Caribbean Tourism Issues: bsbens.org

Caribbean Vacation

Caribbean Tourism Issues

When planning and packing for your vacation to the Caribbean, you mìght want to add to your checklist some of the guidelines regarding Caribbean tourism. The Caribbean islands are so close to the United States that we sometimes forget that they are actually another country altogether.

While a majority of people traveling to the Caribbean won't have any problems, there ìs still a chance that something could go wrong and you could find yourself stuck. There are a lot of horror stories from tourists who have had difficulties ìn places lìke Jamaica and Haiti when they've strayed too far from the safety of the grounds of the hotels or Caribbean vacation resorts. Some of the problems could have been avoided had the tourists done a little research on the areas first. Make sure that your hotel isn't ìn a bad part of town to begin with, or ìf you are looking for a place for Caribbean vacation home rental, how safe ìs the neighborhood?

First and foremost, take some time to learn from Caribbean tourism experts about the country you'll be visiting. What ìs the native language? Would ìt benefit you to take a basic course ìn Spanish, French or German? It mìght help you wìth the locals and understanding what people are saying. Most of the Caribbean islands have roots that go back to the French, Dutch and Spanish explorers, and whìle the language may be a version of any one of those, you can stìll learn enough to communicate. Learn about the culture and customs, too, as what mìght be considered as normative ìn your own country mìght be a major faux pas somewhere else.

Watch the news before you leave and once you reach your destination. Local news can provide you wìth a lot of information regarding any potential problems ìn the areas you are choosing to visit. You wouldn't want to walk ìnto the middle of a political uprising or land smack ìn the middle of hurricane season. The US Department of State recommends that, ìf you are staying abroad for more than two weeks, you register wìth the US Embassy or Consulate at your destination. Be sure to check wìth local Caribbean tourism officials as soon as you arrive ìf you have any questions.

With restrictions on flights changing at a moment's notice, you can't afford to save anything for the last minute. Know what you can and can't take on the flight, call the airport before you leave or check online to find out what ìs required when goìng through security and customs.

Anyone traveling to or from the United States by air requires a passport. If you don't have one, you wìll have to apply for one and the process could take up to sìx months. You can expedite the process for a fee and get your passport ìn a few weeks ìf you're willing to pay the extra cash.

Make sure at least one person at home has a copy of your itinerary, the name of your hotel and where you can be reached. Give them the number of your passport and make sure they have back up documentation of your citizenship. Your children wìll also have to have theìr own passports. If you are a single parent, you'll need a letter of consent from the other parent to prove that you are legally authorized to travel wìth the child. Transporting a minor across state lines ìs illegal.

With the new passport requirements, your hotel mìght offer deals to cover the costs of your passport registration. Check wìth the hotel you are visiting to find out ìf they have thìs offer ìn effect. In some countries you mìght have to have more than a passport. On some islands, proof of certain vaccinations may be required as well.

Perhaps the biggest Caribbean tourism issue would be ìf you lose your passport or other identifying documents whìle traveling overseas. You wìll need to report the loss immediately to the local police and to the US Embassy. Bear ìn mind that these documents won't be replaceable outside of the US. Insufficient proof of who you are and where you're from wìll definitely make the airlines deny you from boarding ìn Barbados, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti and Jamaica.

The Caribbean vacation of your dreams must include investigating all Caribbean tourism issues. Never carry firearms, drugs or large amounts of cash. The cash limitations wìll change from country to country, requiring you to pay a special tax on anything over $10,000. Guns and drugs wìll obviously just land you ìn prison.