There is an old saying, out of every disappointment, there is a blessing, and we simply have to look for it and use it to our benefit. Such was the case last year, as the Anguilla Culinary Team, were unable to compete in last year’s Taste of the Caribbean,  due to financial constraints.

Billed as the ‘friendliest regatta’ in the Caribbean, boaters, sailing enthusiasts and sport-lovers from around the world are heading to the island of Tobago in preparation for the destination’s annual Carnival Regatta. Also considered the most radical regatta in the region, the event, dubbed A Festival of Wind, will feature the aerial dynamics of international, regional and local kite boarders and wind surfers as well as Optimist and Bum Boat sailors participating in the three-day event. Now in its third year, Tobago’s Carnival Regatta will take center stage February 18 –20, 2011.

Classic Vacations recently hosted its annual Caribbean Vendor Awards event at The Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort, Rose Hall, Jamaica in Montego Bay during the 2011 Caribbean Marketplace.

Mexico’s third annual National Tourism Convention kicked off last week in Mexico City. The convention is organized by the Confederation of Mexican Chambers of Commerce (CONCANACO SERVYTUR), presided by Jorge Dávila Flores. This year’s event is the first to bring together national and international stakeholders.

More than 200 delegates from the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) paid a brief visit to the Cayman Islands on January 17, at Pedro Castle. Ensuring the FCCA were given what tourism officials described as a ‘real Caymanian welcome’, delegates were treated with the sights and sounds of Caymanian culture, including a performance by the Kri Dance School.

Choice Hotels International, Inc. is putting its weight behind the region's premier travel and tourism trade convention, by sponsoring Caribbean Marketplace, opened at the Montego Bay Convention Center in Jamaica this Sunday, January 16. Jose Salvador Icaza, Director of Caribbean Franchise Development and Emerging Markets of Choice Hotels International, and Bill Clegg, Regional Vice President of Brand Performance and Programs, will lead the Choice Hotels team at the trade convention which is produced by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) under the theme “All Tourism, All Caribbean, All Business.”