Caribbean Cruises

Caribbean holidays to become greener

Eco-conscious travellers looking for an environmentally-friendly break should consider Caribbean holidays, as vacations in this beautiful part of the world are set to become greener.



Since the successful continuation of tourism in the Caribbean depends heavily on the sustainability of its environmental assets, the region's tourism industry is looking at a number of ways to reduce its carbon emissions through an offsetting partnership with the UK.

At a recent meeting in London, representatives from the Caribbean Hotel Association, the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism and the Caribbean Tourism Organisation met with officials from the UK tourism industry to discuss ways to managing the carbon-emitting impact of Caribbean holidays. Ideas included the creation of carbon trading programmes under which airlines transporting passengers on their Caribbean holidays would buy permits to emit carbon dioxide from lower emitters.

Also suggested was the establishment of carbon offsetting schemes which would allow tourists visiting the Caribbean to offset the CO2 they have emitted on their journey by putting money into carbon reduction schemes in the region.

According to figures seen by the Guardian, UK tourists account for 40 per cent of all visitors to the Caribbean, with an increasing number of Brits looking to spend their retirement in the region.

Caribbean to hot up for St Lucia jazz

It's sizing up to be a hot, jazzy summer in St Lucia as the 16th annual St Lucia Jazz Festival prepares to sway into action this summer.

Visitors to the popular Caribbean holiday destination can expect the sound of the summer to be in the air this May, as sun-touched jazz takes over for ten days. Jazz fans can combine a Caribbean cruise with a visit to one of the world's premier live jazz festivals, promising more than enough for newcomers and die-hard jazz enthusiasts alike.

Highlights for this year's festival include Tania Maria of Brazil and US soul star John Legend, who will be lighting up the main stage on different days.

Other big names to look out for include Al Jarreau and George Benson, Will Downing, Gerald Albright, Norman Brown, Natalie Cole and Isaac Hayes, all of who will be on hand with live performances in suitably tropical surroundings.

Each year the St Lucia Jazz Festival attracts literally thousands of Jazz enthusiasts to one of the most popular Caribbean islands, which sprawls across a number of local villages in May.

"St Lucia Jazz is shaping up just great," minister of tourism, Allen Chastanet told Caribbean Net.

"The private sector has added more to the festival this year and we are very excited about the potential of this public-private collaboration."

The St Lucia Jazz Festival takes place from May 4th until May 14th.

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