The postcards portray sand, sea and sun. But key players in the Caribbean tourism industry are warning that it's time to shift gears away from the region's threatened coastlines and instead promote inland attractions like biodiversity. The good news is that we in the Caribbean have more than a few cards to play.

Sabre Travel Network, a global technology company serving travel suppliers and agencies, kicked off a new edition of its regional conference on technology innovations for the global travel industry.

St. Maarten has named Honorable Romeo F. Pantophlet as the country’s Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications. Pantophlet was chairman and board member of the Dutch Quarter Community Council in St. Maarten as well as a member of the Committee Eradication of “Shanty Towns” and Board member of the St. Maarten Carnival Committee.

A four-star resort is closing in the eastern Caribbean nation of Grenada, adding to the island's tourism woes. La Source says it will close Monday due to unforeseen circumstances. The 100-room resort was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and didn't reopen until February 2008.

Panama is considering the introduction of the euro as legal tender alongside the US dollar, the country’s President Ricardo Martinelli has announced. He revealed the plan to German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a visit in Berlin this week.