More luxury options on the way in 2026 With Wave season now more than a month underway, one trend is clear: luxury cruises are in high demand. This came up over and over again in my conversations with travel agency leaders and industry analysts at the end of January, and I've heard more of the same this month. I can't say I'm surprised. Wealthy Americans are not only doing just fine but are doing so despite an economy that is having a greater impact on the average consumer. Americans who aren't millionaires are still booking cruises, of course; they're just not doing it as feverishly as those who can afford the luxury products, my sources told me. And those luxury products are particularly abundant this year. After 2025 skewed more heavily toward new contemporary and premium ships, many set to debut this year will join luxury line fleets. Explora Journeys, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, [...]

CTO Official says Tourism Success Inseparable From Caribbean Agriculture The Secretary-General of the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Dona Regis-Prosper, says the future of Caribbean economic stability lies not in the boardroom but in the soil. CTO Secretary General, Dona Regis-Prosper, addressing 54th annual AgriFestAddressing the opening of the 54th annual AgriFest here, Regis-Propser, who is also the CTO chief executive officer, told delegates that modern tourism success remains inseparable from the Caribbean’s agrarian roots. She described the three-day showcase of agriculture and technology as a reckoning with regional identity, noting that “before there were hotels, airports, seaports (and) cruise ships, there was land, soil and cultivation. “Tourism really began in a garden,”  she said, praising the US Virgin Islands for sustaining agriculture as a core pillar of its social and economic fabric rather than treating it as a secondary industry. Regis-Prosper, whose career includes work on St. Croix-based energy projects [...]

Brazil Carnivals set to attract 65 million revelers in 2026 Brazil is preparing for another record-breaking Carnival season, with more than 65 million people expected to join celebrations across the country in 2026. According to estimates from Brazil’s Ministry of Tourism and Embratur, the national tourism promotion agency, this represents a 22% increase compared with last year, highlighting the growing appeal of one of the world’s most iconic cultural events. Carnival remains a key driver of Brazil’s tourism industry and overall economy. Major cities including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador, and Belo Horizonte alone are forecast to attract around 40 million participants, demonstrating the scale and nationwide importance of the annual festivities. Rio de Janeiro, widely considered the global capital of Carnival, is anticipating an exceptional year. The “Cidade Maravilhosa” expects up to eight million attendees for its celebrations, which include hundreds of street parties such as blocos and the [...]

This Beloved Barbados Resort Just Reopened as a Marriott All-Inclusive Marriott International’s all-inclusive strategy in the Caribbean continues to widen — and Barbados is becoming one of its most important addresses. Crystal Cove, Barbados, A Tribute Portfolio All-Inclusive Resort has officially opened on the island’s West Coast, marking the first all-inclusive property under Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio brand. The 88-room resort represents another step in Marriott’s steady integration of its established brands into the all-inclusive space, a segment the company has been expanding aggressively across the Caribbean. And the room count is a bit misleading — even with 88 rooms, this place feels even smaller, more boutique. It fits right into the classic conception of the Barbados resort — with a modern, all-inclusive spin. The opening also lands in a year when Marriott’s footprint on the island is set to grow again. Later this year, the Autograph Collection–branded Royalton Vessence is slated [...]