Professor Rex Nettleford, Vice Dean of the University of West Indies, stressed recently on the need to build better cooperation among all local institutions, companies and authorities involved in the development of Caribbean tourism.

“The region’s travel industry deserves the benefits coming from the synergy of strategic alliances among different elements that will turn it into a sustainable sector both within the countries and among all nations in the region,” Professor Nettleford pointed out.

Cuba is blessed with numerous attractions when it comes to underwater activities and ranks as the world’s 27th destination that scuba diving buffs covet the most. Today, the island nation is outfitted with 37 diving centers where enthusiasts are assisted by over 150 internationally certified guides and trainers. The country’s crystal-clear waters pack an additional wallop.

Underwater sports in Cuba are managed by such companies as Cubanacan Nautica, Horizontes, Gaviota, Rumbos, Gran Caribe, Cubamar, Club Havana and others perched on the island’s northern and southern shores.

Six of Mexico’s 32 states joined hands in a tourist alliance to promote a package dubbed In the Heart of Mexico. This makeshift merger will zero in on the states of Hidalgo, Guerrero, Morelos, Tlaxcala, Mexico and the Federal District.

According to authorities from the country’s Tourism Department (SECTUR is the acronym in Spanish), this is nothing but an effort to buttress a common tourist region rather than focusing on isolated advertisement efforts.

With the departure of flight AC1252 to San Jose, Costa Rica, Air Canada launched a major expansion of new services to Latin and South America. The carrier inaugurated three times weekly flights to Havana, Cuba, (Air Canada´s fifth Cuban destination) and non-stop service to Santiago, Chile, with same plane service continuing on to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Commissioner of Tourism Pamela C. Richards announces the addition of new regional airline service to St. Croix and St. Thomas this winter. Caribbean Sun Airlines will begin offering daily round-trip flights from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to St. Croix and St. Thomas as of December 11.

"I am very excited about this increase in our airlift," Commissioner Richards said. "These connecting flights from Puerto Rico, in addition to others from major airlines, will provide additional means for visitors to travel with ease to the territory."

The Caesar Park Hotel of Panama grabbed the Five Star Diamond Award, the highest prize for any five-star resort given by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. The award that goes to those establishments that boast top-notch lodging conveniences and comfort has also been nabbed in the past by Cancun’s Ritz Carlton Hotel, the Athenee Plaza in NYC and the Dorchester in London.