MANY welcomed the reopening of the British Colonial Hotel on Monday, but some, including the Bahamas National Reparations Committee chair Dr Niambi Hall Campbell-Dean, believe the hotel should have dropped its name.

The Dilly Club, a fusion of a craft cocktail bar and specialty coffee shop located in the heart of Atlantis’ Marina Village, has been crowned the Caribbean Bar of the Year by the the Caribbean Journal as part of the publication’s 10th annual Caribbean Travel Awards.

A sister bar to the TOTC Spirited Awards-nominated Bon Vivants, and Yellowbell at The Island House, The Dilly Club first opened on Paradise Island in early 2023 and quickly became a favourite with locals and tourists alike. With its maximalist “jungalow” aesthetic and range of unique craft cocktails - including “Mama Maggie”, inspired by Exuma’s swimming pigs and served in a ceramic pig mug, and the Zephyr, an elevated gin & tonic named after the trade winds that swirl across The Bahamas - The Dilly Club is a distinctive and welcomed addition to the Nassau and Paradise Island cocktail scene. 

“We are incredibly honoured to be recognised as the Bar of The Year for not only The Bahamas, but the entire Caribbean!” said Kyle Jones, Managing Director and Co-Founder of The Dilly Club. “Our team works so hard to make each and every guest experience something magical, and for that to be acknowledged on an international level is very special and humbling, particularly coming less than a year after we opened our doors.”

The Caribbean Journal’s Caribbean Travel Awards celebrates the people and places contributing to the Caribbean’s astonishing success as selected by the publication’s editorial team, the world’s leading experts on Caribbean travel and tourism. In addition to Bar of the Year for The Dilly Club, The Bahamas also received the awards for Caribbean Destination of the Year for Nassau & Paradise Island, for Dive Resort of the Year for Small Hope Bay Lodge in Andros, and for Sustainable Destination of the Year. 

The Dilly Club, a fusion of a craft cocktail bar and specialty coffee shop located in the heart of Atlantis’ Marina Village, has been crowned the Caribbean Bar of the Year by the the Caribbean Journal as part of the publication’s 10th annual Caribbean Travel Awards. A sister bar to the TOTC Spirited Awards-nominated Bon Vivants, and Yellowbell at The Island House, The Dilly Club first opened on Paradise Island in early 2023 and quickly became a favourite with locals and tourists alike. With its maximalist “jungalow” aesthetic and range of unique craft cocktails - including “Mama Maggie”, inspired by Exuma’s swimming pigs and served in a ceramic pig mug, and the Zephyr, an elevated gin & tonic named after the trade winds that swirl across The Bahamas - The Dilly Club is a distinctive and welcomed addition to the Nassau and Paradise Island cocktail scene.  “We are incredibly honoured to be recognised as the Bar of The Year for not only The Bahamas, but the entire Caribbean!” said Kyle Jones, Managing Director and Co-Founder of The Dilly Club. “Our team works so hard to make each and every guest experience something magical, and for that to be acknowledged on an international level is very special and humbling, particularly coming less than a year after we opened our doors.” The Caribbean Journal’s Caribbean Travel Awards celebrates the people and places contributing to the Caribbean’s astonishing success as selected by the publication’s editorial team, the world’s leading experts on Caribbean travel and tourism. In addition to Bar of the Year for The Dilly Club, The Bahamas also received the awards for Caribbean Destination of the Year for Nassau & Paradise Island, for Dive Resort of the Year for Small Hope Bay Lodge in Andros, and for Sustainable Destination of the Year. 

-Additional weekly frequencies added from London Heathrow from January 10th moving weekly flights to up to 14. This will mean a double daily service between London and Barbados.

-Up to four flights a week from Manchester.

-Six regional flights per week, three from Grenada and three from St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

-Island Executive Services appointed as General Sales Agent over the Caribbean 

Virgin Atlantic is set to soar to new heights after cementing its position in the Caribbean this past year and into the next. Virgin Atlantic celebrated 25 years of flying between Barbados and London, added new interisland flying, increased capacity, introduced flights to the idyllic islands of Turks and Caicos, and officially appointed Island Executive Services as the General Sales Agent. 
 
From the 10th January, Barbados will receive double daily flights from London Heathrow for the first time ever, along with four weekly flights from Manchester. Alongside these flights, Virgin Atlantic’s inter-regional offering will bring three flights per week from Grenada and three from St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
 
The Airline recently commenced flights to its eighth Caribbean destination, Turks and Caicos, which compliments an increase in flights to St Vincent and the Grenadines, which will operate thrice weekly in the winter season, with seats to St Lucia increasing by 33% since last year. Inter-Island flights from Barbados to Grenada or St Vincent give both local and international passengers more opportunities to explore the Caribbean and what the islands have to offer
 
Island Executive services will lead this expansion from the Caribbean. IES, which forms part of the Bernie Weatherhead Sun Group of Companies, is known for being a tourism and representation services leader. IES, based in Barbados, will run and operate the Hastings retail office and provide sales and ticketing services to the entire Caribbean region. 
 
Rod Weatherhead, Managing Director, Island Executive Services, says, “We are thrilled about the new appointment as the GSA for Virgin Atlantic. We have always felt the partnership and commitment with the Virgin brand since working closely with them in the Hotel industry and destination management services with Virgin Holidays. We are confident that our regional expertise and relationships will yield great results in growth, customer service, and opportunities to add value to the Airline.
 
Simon Hawkins, Head of USA, Virgin Atlantic, commented: We are delighted to partner with Island Executive Services to grow Virgin Atlantic into 2024 and beyond. This year, we saw milestone anniversaries and growth in the Caribbean, cementing our commitment to the islands. With IES leading from the ground in the market, we are excited for what 2024 has to offer. 
 
­­­New services on sale now. Visit www.virginatlantic.com for more information and to book.

-Additional weekly frequencies added from London Heathrow from January 10th moving weekly flights to up to 14. This will mean a double daily service between London and Barbados. -Up to four flights a week from Manchester. -Six regional flights per week, three from Grenada and three from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. -Island Executive Services appointed as General Sales Agent over the Caribbean   Virgin Atlantic is set to soar to new heights after cementing its position in the Caribbean this past year and into the next. Virgin Atlantic celebrated 25 years of flying between Barbados and London, added new interisland flying, increased capacity, introduced flights to the idyllic islands of Turks and Caicos, and officially appointed Island Executive Services as the General Sales Agent.    From the 10th January, Barbados will receive double daily flights from London Heathrow for the first time ever, along with four weekly flights from Manchester. Alongside these flights, Virgin Atlantic’s inter-regional offering will bring three flights per week from Grenada and three from St. Vincent and the Grenadines.   The Airline recently commenced flights to its eighth Caribbean destination, Turks and Caicos, which compliments an increase in flights to St Vincent and the Grenadines, which will operate thrice weekly in the winter season, with seats to St Lucia increasing by 33% since last year. Inter-Island flights from Barbados to Grenada or St Vincent give both local and international passengers more opportunities to explore the Caribbean and what the islands have to offer   Island Executive services will lead this expansion from the Caribbean. IES, which forms part of the Bernie Weatherhead Sun Group of Companies, is known for being a tourism and representation services leader. IES, based in Barbados, will run and operate the Hastings retail office and provide sales and ticketing services to the entire Caribbean region.    Rod Weatherhead, Managing Director, Island Executive Services, says, “We are thrilled about the new appointment as the GSA for Virgin Atlantic. We have always felt the partnership and commitment with the Virgin brand since working closely with them in the Hotel industry and destination management services with Virgin Holidays. We are confident that our regional expertise and relationships will yield great results in growth, customer service, and opportunities to add value to the Airline.   Simon Hawkins, Head of USA, Virgin Atlantic, commented: We are delighted to partner with Island Executive Services to grow Virgin Atlantic into 2024 and beyond. This year, we saw milestone anniversaries and growth in the Caribbean, cementing our commitment to the islands. With IES leading from the ground in the market, we are excited for what 2024 has to offer.    ­­­New services on sale now. Visit www.virginatlantic.com for more information and to book.

In response to the changing landscape of travel and evolving consumer expectations, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism,Investments& Aviation is thrilled to announce a significant leap forward in enhancing user experience on bahamas.com through the implementation of cutting-edge AI technology. Spearheading this initiative is an AI-powered chat feature that promises instant communication and support for users, available 24/7.

Traditionally, users seeking assistance on bahamas.com faced limitations with live chatavailability, constrained to business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. This posedchallenges for both users and the reporting process for live agents who manuallycategorized chats during these limited hours. With the introduction of AI-powered chat,users now enjoy real-time responses to their inquiries, breaking free from theconstraints of traditional operating hours.

The Hon. I. Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism expressedhis enthusiasm for this groundbreaking step: "In our commitment to meeting thedynamic needs of today's travelers, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism is embracing AItechnology to revolutionize the way we engage with our audience. This AI-powered chatfeature not only ensures instant responses for users but also empowers our live agentsto focus on more complex queries, providing an elevated level of service."

The benefits of this innovative AI integration extend beyond improved responsiveness.

Chat categories, previously a manual task, are now automatically generated,streamlining the reporting process with enhanced visualisations such as graphs andillustrations. This not only facilitates more efficient operations but also provides valuableinsights into user interactions on the platform. One of the key advantages of the AIpowered chat feature is its ability to leverage ChatGPT's technology to deliver accurateand official information. The system is programmed to provide users with official updates on critical topics, such as hurricane information, sourced directly from pressreleases within the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism's press room on bahamas.com.

"We are excited about this new feature as we work to make continuous improvementsto bahamas.com," said DPM Cooper. "This AI-powered chat exemplifies our dedicationto innovation, guaranteeing users seamless and instant access to information about TheBahamas while upholding the authenticity and integrity of our brand."

The introduction of AI-powered chat on bahamas.com marks a significant step in theMinistry's commitment to innovation and continuous improvement. This feature not onlyenhances user experience but also allows live chat agents to focus on addressing morecomplex questions or issues raised by visitors.

To experience the future of user engagement, the public is invited to test out the new AIchat feature on bahamas.com at https://www.bahamas.com/.

In response to the changing landscape of travel and evolving consumer expectations, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments& Aviation is thrilled to announce a significant leap forward in enhancing user experience on bahamas.com through the implementation of cutting-edge AI technology. Spearheading this initiative is an AI-powered chat feature that promises instant communication and support for users, available 24/7. Traditionally, users seeking assistance on bahamas.com faced limitations with live chat availability, constrained to business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. This posed challenges for both users and the reporting process for live agents who manually categorized chats during these limited hours. With the introduction of AI-powered chat, users now enjoy real-time responses to their inquiries, breaking free from the constraints of traditional operating hours. The Hon. I. Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism expressed his enthusiasm for this groundbreaking step: "In our commitment to meeting the dynamic needs of today's travelers, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism is embracing AI technology to revolutionize the way we engage with our audience. This AI-powered chat feature not only ensures instant responses for users but also empowers our live agents to focus on more complex queries, providing an elevated level of service." The benefits of this innovative AI integration extend beyond improved responsiveness. Chat categories, previously a manual task, are now automatically generated, streamlining the reporting process with enhanced visualisations such as graphs and illustrations. This not only facilitates more efficient operations but also provides valuable insights into user interactions on the platform. One of the key advantages of the AIpowered chat feature is its ability to leverage ChatGPT's technology to deliver accurate and official information. The system is programmed to provide users with official  updates on critical topics, such as hurricane information, sourced directly from press releases within the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism's press room on bahamas.com. "We are excited about this new feature as we work to make continuous improvements to bahamas.com," said DPM Cooper. "This AI-powered chat exemplifies our dedication to innovation, guaranteeing users seamless and instant access to information about The Bahamas while upholding the authenticity and integrity of our brand." The introduction of AI-powered chat on bahamas.com marks a significant step in the Ministry's commitment to innovation and continuous improvement. This feature not only enhances user experience but also allows live chat agents to focus on addressing more complex questions or issues raised by visitors. To experience the future of user engagement, the public is invited to test out the new AI chat feature on bahamas.com at https://www.bahamas.com/.