www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]

A straw ribbon graced the entrance to the Junkanoo Summer Festival, which kicked off on Saturday, July 4, 2015 at Arawak Cay. Pictured, second left, Permanent Secretary Harrison Thompson; Junkanoo Nymphe, Analicia Thompson; Minister of Tourism the Hon. Obie Wilchcombe, Director General of Tourism Joy Jibrilu; and Deputy Director General Ellison Tommy Thompson. (BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)

It looked like a prelude to the annual Boxing and New Year’s Day parades as thousands flocked to Arawak Cay in Nassau, capital city of The Bahamas, for the opening of the Junkanoo Summer Festival on Saturday, July 4, 2015, reports www.bahamaislandsinfo.com 

Organized by the Ministry of Tourism, the festival will be held every Saturday during the month of July. It is aimed at showcasing the best in culture, dance and food fare.

The event will also give Junkanoo groups, on a smaller scale, an opportunity to compete in music, dance and choreography for prizes and of course, bragging rights.

A street march was also part of the festivities with fire dancers, jugglers, acrobats and the Junkanoo Nymphe who was painted in hues of blue and glittery ornaments.

#Bahamas #By #Ferie #Festival #Hovedstad #Nassau #Reise #Turisme

#Capital #City #Holiday #Tourism #Travel 

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]

(Illustrasjonsfoto)

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Antallet golfturister til Den dominikanske republikk øker stadig. Landet har hele 25 flotte baner, og to nye er under bygging. Det er suverent flest i Karibia, skriver VG.

Den dominikanske republikk ligger vest for Puerto Rico, dit Norwegian starter direkteflyvninger.

Den dominikanske republikk utgjør den østlige delen av øya Hispaniola, der Haiti utgjør den vestlige delen.

#By #DominikanskeRepublikk #Ferie #Golf #Haiti #Hispaniola #Hovedstad #Karibia #Norwegian #PuertoRico #Reise #SantoDomingo #Turisme #VG 

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]

Fort-de-France

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Easily one of the most distinctive Caribbean nations, highlighted by an exotic, historic waterfront capital city in Fort-de-France, Martinique has nevertheless struggled to progress beyond secondary status as a cruise ship destination, www.travelpulse.com reports.

Officially an overseas region of France, Martinique’s 177,786 cruise ship visitors in 2014 ranks 25^th among the 28 destinations tracked by the Caribbean Tourism Organization. Yet last year’s cruise visitor total represents a 71 percent increase over 2013. In fact, Martinique has recorded a 524 percent increase in cruise ship guests since 2010.  

The cruise ship arrivals have increase is due in large part to capital improvements at the Fort-de-France cruise port and new and enhanced attractions, according to officials at the Martinique Promotion Bureau.

Moreover, the island’s tourism stakeholders are forecasting a strong 2014-2015 cruise season, with several major U.S. and European cruise lines scheduled to make calls at Fort-de-France this season. The visits will be highlighted by calls from one of the largest cruise ships, Royal Caribbean International’s 4,180-passenger Quantum of the Seas, which visited Martinique four times in January, March and April.

In addition to a variety of tours available in easy-to-reach areas around the capital city, cruise-ship visitors can opt for walking tours of Fort-de-France.

The city’s attractions range from the historic Schoelcher Library and Saint Louis Cathedral to the Aime Césaire Theater Museum, housed in a historic theater building that was once the mayoral office of the Martinique-born poet, author, politician and founder of French literature’s Négritude movement.

Tourists can now also visit the city’s iconic 17th-century Fort Saint-Louis, which had been closed to public viewing until this year.

Visitors can arrange for guided tours at the Fort-de-France Tourism Board’s information kiosk in Fort-de-France’s Place de la Savane park, steps from the cruise pier.

A popular local gathering spot, the park features a statue of Martinique-born Joséphine de Beauharnais, the first wife of Napoleon.

The statue was beheaded sometime during the 1990s, reputedly by individuals who blame the colonial-era monarch for supporting slavery’s re-establishment on the island.

Travelers can view multiple Fort-de-France sites via Cyclo’comm, transport vehicles which seat one to three passengers.

Driver-guides take visitors to 14 historic sites around downtown Fort-de-France.

#Bibliotek #Borgermester #By #Cruise #Ferie #Frankrike #Fort #FortDeFrance #Hovedstad #Karibia #Katedral #Keiser #Litteratur #Martinique #Museum #Napoleon #Ordfører #Reise #Statue #Turisme

#Capital #Caribbean #Cathedral #City #Emperor #France #Holiday #Library #Mayor #Tourism #Travel

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]

Bob Marley

Government officials, lawyers and artists participated in a conference in Kingston, capital of Jamaica, Wednesday to hash over ways of giving Jamaica a competitive advantage from reggae, the homegrown music that long ago went global, the Associated Press reports.

Industry Minister Anthony Hylton described reggae as “part of the heart and soul” of Jamaica. But he acknowledged that the island’s struggling music industry needs to be better protected and monetized.

“Reggae has given Jamaica much in the way of international prestige but there remains more that we can achieve on the economic side of things,” Hylton said at the “international reggae day” gathering.

Starting in the late 1960s, Jamaica’s exuberant music scene helped transform the Caribbean island into a cultural powerhouse. Reggae’s global popularity exploded in the 1970s with the rise of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and other charismatic Rastafarian reggae stars.

But in recent years, international music festivals celebrating sounds developed in Jamaica are more likely to be headlined by bands from places like California or France than by native-born Jamaicans. Aside from albums by the late Marley or his progeny, few of the top-selling reggae CDs or downloads come from Jamaican artists.

Hylton says Jamaica’s government is increasingly viewing the music and other cultural enterprises as a potential economic engine for the island.

In recent days, Parliament authorized amendments to extend local copyright terms from 50 to 95 years. The government has also applied to UNESCO to add reggae to a global list of “intangible cultural heritage” to potentially help defend Jamaican music. It is also seeking to amend an act to allow the registration of Jamaican trademarks in other countries.

But some reggae insiders worry the government has achieved little to protect the local music industry.

“Truth be told, the Jamaican music industry has not been fortunate as elsewhere in the world” with getting government help, said Haldane Browne, chairman of the Jamaica Music Society.

#BobMarley #By #California #Ferie #FN #Frankrike #Hovedstad #Jamaica #Kingston #Konferanse #Marley #Minister #Musikk #Reggae #Reise #Turisme #UNESCO #USA

#Capital #City #Conferance #Holiday #Music #Tourism #Travel #UnitedNations #UN

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]

Pointe-a-Pitre cruise port. 

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Guadeloupe is reporting strong growth in its cruise sector, www.caribjournal.com reports.

Pointe-a-Pitre is the commercial capital of Guadeloupe, situated on the southwest part of the island of Grande-Terre, while the French territory’s administrative capital is Basse-Terre, on the southwest corner of the same name.

The French Department’s Pointe a Pitre port is home to Three Costa Cruises ships, and just celebrated 20 years of strong partnership with the cruise line.

The port reported a near 50-percent increase in passengers during the 2014-2015 season, reaching 320,000 visitors.

With the addition of four new cruise ship, Guadeloupe is forecasting more than 400,000 passengers for the 2015-2016 season.

In the interest of this growth in home porting activities, and in response to the 144-percent increase in charter flights in 2015, the Guadeloupe Pole Caraibe International Airport invested around $11.2 million USD towards the construction of a dedicated cruise ship terminal at the airport.

“The Guadeloupean savoir-faire in home porting activities is well known in the Caribbean,” said Olivier Michel, Cruise Director of the Guadeloupe Islands Tourist Board.

“It is the results of a combined strategy and combined efforts from the Guadeloupe Port Authorities, Guadeloupe Pole Caraibe International airport and the Guadeloupe islands Tourist Board as we definitely work as a team at all Levels.”

#BasseTerre #By #Cruise #Ferie #Guadeloupe #Hovedstad #Karibia #PointeAPitre #Reise #Turisme

#Capital #Caribbean #City #Holiday #Tourism #Travel

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]

The first movie theater to operate in the Haitian Capital Port-au-Prince in years has opened its doors off a renovated downtown square, a welcome sign of revival in a city shattered by an earthquake more than five years ago, Associated Press reports. 

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The Triomphe theater had been closed since 1988, but was rehabilitated with more than 700 plush seats, a digital sound system and two screens. The Port-au-Prince cinema with a glass facade also boasts conference rooms and a hall for concerts, plays and other cultural performances.

President Michel Martelly inaugurated the revamped theater Friday along with dignitaries and dozens of local artists. Authorities say it won’t actually start showing films to the general public for about another month, once arrangements for a parking garage are completed.

Port-au-Prince had roughly 30 cinemas in the 1970s. But over the years they all closed amid political turmoil and rampant bootlegging of movies with pirated DVDs and videotapes.

The last movie theater to operate in Port-au-Prince was the Imperial Cinema, which closed shortly before the January 2010 quake that devastated much of the capital and surrounding areas.

Musician, producer and playwright Jean Jean-Pierre said yesterday that the Triomphe’s reopening by the Champ de Mars plaza in downtown Port-au-Prince is “very exciting.” It’s the city’s main public square and major work has been done to rehabilitate it, including the recent completion of an open-air amphitheater.

“The idea is to create confidence so that people will come back to the Champ de Mars for regular cultural events,” said Pierre, a member of Haiti’s council of the performing arts.

On a recent morning, dried food vendor Lisette Issonne gazed up at the Triomphe as she strolled across the bustling square with her two daughters.

“I’m not sure I can afford to take my daughters when the movies start, but it’s nice they are opening this theater and fixing up the Champ de Mars,” she said.

#By #DVD #Ferie #Film #Haiti #Hovedstad #Karibia #Kino #PortAuPrince #President #Reise #Turisme #Video

#Capital #Caribbean #Cinema #City #Holiday #Tourism #Travel  

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]

Roseau, capital of Dominica

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Dominica, the Nature Island of the Caribbean, has an extra helping of FUN planned for July. The excitement kicks off on July 1 with the four-day Nature Island Food and Drink Festival and continues with the island?s 22nd annual Dive Fest from July 10-19, www.eturbonews.com reports.

The Nature Island Food and Drink Festival offers four days of culinary excellence and passion. Scheduled from July 1 to 4, 2015, the festival incorporates island chef cook-offs and mixologist competitions, culinary arts and I-tal food symposiums and expos, and a farm-to-table experience for kids. This festival incorporates health and wellness activities, health-conscious foods, trends for whole and raw foods and delicious fusion cuisine.

Carla Armour, festival producer, noted that the culinary arts will be recognized as an internationally marketable heritage and tourism niche.

“The festival strives to raise the standard of food and drink offerings by using local produce in new and interesting ways in fusion with international concepts, flavors and local ingredients,” explained Armour.

This year, the Nature Island Food and Drink Festival features Toronto-based Chef Carlos Laville and New York-based Chef Stefan Shillingford. The festival will culminate on Saturday, July 4, with the island chef finals and cook-off competition and mixologist face-off finals.

The festival is organized by Vetivert Inc.

Dive Fest Attracts Water Lovers and Land Lubbers to the Nature Island

Rated as one of the top 10 dive locations in the world, Dominica’s annual Dive Fest keeps the excitement wet and wild from July 10 to 19. Dive Fest educates both novices and experienced divers about the sport of scuba diving and helps raise awareness about Dominica’s stunning and unique marine environment.

Children as young as 10 years old can learn about diving during Dive Fest’s Discover Scuba Diving events on July 11 and 15. On Sunday, July 12, participants can enjoy Family Day, including turtle hatching at Rosalie Bay Resort.

Whale watching from the Anchorage hotel and the Kids’ Snorkel Treasure Hunt at Champagne Reef continues the fun on Saturday, July 18.

The festivities culminate on Sunday, July 19, with the hotly contested Kubuli Canoe Races at Soufriere, followed by the Dive Fest Beach Party.

#Beach #By #Canada #Dominica #Dykking #Ferie #Festival #Hovedstad #Karibia #Mat #Natur #Reise #Roseau #Strand #Toronto #Turisme

#Capital #Caribbean #City #Diving #Food #Holiday #Nature #Tourism #Travel

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]

Grenada will soon become the destination of choice for many female travelers as the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) has launched its “Grenada Girls Getaway” promotion.

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The seven-month promotional strategy that started on 1 June 2015 offers value-added deals on hotels, tours, and car rentals to two or more women visiting Grenada, the www.eturbonews.com website reports.

“During some of our recent trade shows in the USA, our travel trade partners requested that we create group travel promotions. Our research also shows us an increasing trend in group travel,” says Nisha McIntyre, GTA’s Marketing Executive.

Millennial females are being specifically targeted for the campaign, given their frequent use of social media, and history of influencing the travel patterns of other generational Groups.

The start of the GTA’s Grenada Girls Getaway promotion coincides with the new airlift from American cities. On Saturday 6th June Delta Air Lines began a weekly service from Atlanta and on Thursday 11 June JetBlue Airways began a twice-weekly service from New York.

St George’s, capital of Grenada

The Grenada Tourism Authority has begun an integrated marketing campaign that uses direct trade and consumer engagements as well as digital media marketing to support the Grenada Girls Getaway promotion.

#Atlanta #By #Ferie #Flyselskap #Georgia #Grenada #Hovedstad #Karibia #NewYork #Reise #StGeorges #Turisme #USA

#Capital #Caribbean #City #Holiday #Tourism #Travel

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no –  Contact us at [email protected]

All photos: www.simpsonbayresort.com

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The Simpson Bay Resort & Marina in Sint Maarten is taking renovations to the next level. Almost $22 million has been spent to renovate most of the resort, elevating it to a 5 star rating. The marina building is being revamped, scheduled to finish by year’s end. 

And these changes are not just cosmetic. In addition to the roofs and exterior areas, every unit’s kitchen, bathroom, air conditioning, and furniture is brand New, the www.travelpulse.com website reports.

The marina waterfront area is also getting a full makeover with improved sightlines, more accessibility, and more food and entertainment choices for the guests. 

The infrastructure is not being neglected, with new phone lines throughout the resort, Wi-Fi receivers in every room, a new redundant water delivery system, and air conditioning improvements in the villas building.

Simpson Bay is one of the largest resorts on Sint Maarten with 342 suites. There are many different configurations, with studios sleeping two, one and two-bedroom units sleeping four and six respectively and a few three-bedroom units accommodating up to eight people. 

One of more unique setups is an upstairs/downstairs configuration perfect for putting the kids (or mom and dad) to bed while the night owls party away. Almost every suite has a stunning view of  Simpson Bay and the Caribbean.

In addition to the suites, there are also the villas attached to the main building which are right on the waterfront with sunset views. All villas have kitchens or kitchenettes and a private furnished balcony. Simpson Bay wants guests to get a good night’s sleep so there is an additional feature that is very unique to the island and resorts in general. 

Instead of a pull-out couch, the living spaces include two single pull-down Murphy beds. The best part is they have the same memory foam mattresses as all of the full size beds. You will sleep well even if you are relegated to the living room.

Simpson Bay has a perfect location on the shore of its namesake bay, with easy access to beaches, water sports, restaurants, bars, casinos, and shopping.

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten’s capital, is a quick 10-minute drive and Marigot, the capital of the French side of the island, is only 20 minutes away. You can prepare meals yourself or enjoy the “gourmet capital of the Caribbean” with outstanding meals and vibrant nightlife just steps away.

#Beach #By #Casino #Ferie #Frankrike #Hotell #Hovedstad #Karibia #Marigot #Nederland #Philipsburg #Reise #Resort #StMaarten #SintMaarten #StMartin #SaintMartin #Strand #Turisme #WiFi

#Capital #Caribbean #City #France #Holiday #Netherlands #Tourism #Travel 

www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. Contact us at [email protected] 

Castries, capital of Saint Lucia

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St Lucia is set to host a wedding symposium in September with a focus on destination weddings, a tourism niche the Caribbean country seeks to enter.

“Recognised worldwide as the most romantic island in the Caribbean, Saint Lucia has a natural ambiance for weddings and romance,” the St Lucia Tourist Board’s Louis Lewis said in a statement.

During the Love Elevated event from September 23-27, a panel of brides who were married on the island will share their destination wedding experiences.

#Bryllup #By #Castries #Ferie #Hovedstad #Karibia #Reise #SaintLucia #StLucia

#Capital #Caribbean #City #Holiday #Travel #Wedding