed invasive black rats and relocated wild goats to Antigua. The program, launched in 2016 with Antigua & Barbuda’s Department of Environment, the Environmental Awareness Group and Fauna & Flora, aimed to save an island whose ecosystem was collapsing.
For decades, Redonda had been plagued by a double whammy. Rats preyed on eggs, young birds and small wildlife. Goats, left behind after past human activity, grazed the plants to the point of preventing natural regeneration. Little by little, the island lost its plant cover. The soil slid into the sea. The nearby reefs received stones and sediment.
An island shaped by guano mining
This bare landscape was not only the result of nature. In the 19th century, Redonda had also been mined for the phosphate contained in guano, a deposit of bird droppings used as fertilizer. Workers from Montserrat in particular took part. The activity declined after the First World War, but the introduced species remained. They continued to transform the island long after the men had left.
The visible return of life
The return has been rapid. In just a few years, plant biomass has increased by over 2,000%, according to data from Antigua and Barbuda’s Department of Environment. The number of land bird species has risen from 9 to 23. The Redonda Ground Dragons – unique black lizards that live nowhere else in the world – saw their population increase thirteenfold between 2017 and 2021. Where the ground was gray, vegetation is returning. Where rats once dominated, birds are nesting again. Where erosion washed the land into the sea, roots once again hold the soil.
A reserve to protect land and sea
In September 2023, this reconstruction reached a new stage with the creation of the Redonda Ecosystem Reserve. This protected area covers almost 30,000 hectares of land and sea, including the island, seagrass beds and an 18,000-hectare coral reef. According to a national survey, 96% of Antiguans and Barbudans support this protection * a rare consensus on an environmental issue.
The strength of this model also lies in its refusal of mass tourism. Redonda is not an island that’s easy to sell. Its cliffs, lack of permanent fresh water and difficult access keep it at a distance. But this distance gives it a rare value: that of a natural laboratory where we can measure what an island can become again when human pressure and invasive species recede.
Another tale of the Caribbean
In a Caribbean often presented by its beaches, Redonda imposes another narrative. The story of a tiny, uninhabited, long-damaged territory, brought back to life by patient science and local cooperation. Its beauty cannot be summed up in an image. It can be seen in the return of the birds, in the lizards re-colonizing the stones, in the plants once again holding the earth together.
Finally, Redonda reminds us that the greatness of an island does not depend on its population, its roads or its hotels. It can depend on a new-found equilibrium. And if this rock of Antigua and Barbuda can come back from the desert, how many other small Caribbean territories could also regain some of what they had lost?
Redonda is an uninhabited island belonging to Antigua and Barbuda. It lies in the Lesser Antilles, between Antigua, Montserrat and Nevis.
Redonda has become a rare example of successful ecological restoration. Since 2017, the removal of invasive rats and feral goats has enabled the return of endemic vegetation, birds and reptiles.
Redonda is not a classic tourist destination. Access is difficult and the island is protected above all for its ecological value, notably as part of the Redonda Ecosystem Reserve.
This year, the Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Awards 2026 spotlighted four of the region’s territories: Belize, Guyana, Jamaica and Turks and Caicos Islands. In San Pedro, Belize, the Caribbean Tourism Organization honored initiatives that give a concrete face to sustainable tourism in the Caribbean. Behind the trophies of the Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Awards 2026, the same question arises: what does tourism leave behind for the people, ecosystems and heritage it promotes?
In San Pedro, the Caribbean tourism industry faces up to its responsibilities
The awards ceremony was held during the CTO Sustainable Tourism Conference, organized in Belize with the Belize Ministry of Tourism, Youth, Sports & Diaspora Relations and the Belize Tourism Board. The event brought together regional leaders, industry players and international partners to discuss a topic that has become central to the Caribbean: building a tourism industry capable of creating value without weakening the territories.
This edition of the Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Awards 2026 not only rewards good practices. It draws a map of Caribbean responses to current challenges: protecting natural environments, supporting communities, preserving culture, better resisting climate shocks and moving towards tourism models that repair as much as they welcome.
Belize: Turneffe Flats, a complete model of sustainable tourism
The main prize, the Excellence in Sustainable Tourism Award, went to Turneffe Flats, Belize. The establishment was singled out for its comprehensive and measurable approach, combining environmental management, community involvement and innovation. This choice is symbolic. As well as hosting the conference, Belize is also one of the Caribbean territories where the relationship between tourism, the sea, reefs and local communities is particularly sensitive. In this context, Turneffe Flats represents a simple idea: a high-level tourism experience can also carry a long-term responsibility.
Guyana: Toka Village, when community isn't just a backdrop
The Community-Based Tourism Award was presented to Guyana Inni Lodge – Toka Village. Here, the challenge is not just to welcome visitors. The model put forward places local residents at the heart of tourism development, with social and economic spin-offs for the community. This is one of the most important aspects of the Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Awards 2026. In a region often told through its beaches, landscapes and hotels, community tourism reminds us that the locals are not an afterthought. They are the custodians of the knowledge, stories and customs that give real depth to travel.
Jamaica: REDI II, resilience as a prerequisite for tourism
The Jamaica Social Investment Fund, through the REDI II program, received the Destination Stewardship and Resilience Award at the Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Awards 2026. The program is recognized for its contribution to tourism resilience and disaster risk management in tourism-dependent communities. This distinction speaks directly to the Caribbean. In territories exposed to hurricanes, flooding, coastal erosion and economic tensions, sustainable tourism can no longer be limited to reducing its impact. It must also help communities to anticipate, resist and recover. Jamaica is singled out here for an approach that links tourism, local safety and adaptability.
Turks and Caicos: regenerative tourism on the horizon
The Regenerative Tourism Award was presented to the Turks and Caicos Islands National Trust. The organization was commended for initiatives related to ecosystem restoration, cultural preservation and community engagement. The term “regenerative” marks an important evolution. It’s no longer just about limiting damage. It’s about producing positive effects: restoring environments, strengthening heritages, involving communities and making destinations stronger after the passage of visitors. In these islands, where landscapes and history are at the heart of appeal, this approach provides a clear direction.
Four prizes, one lesson
The Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Awards 2026 showcase a Caribbean that no longer wants to be measured by visitor numbers alone. The awards highlight what tourism builds, protects and transmits. And that’s where the added value of this news item lies: it’s less about a ceremony than a change of perspective. The CTO has also announced that the winners will be included in its database of best practices in sustainable and regenerative tourism. This pooling of best practices could help other regions to draw inspiration from already-recognized experiences. A key question remains: will these examples become admired exceptions or models capable of transforming Caribbean tourism more widely?
The Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Awards 2026 recognized initiatives from Belize, Guyana, Jamaica and Turks and Caicos Islands, at the conference held in San Pedro, Belize.
They promote tourism models that do more than just attract visitors. They also promote ecosystem protection, community involvement, resilience and heritage preservation.
Sustainable tourism aims to reduce the negative impacts of travel. Regenerative tourism goes further: it seeks to produce positive effects on natural environments, local communities and heritages.
Great Blue Hole: seen from the air, it’s a dark circle in the middle of a turquoise lagoon. An almost perfect shape, set in the sea like an enigma. Off the coast of Belize, near Lighthouse Reef, this marine abyss, some 318 metres in diameter and 124 metres deep, has transformed a geological phenomenon into a global image.
A blue circle in the heart of the reef
From a small plane, the contrast is immediately striking. All around, the clear water hints at the shallows, reefs and nuances of the lagoon. In the center, the blue becomes denser, almost black. The Great Blue Hole is no mere natural curiosity. It’s an ancient limestone cavity, formed at a time when sea levels were much lower, then covered by the waters.
This uniqueness explains its visual power. Few places tell such a clear story of the link between geology, climate, sea and tourism. Here, the landscape is not just beautiful. It tells an ancient story that can be read on the surface.
A site off the coast of Belize
The Great Blue Hole is located near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a remote atoll off the mainland coast of Belize. NASA locates it some 80 kilometers off the Belizean coast, in an area where clear water allows the dark circle to stand out clearly against the reef’s shallow waters.
This site is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. This vast protected area comprises seven zones, including the Blue Hole Natural Monument. It is one of Belize’s great natural symbols and one of the most recognizable landmarks in the English-speaking Caribbean.
More than just a postcard
The figures are striking: around 318 metres wide, 124 metres deep. But there’s more to it than that. The Great Blue Hole is a reminder that the Caribbean is not just about beaches and hotels. It also has its own natural archives. Beneath the surface, limestone walls, ancient formations and geological layers tell the story of sea-level variations and climate transformations.
This is what makes the site so special. It attracts travelers for its spectacular appearance, but it also interests scientists, environmentalists and institutions charged with protecting the reefs. In a country where the sea is at once a resource, a heritage and an economic engine, this blue circle concentrates many issues.
A showcase for tourism, but also a responsibility
The Great Blue Hole has become one of Belize‘s strongest images. It features in travel reports, tourism campaigns, aerial photographs and rankings of great marine sites. But this notoriety demands vigilance. The site doesn’t exist on its own. It depends on the health of the Belize Barrier Reef, conservation policies, water quality and the country’s ability to manage tourism development.
Belize has already experienced the tensions typical of coastal territories: pressure on reefs, development, tourist numbers, climate change. In fact, the Belizean reef was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2018, after conservation measures praised by UNESCO. This reminder is essential: a site admired worldwide can also be fragile.
What Belize is showing the Caribbean
The Great Blue Hole gives the country an immediate signature. It’s instantly recognizable. Yet its strength lies not only in its beauty. It comes from the fact that it forces us to look at the Caribbean Sea differently. Not as a backdrop, but as a living, ancient, vulnerable and strategic territory.
At a time when many Caribbean islands are seeking a better balance between tourism, natural heritage and ecosystem protection, Belize has a powerful example here. The Great Blue attracts the world’s attention. Now the real question is simple: how can we sustainably protect what everyone wants to see?
The Great Blue Hole Belize is located off the coast of Belize, near Lighthouse Reef, in the Caribbean Sea. It is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Great Blue Hole Belize is famous for its spectacular circular shape, visible from the sky, as well as for its impressive dimensions: around 318 meters in diameter and 124 meters deep. It has become one of Belize’s best-known natural symbols.
Yes, the Great Blue Hole Belize can be visited on organized excursions, notably by boat or aerial flight. The site attracts enthusiasts of diving, marine landscapes and natural heritage, but its frequentation must remain supervised in order to preserve this fragile ecosystem.
The 2025-2026 cruise season in Martinique has come to a close on a strong note, with 568,348 passengers announced and a clear increase in patronage over the previous season. In a region where tourism relies as much on hospitality as on the quality of experiences offered ashore, these results reflect the destination’s growing presence on Caribbean itineraries. They also show that Fort-de-France, Saint-Pierre and the local players are moving in the same direction: better welcome, better orientation and better promotion of Martinique’s heritage.
Two long-awaited final stops in Fort-de-France
The 2025-2026 cruise season will close on Friday, April 24, 2026 with two calls to Fort-de-France. RCCL’s ship is expected to call at the Tourelles terminal with around 2,000 passengers, while Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess is scheduled to call at the Pointe Simon terminal with around 3,500 passengers. Most of the cruise passengers are expected to be American, between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
This final day also includes a cultural component. A class from the Alexandre Stellio secondary school in Anses-d’Arlet will welcome passengers to the Grand Port des Tourelles with a traditional dance performance. Students will also have the opportunity to visit the ship with crew members. The stopover thus becomes a moment of exchange: visitors encounter a living culture, while young Martiniquans gain access to a professional world often far removed from their daily lives.
Increased visitor numbers and a stronger economic role
Figures for April 1, 2026 show 234 calls between October 2025 and March 2026, compared with 208 in the 2024-2025 season. Cumulative traffic reached 568,348 passengers, versus 469,432 the previous season. This increase establishes the 2025-2026 cruise season in a phase of consolidation, with higher volumes and a greater capacity to attract customers from several geographical areas.
Head of line business accounted for 151,615 passengers over the season. This point deserves attention, as 59.7% of the passengers concerned are Martiniquais. The 2025-2026 cruise season therefore also functions as a gateway for the local population, beyond the mere reception of foreign visitors. This reality reinforces the role of the port, agencies, transport services and hospitality professionals.
Excursions sold on board are another important indicator. Over 83,000 excursions were sold over the past season, with a ratio to ship capacity ranging from 18% to 24%, depending on the month. The 2025-2026 cruise season thus generates spin-offs for the sites visited, guides, land-based service providers, craftsmen, restaurateurs and businesses located along passenger routes.
An international clientele broadens the destination's reach
Martinique attracts cruise passengers from a wide range of countries. Europe is the main source, with over 200,000 European cruise passengers, notably from France, Germany, Italy and the UK. The United States accounts for more than 84,000 passengers, Canada for nearly 18,000, and South America, the Caribbean and other markets are also represented.
This diversity gives the 2025-2026 cruise season a strategic dimension. It forces the destination to think in terms of welcoming visitors in several languages, adapting the information available, structuring travel and proposing offers capable of speaking to visitors with different expectations. For a Caribbean territory, this plurality is an asset if it is accompanied by sincere, well-organized experiences that respect the place.
Miami Seatrade as barometer for next season
From April 13 to 16, 2026, the Comité Martiniquais du Tourisme, accompanied by the Grand Port Maritime de la Martinique, shipping agencies, incoming agencies and cargo handlers, took part in the Seatrade trade show in Miami. Exchanges with cruise lines, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, American Airlines and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association confirmed the interest of professionals in the destination.
Feedback from cruise lines ranged from 7 to 8 out of 10 on destination attractiveness before and passenger satisfaction after a stopover. For the 2025-2026 cruise season, these ratings underline the gains made, while reminding us that Caribbean competition calls for constant improvement.
Martinique’s partners also highlighted a number of developments: modernization of reception infrastructures, directional signage to merchants, maintenance of emblematic sites, ongoing training of players, professionalization of services, digitization of information and marketing of innovative products. The 2025-2026 cruise season is thus moving forward on two fronts: attracting cruise lines and enhancing the passenger experience.
2026-2027: a season heralded as exceptional
The outlook communicated for 2026-2027 gives an idea of the ambition of the local players. Nearly 300 calls are announced, with the arrival of some particularly eagerly-awaited ships. The MSC Opera is due to call at Fort-de-France from November 20, 2026 to September 24, 2027, with 32 scheduled calls. This programming opens up the possibility of a continuous year-round season, a major change for the tourism organization.
The MSC World Europa is scheduled to arrive in Fort-de-France on December 5, 2026. Saint-Pierre is also due to welcome the Orient Express Corinthian, a 54-suite luxury French yacht, scheduled for October 27, 2026, with 6 calls. The 2025-2026 cruise season thus enters a sequence in which volumes, the quality of ships and the diversification of host ports can change the perception of the territory.
A challenge of hospitality, culture and territory
The 2025-2026 cruise season emerges from this period with a clear message: the island has solid assets, but the real value of this activity will depend on its ability to transform each stopover into an organized experience that benefits the territory. The figures are favourable, the prospects are strong, and the cultural reception on April 24 reminds us of something obvious: Martinique wins when its tourism gives a visible place to its inhabitants, its young people and its places of memory.
The press release announces 568,348 passengers for the 2025-2026 season. This figure marks a significant increase on the 2024-2025 season, which recorded 469,432 passengers.
The last two calls are scheduled for Friday, April 24, 2026 in Fort-de-France. RCCL’s ship is expected to dock at the Tourelles terminal with around 2,000 passengers, while Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess is scheduled to dock at the Pointe Simon terminal with around 3,500 passengers.
The next season is set to feature almost 300 calls. Highlights include the MSC Opera’s 32 scheduled calls between November 2026 and September 2027, the MSC World Europa’s arrival in Fort-de-France and the Orient Express Corinthian’s 6 calls in Saint-Pierre.
Caye Caulker is a small Belizean island in the Caribbean Sea, close to the Belizean barrier reef. Its identity is based on a simple idea, repeated throughout the island: “Go Slow“. This local motto isn’t just an empty slogan; it’s a way of living in the area, welcoming visitors and preserving the island’s distinctive rhythm.
A human-sized island off the coast of Belize
Caye Caulker’s first attraction is its scale. The island is easy to explore on foot, by bike or in a buggy. The sandy streets, small colorful houses, modest accommodations and restaurants overlooking the sea make up a simple setting, where tourism remains close to local life. This organization allows visitors to quickly understand the area, without artificial distance from the locals. Its proximity to Belize City makes it easy to get to, while maintaining a real break with the mainland. On arrival, visitors immediately experience a change of pace: the sound of engines gives way to conversations, boats, wind and the steady movement of the sea.
The coral reef, one of the region's major assets
Caye Caulker’s main natural asset lies offshore. The island is close to the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996. This reef system is part of the largest coral reef system in the Atlantic-Caribbean and one of the most important marine ecosystems in the region. This position explains the importance of sea-related activities: underwater observation, outings to the reefs, sailing and supervised fishing. For travelers, Caye Caulker offers direct access to remarkable biodiversity, provided that local rules are respected and responsible operators are chosen.
The Split, a place that has become a symbol
North of the inhabited part, The Split is one of the best-known spots on Caye Caulker. This channel separates the island into two parts and today functions as a meeting place, bathing and sunset spot. It’s here that the local atmosphere is concentrated: boats passing by, locals chatting, visitors coming to sit facing the water. The site is also a reminder of the fragility of small islands in the face of climatic phenomena. At Caye Caulker, the beauty of the landscape is always accompanied by a very concrete awareness of the environment, currents, reefs and coastal balances.
Creole culture visible in everyday life
The island belongs to an English-speaking and Creole Caribbean that is often less present in French-language accounts. English is widely spoken, but local identity is also reflected in the island’s cuisine, music, street life and relationship with the sea. Grilled fish, coconut rice, seafood and simple dishes recall the importance of local resources in daily life. This culture gives the island a distinct personality. Visitors don’t just come for the beach; they encounter a land where hospitality, fishing, slowness and sobriety all come together.
Tourism must remain measured
Caye Caulker ‘s popularity is growing, driven by its international reputation and the appeal of Belize. This visibility represents an economic opportunity, but also a challenge. The reefs, mangroves and coastal areas are sensitive. Poorly managed visitor numbers could undermine the very value of the island. For travelers, the right reflex is to choose respectful service providers, limit waste, avoid touching coral, avoid disturbing marine fauna and support small local structures. Caye Caulker offers a lot, but demands real attention in return.
A valuable destination for understanding Belize
Putting Caye Caulker in the spotlight means showing an essential facet of Belize: a Caribbean that is Creole, maritime, popular and focused on preservation. The island has a rare strength: it remains immediately understandable, while opening up to wider issues of reef protection, responsible tourism, island identity and the local economy. For the novice traveler, the island is an accessible gateway to the Belizean Caribbean. For the more experienced reader, it shows how a small territory can build its appeal around a rhythm, a culture and an environment to be protected.
Caye Caulker lies off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea. The island is located close to the Belize Barrier Reef, making it a popular destination for marine activities, including underwater observation and reef excursions.
Caye Caulker is known for its local motto “Go Slow”, its relaxed atmosphere, its sandy streets and its proximity to the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island attracts travelers looking for a simple, seaside holiday rooted in Creole culture.
Caye Caulker is ideal for travelers looking for an island on a human scale, with little traffic, a strong presence of the sea and visible local life. It is particularly suited to those who enjoy walking, reef watching, eating local food and taking the time to understand a territory rather than quickly consuming a destination.
Jamaica. Five months after Hurricane Melissa, the island is sending out a strong signal to the entire Caribbean: the country passed the one million visitor mark in the first quarter and has announced US$956 million in foreign currency earnings. For tourism authorities, this result confirms the speed of the recovery. For industry observers, above all, it shows that a destination hit by a climatic shock can quickly regain its place in the international travel circuit when confidence remains high.
A striking figure, which must be clearly understood
The million mark is impressive, but it needs to be read with care. In Jamaica, the category of visitor arrivals covers more than just tourists staying in hotels. National statistics distinguish between stay-over visitors, cruise passengers and other profiles included in overall arrivals. This nuance is important, as it enables us to correctly measure the scope of the announcement: the country has indeed returned to a high level of visitor arrivals, without this automatically meaning a million holidaymakers staying on site for several nights.
The first data available for 2026 show that the recovery has built up rapidly, but without erasing the consequences of Melissa all at once. In the first two months of the year, stayover arrivals were still below those of the previous year, as were cruise arrivals. The million mark passed in the first quarter is therefore a sign of a solid recovery, in a context that was still fragile just a few weeks earlier.
A recovery also driven by confidence
In island territories, tourism depends on infrastructure, of course, but also on external perception. After a hurricane, travellers want to know that airports are working, roads are passable, hotels are back in business and, above all, that their stay can be enjoyed in good conditions. This is where Jamaica has clearly succeeded in reassuring travellers. The authorities insisted on a central point: international confidence in the country’s ability to recover and maintain a high level of hospitality.
This confidence has been nurtured by another often underestimated player: the diaspora. At a meeting in Washington, Jamaican officials reminded us just how much the country’s communities abroad play a concrete role in its image. Even before making a reservation, future travelers listen to what their relatives, colleagues and friends have to say. When a diaspora speaks confidently about its island, corrects misinformation and encourages visitors to return, it plays a direct part in the recovery.
Market diversification begins to take its toll
Another element worthy of attention is the growth of markets that still occupy a more modest position than North America, but whose rise may reinforce the sector’s stability. Director of Tourism Donovan White reports a 25% year-to-date increase in the Latin American market and a 7% rise from Asia. These developments show that Jamaica is also making progress in the field of diversification, an important issue in limiting dependence on a few traditional emitting basins.
This movement takes on particular importance after a natural disaster. When a territory depends on a limited number of markets, the slightest slowdown can have a serious impact on revenues. Conversely, a broader customer base can cushion shocks and enable business to pick up more quickly. In Jamaica’s case, this gradual opening-up to other parts of the world complements the return of regular visitors.
Beyond the hotels, an entire economy is catching its breath
For Jamaica, this tourism rebound goes far beyond being a good indicator of visitor numbers. On the island, tourism supports an entire chain of activities: transport, catering, agriculture, crafts, services, culture and local commerce. When arrivals return, so does the income that flows back into areas that are sometimes far removed from the major seaside resorts. This is what gives this first quarter an economic and social significance that goes far beyond a simple assessment of the season.
The $956 million announced also serves as a reminder of the importance of foreign currency in the equilibrium of an island economy. In a country exposed to the vagaries of the weather, preserving this capacity to rapidly generate external revenue is becoming a central issue. The result put forward by the authorities does not resolve all the weaknesses revealed by Melissa, but it clearly indicates that the tourism machine has picked up speed again.
What Jamaica is showing the region today
Jamaica offers a picture of resilience that is of interest throughout the Caribbean. The country is demonstrating that rapid recovery relies on several levers at once: rehabilitated infrastructure, credible communication, a mobilized diasporic network and a continued presence on international markets. This million mark does not close the chapter opened by Melissa. Rather, it marks an important milestone: one in which a territory regains the initiative, reassures its visitors and puts an essential part of its economy back into motion.
Because Jamaican statistics use a broad category of visitor arrivals. It encompasses several types of visitation, with a distinction between stays and cruises. This clarification helps us to understand that the million announced corresponds to the total number of visitors recorded over the quarter.
The figures show a rapid recovery, but the first data for 2026 still indicated a decline in some segments compared with the previous year. The turnaround is therefore real and impressive, while still taking place in a period of still recent reconstruction.
Because it directly influences the country’s image abroad. After a hurricane, travelers look for signs of reliability. Jamaican communities based off-island can provide reassurance, correct rumors and encourage travel, helping to sustain bookings and confidence.
Fort Marfranc alone concentrates several major strata of Haitian history: the defense of the young state after 1804, the memory of the struggle against the colonial order and the presence, within its walls, of the tomb of Laurent Férou, signatory of the Act of Independence. Few sites combine military, political and memorial dimensions with such intensity. In the Grand’Anse region, this fort therefore has a value that goes far beyond that of a mere ancient vestige.
A strong link to the urgent need to protect independence
After 1804, Haiti had to consolidate the freedom it had won in a decisive war. The territory was therefore equipped with a series of fortifications designed to prevent the return of the former masters of Saint-Domingue. Fort Marfranc was part of this defensive logic. Its existence is a reminder that, in the aftermath of independence, sovereignty was not just a matter of texts and proclamations: it was also built in stone, on landforms, through strategic occupation of the territory.
The site dominates the area around Jeremiah, giving it a particularly useful watch and control role in a region exposed to the uncertainties of the time. There was nothing aesthetic about this choice of location. It was a response to a very concrete military interpretation of the terrain: to see far ahead, anticipate movement, defend a zone of passage and inscribe security in the very landscape of the Grand’Anse. This relationship between relief and strategy is part of the major interest of the site.
The uniqueness of the site: a fortress built on a former colonial site
The symbolic power of Fort Marfranc also lies in its physical roots. The fort was built on the remains of the former mansion of Captain Marfranc, a French officer in the first company of gendarmes. The land also covered the site of former slave huts. In just a few square meters, the site thus brings together three temporalities: the colonial order, the revolutionary rupture and the defensive organization of the new Haitian state. This superimposition gives the monument a rare historical density.
And this is precisely where Fort Marfranc’s profound appeal lies. The site doesn’t just tell the story of a battle or of military architecture. It materializes a shift in power. A space once linked to colonial domination becomes a point of protection for the independent country. For a reader attentive to Caribbean history, this detail changes everything: it enables us to understand how independence also transformed places, their use and their political significance.
Laurent Férou, a central figure in the fort's memory
The history of Fort Marfranc is closely linked to Laurent Férou, one of the leaders of the Haitian insurgency against the French. It was he who directed the fort’s construction and chose its location. This fact gives the site a special significance, as it is a place conceived by a direct player in the War of Independence, rather than an anonymous structure detached from its protagonists. The fort thus bears the concrete imprint of a political and military decision set within a strong personal trajectory.
The presence of his tomb inside the enclosure further reinforces this significance. Laurent Férou, born on the Pinot aux Côteaux dwelling and who died in Jérémie in 1806, was buried here after having been one of the signatories of the Act of Independence. This funerary dimension gives Fort Marfranc exceptional memorial value. The site has become a military post, a historical landmark and a place of national remembrance. In the Haitian heritage landscape, this combination remains particularly strong.
Heritage in ruins, but value intact
Today, Fort Marfranc is almost entirely destroyed. This situation limits its legibility in the field, weakens its transmission and complicates its promotion to the general public. Yet its ruin in no way diminishes its importance. On the contrary, it underlines the heritage urgency that surrounds many of Haiti’s historic sites, especially when they are far from the best-known circuits. It’s not just a question of conserving stones, then; it’s about preserving a national narrative that is localized, precise and deeply rooted in the Grand’Anse.
From this perspective, Fort Marfranc could play a much stronger cultural and educational role. The site has the potential to fuel the transmission of information on independence, the regional history of Jérémie and the forms taken by the defense of the territory in the early 19th century. It also offers a powerful entry point for discussing the continuities between slavery, war, sovereignty and memory. For a medium like RichèsKarayib, this type of place deserves sustained attention, as it enriches the reading of Haitian history beyond the most frequently cited references.
Why does this fort deserve a clearer place in Caribbean narratives?
In the Caribbean region, many heritage sites attract attention for their monumentality, state of preservation or tourist numbers. Fort Marfranc attracts interest for another reason: its ability to hold together the colonial experience, the revolutionary rupture and the memory of a signatory of independence. This depth makes it a site of great historical significance, even in its current state. It shows a Haiti that defended itself, organized itself and told its story through places charged with meaning.
Fort Marfranc deserves to be seen as a major heritage landmark on the Grand’Anse. Its relief, its history, its link with Laurent Férou and the symbolic power of its location make it a place of memory of rare density. For the novice reader, it opens a clear door on the issues at stake in the early years of independence. For the expert reader, it serves as a reminder that lesser-known sites remain essential to a full understanding of Haitian and Caribbean history.
Because it combines several dimensions rarely found in the same place: a military function linked to the defense of independence, a location on a former colonial site and the presence of the tomb of Laurent Férou, signatory of the Act of Independence. This combination gives the site a strong historical and symbolic importance in the Grand’Anse region.
Laurent Férou directed the fort’s construction and chose its location. His name gives the site a special depth, as he was a key player in the independence struggle. The fact that he lies buried within the fort’s walls further enhances the memorial value of the site, making it an important landmark in Haitian political history.
Today, the fort is almost completely destroyed. Despite this state of disrepair, its historical value remains considerable. The site retains its importance for understanding the defensive strategy adopted after 1804, the local memory of Grand’Anse and the way in which certain places still concentrate, on their own, a large part of the Haitian historical experience.
In northern Venezuela, Los Roques is a unique territory. Far from the large mountainous islands of the region, this archipelago is made up of hundreds of islets, reefs and sandbanks. Here, the landscape is based on water, light and the horizon. The absence of marked relief, the clarity of the lagoons and the scattering of cayos give Los Roques an instantly recognizable identity. For travellers, Los Roques is not a classic island. It’s a fragmented space, where each move opens onto a new setting, often only a few minutes away by boat.
An archipelago structured around Gran Roque
At the heart of Los Roques, Gran Roque Island is the main entry point and inhabited center. This is where you’ll find the airstrip, accommodation and services. The village, made up of low, colorful houses, concentrates the archipelago’s human activity. This centralization makes the area even more legible. From Gran Roque, visitors depart daily for other islets, called cayos, accessible by boat. This organization creates a simple operation: a stable anchorage point, surrounded by a multitude of natural open spaces.
A national park protected since 1972
The entire Los Roques archipelago has been classified as a national park since 1972. This status aims to preserve the coral reefs, seagrass beds and breeding grounds of numerous species. Regulations control construction, limit urbanization and organize tourist activities. This protection explains the state of conservation of the landscapes. The cayos remain largely untouched, with no permanent infrastructure. Visitors access them for the day, with light temporary installations. This management approach maintains a balance between visitor numbers and conservation.
Some of the clearest lagoons in the Caribbean
Los Roques ‘ main attraction lies in its shallow lagoons. The sandy seabed, combined with the shallow depths, gives the water particularly pronounced shades of blue and turquoise. Visibility is often excellent, making them ideal for water sports. The archipelago’s configuration protects much of the water from strong currents. This makes for easy navigation between the cayos and generally accessible swimming. For visitors, this continuity of calm waters creates a fluid experience, with no breaks between the different sites.
Scattered sandbanks and islets
One of the major features of Los Roques is the presence of isolated sandbanks. Some appear at low tide, others are permanently visible. These formations create temporary spaces, sometimes reduced to a few meters, surrounded by water. The best-known cayos, such as Cayo de Agua, Madrisquí or Francisquí, offer a variety of configurations: continuous beaches, rocky areas, internal lagoons. Each islet has its own geography, encouraging progressive exploration of the archipelago.
Restricted tourism with limited capacity
Tourism in Los Roques is mainly based on posadassmall accommodation facilities in Gran Roque. The absence of large hotels and limited accommodation capacity keep visitor numbers moderate. Stays are generally organized around daily excursions to the cayos, fishing, kitesurfing or diving. This approach favors discovery of the territory rather than concentration on a single location.
Access and organization
Access is mainly by air from Caracas. Flights land on a runway at Gran Roque. Once you’re here, you’ll need to get around the village on foot, and by boat to the other islets. This organization requires a certain amount of anticipation. Resources are limited, and services depend on local structures. For visitors, this means a more attentive approach to their stay, directly linked to the constraints of the territory.
A unique territory
Highlighting Los Roques means presenting an archipelago that doesn’t correspond to the usual standards of Caribbean destinations. Here, there are no large cities, imposing landforms or massive infrastructures. The territory is based on a different logic: dispersion, lightness and continuity between sea and sand. For travelers, the archipelago offers a clear, coherent experience. The archipelago doesn’t seek to multiply attractions, but to enhance a structured and protected natural environment. This uniqueness makes it one of the Caribbean’s most distinctive territories.
Los Roques lies to the north of Venezuela, in the Caribbean Sea. The archipelago is accessible mainly by air from Caracas, with regular flights to Gran Roque, the only inhabited island. There is no conventional sea link for tourists, which makes access more exclusive and helps to limit visitor numbers.
Los Roques is distinguished by its geography: an archipelago of over 300 islets, with no significant relief, surrounded by shallow lagoons. Unlike the volcanic islands of the region, the landscape is based on sand, reefs and water. Classified as a national park since 1972, the territory is strictly protected, preserving some of the best-preserved marine ecosystems in the Caribbean.
Accommodation is concentrated in Gran Roque, in the form of posadasThese are small, local establishments, often run by families. There are no large hotels or tourist complexes. Stays are generally organized around daily boat excursions to the various cayos, with days spent on isolated beaches and late afternoon returns to the village.
Activities in Los Roques are mainly sea-related. Swimming in the shallow lagoons, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing and kitesurfing are among the most common. The archipelago is also appreciated for its landscapes, which offer ideal conditions for photography and observation of marine fauna and birds.
Los Roques enjoys a relatively stable year-round climate, with warm temperatures and little variation. The archipelago lies outside the main hurricane zone, making it an all-season destination. Conditions are particularly favorable between December and June, with generally calm seas and excellent visibility in the water.
