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ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Two major regional air carriers, LIAT (2020) Limited, operating as LIAT Air, and Air Caraïbes, have launched a new interline agreement designed to transform air travel across the Caribbean and beyond. Announced on Monday, the partnership enables passengers of both airlines to book end-to-end journeys across the companies’ combined route networks on a single ticket, with one consolidated point of purchase.

Interline tickets under the new agreement are accessible to consumers via registered travel agents and all authorized global distribution channels. The partnership merges two complementary route networks: LIAT Air’s far-reaching intra-Caribbean footprint, which links Eastern Caribbean islands, Guyana, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Barbados and other neighboring markets from its hub at Antigua’s V.C. Bird International Airport, and Air Caraïbes’ network, which includes regional services operating out of Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana, plus long-haul service connecting the Caribbean to Paris-Orly Airport in France.

For travelers, the agreement eliminates long-standing pain points associated with connecting travel between the two carriers. Itineraries that combine flights operated by both airlines can be booked through travel agents and global distribution systems, with checked baggage automatically transferred through to a passenger’s final destination. Travelers no longer need to purchase separate tickets for each leg of their journey, re-check their baggage during layovers, or pay duplicate baggage and processing fees when transferring between LIAT Air and Air Caraïbes flights.

Hafsah Abdulsalam, Chief Executive Officer of LIAT (2020) Limited, framed the partnership as a critical milestone in meeting long-standing demand from regional stakeholders. “This agreement is an important step in delivering the kind of regional connectivity Caribbean travellers, tourism operators and businesses have been asking for,” Abdulsalam said. “By linking our networks with Air Caraïbes, we are making it significantly easier to move between the English, French and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, and to connect from any of our island destinations onward to Europe through Paris. It is a meaningful expansion of what a ticket on LIAT Air can take you to.”

Hugues Heddebault, Commercial Director of Air Caraïbes, echoed that sentiment, noting that cross-Caribbean travel has long been bogged down by fragmented infrastructure and overly complicated booking processes. “Travelling across the Caribbean should never mean navigating fragmented journeys or unnecessary complexity,” Heddebault said. “Our ambition is simple: to bring territories closer together and make travel smoother for those who live, work, or travel across the region. This partnership with LIAT Air makes it easier to connect destinations across the Caribbean and provides more seamless access to Paris and Europe via our hubs in Pointe-à-Pitre and Fort-de-France.”

Heddebault added that the agreement goes beyond a standard commercial arrangement, reflecting a shared vision for regional growth. “Beyond a commercial agreement, it reflects a strong conviction: a better-connected Caribbean is a more open, more accessible, and more dynamic Caribbean,” he said.

Both carriers emphasized that the partnership is expected to deliver broad benefits to regional tourism and economic integration. By streamlining inter-island travel and lowering associated costs, while creating more convenient connections between Caribbean communities and major European source markets for tourism, the agreement is projected to drive growth in visitor arrivals, expand opportunities for regional business travel, and make travel easier for members of the Caribbean diaspora moving throughout the region.

NEW YORK – The annual Caribbean Tourism Week kicked off in Manhattan on Monday, opening a seven-day showcase of the region’s tourism offerings as industry leaders lean into cautious optimism amid shifting global geopolitics and evolving travel demand patterns. Organized by the Barbados-headquartered Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the event aligns this year with the start of Caribbean American Heritage Month, carried out under the unifying banner “One Caribbean: Infinite Experiences.”

Addressing attendees at the opening ceremony, CTO Chairman Ian Gooding-Edghill, who also serves as Barbados’ Minister of Tourism, highlighted the sector’s resilient ongoing performance that has outpaced pre-COVID-19 levels. He reported that in 2025, the Caribbean tourism industry extended its steady growth trajectory, recording a 2.5% rise in visitor arrivals compared to 2024. That added roughly 900,000 additional visitors to the region, pushing total arrivals above pre-pandemic benchmarks set in 2019.

Cruise travel, a core pillar of the region’s tourism ecosystem, has demonstrated particular strength, Gooding-Edghill noted. Cruise ship visits grew 5.2% year-over-year in 2025, and now stand more than 16% above 2019 pre-pandemic volumes. “These numbers confirm the lasting pull of the Caribbean tourism brand, and prove that global demand for one-of-a-kind authentic Caribbean experiences remains undimmed,” he said.

Looking ahead to the rest of 2026, CTO forecasts hold to a cautiously optimistic outlook. The organization projects moderate but consistent growth for the year, driven by expanded air connectivity between source markets and the region, closer collaborative policy and marketing coordination across Caribbean nations, and sustained global consumer demand for immersive, experience-focused leisure travel.

Even with the positive near-term outlook, Gooding-Edghill warned against complacency, emphasizing that the region must continuously invest in updating, strengthening, and protecting its global competitive position. That need, he explained, is what makes proactive market diversification a top strategic priority for the CTO and member states.

To date, the Latin American market has emerged as a fast-growing source of new visitors, supported by close geographic proximity, expanding direct air links, and rising consumer interest in multi-destination Caribbean getaways. “This is no longer just an emerging opportunity—it is a rapidly accelerating growth driver for our region,” Gooding-Edghill said. At the same time, the CTO is working to deepen ties with the African tourism market through cultural exchange partnerships, connections with Caribbean diaspora communities, and long-term planning to expand direct air access.

Gooding-Edghill framed the African market as a critical long-term growth frontier for Caribbean tourism development. Beyond economic gains, he reaffirmed that tourism remains the foundational economic pillar for most Caribbean nations, supporting millions of jobs, attracting foreign direct investment, nurturing local entrepreneurship, and opening opportunity for communities across the region. It also serves as a bridge between Caribbean cultures and global audiences, sharing the unique richness of Caribbean heritage and community with visitors from around the world.

“These are uncertain times, but this is a resilient region with extraordinary talent, proven endurance, and bold ambition,” he said. “If we stay united, focused on the future, and disciplined in our strategy, there is no limit to what we can achieve together as One Caribbean.”

Amid ongoing global geopolitical shifts and rising operational costs that present ongoing risks to the travel sector, Gooding-Edghill noted that regional tourism leaders and industry partners have a shared responsibility to meet current challenges head-on, upholding the region’s longstanding tradition of turning adversity into competitive advantage. Recalling past crises the region has navigated, he pointed out that each challenge has left Caribbean tourism stronger and more resilient than before, with increased investment and improved capacity to adapt to change.

“It is our job as tourism leaders and industry partners to guide the CTO and our member states, ensuring that the millions of people across the region who depend on tourism for stable employment can have confidence we are leading them in the right direction,” he said. Closing his remarks, he reiterated the call for continued unity: “Let us keep moving forward together, as one Caribbean with infinite opportunities ahead.”

CLARENDON, Jamaica — Jamaican rum producer National Rums of Jamaica has turned a successful new page in the island nation’s long legacy of premium spirit manufacturing, with three expressions from its iconic Monymusk Plantation line taking home top honors at the 2026 Beverage Testing Institute (BevTest) World Spirits Championship.

In an official press statement, the company shared that two of its rums — Monymusk Plantation White Overproof Rum and Classic Gold Rum — earned an identical score of 93 points, while the third entry, Special Reserve Rum, scored a 92. All three products were awarded Gold Medals by the competition, a Chicago-based industry contest that stands as one of the most enduring and respected spirits awards globally. Unlike many public-facing awards, BevTest’s judging process relies on blind tastings conducted by panels of seasoned trade professionals, ensuring that scores and medals are awarded based solely on product quality rather than brand recognition. The full results of the championship, including the three winning Jamaican rums, are featured in Forbes’ May 2026 roundup of the world’s highest-rated rums.

Martha Miller, Chief Executive Officer of National Rums of Jamaica, framed the triple win as a point of national and company pride. “This recognition from the Beverage Testing Institute is a proud moment for National Rums of Jamaica, the Monymusk brand, and the entire country of Jamaica,” Miller said. “To have all three of our entries — White Overproof, Classic Gold, and Special Reserve — counted among the world’s best rums speaks volumes about the consistent quality that defines our entire product portfolio.”

Miller emphasized that the award-winning quality of the rums is no accident, and directed praise to the in-house teams that oversee every step of production. “A tremendous amount of credit has to go to our technical, production, quality control, and blending teams, who pour enormous care into their work every single day,” she explained. “Exceptional rum is not a random outcome. It requires generations of distilled expertise, unwavering consistency, and a long-term commitment to upholding the highest possible quality standards.”

The Forbes feature includes official tasting notes compiled from the BevTest judging panel’s evaluations. The White Overproof rum was praised for its layered aroma profile of green banana, whipped cream, and sugar cookie, paired with flavor notes of warm baking spices, ripe pineapple, and toasted coconut. Judges called it “a great overproof rum with a creamy body and subtle sweet banana esters, perfect for cocktailing.”

For the Classic Gold rum, judges highlighted notes of dunder, charred oak wood, and fresh pomegranate, describing the expression as “a complex, fruity rum to save for special occasions.” The Special Reserve, meanwhile, was singled out as “an excellent choice for experienced rum drinkers” who appreciate the distinct character of traditional Jamaican product.

All rums in the Monymusk Plantation portfolio are manufactured, aged, and blended entirely at the Clarendon Distillery, located in southern Jamaica’s Clarendon Parish. The line stays true to the centuries-old traditional Jamaican rum-making style, defined by extended fermentation periods, a blend of pot-still and column-still distillation, and the iconic high-ester, fruit-forward profile that rum enthusiasts around the world refer to as “Jamaican funk.”