The Travel section of today’s New York Times is a special “Caribbean issue”, with stories on Carnaval in the Dominican Republic, snorkelling in the US Virgin Islands, and the resurrection of tourism in Montserrat, among others. There’s also an article on the cheaper fares some US airlines are now offering to the Caribbean.
For the most part, the intra-Caribbean airlines attract more local travelers than American tourists, according to Hugh Riley, director of marketing for the Americas at the Caribbean Tourism Organization. Still, he noted that "there are more and more island collectors," he said, adding, "People seem to like this idea of doing an island-hopping vacation."
There's no guarantee, however, that greater capacity will bring more travelers. Last year, 7 percent more Americans visited the Caribbean than in 2003. Mr. Riley said that United States tourism to the region is up about 3 percent so far this year over 2004, and that tourist authorities are "cautiously optimistic" about the winter.
