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Anguilla launches online booking and payment for licensed taxi and chauffeur transfers
Locally developed platform enhances digital innovation for transportation services
THE VALLEY, Anguilla (Oct. 16, 2026) — Visitors and residents can reserve and pay online for licensed taxi and chauffeur services through RSVD | Transfers, a locally developed platform bringing digital convenience to Anguilla’s ground transportation sector.
Developed by What We Do In Anguilla, the platform allows users to arrange airport and ferry transfers, transportation to restaurants and journeys to attractions before arrival or during their stay.
The company describes RSVD | Transfers as Anguilla’s first online platform combining reservations and payments for licensed taxi and chauffeur services. Users receive transparent pricing based on the island’s official taxi fare structure and can pay securely online.
On the Caribbean island known globally as the home of the .ai internet domain, the service offers a practical example of technology connecting tourism businesses with customers.
“Locally developed services like RSVD | Transfers show how digital innovation can benefit our tourism industry,” said Jameel Rochester, director of tourism at the Anguilla Tourist Board. “For our visitors and residents, it means being able to arrange transportation with greater confidence. For our taxi and chauffeur operators, it creates another way to reach customers and plan their business. That is the kind of practical progress we want to encourage and support.”
For participating transportation providers, advance reservations can reduce scheduling uncertainty, help drivers anticipate demand and support more predictable earning opportunities. The service is also available to residents, extending its benefits and accessibility beyond the visitor market.
“Innovation and problem-solving have always been at the heart of What We Do In Anguilla,” said Clemvio Hodge, the company’s manager. “With the launch of RSVD | Transfers, we are proud to introduce a digital solution that modernizes transportation booking on the island, making it easier for visitors and residents to access reliable services while empowering local transportation providers through technology.”
For information and reservations, visit whatwedoinanguilla.com/rsvd/transfers.
US Pledges Over $340 Million In New Funding To The Caribbean – But Says Little About Deportations Or Boat Strikes
By News Americas Now Staff Writer
News Americas Now, NY, NY, Fri. Oct. 16, 2026: The United States announced more than $340 million in new funding commitments to the Caribbean on Wednesday at the opening of the U.S.-Caribbean Dialogue in Washington, as Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau laid out a sweeping set of economic and security pledges to a room of regional leaders led by CARICOM chairman and Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre.
Calling the dialogue “overdue,” Landau said the Trump administration’s approach to the hemisphere rests on three pillars: economic investment in the region, ending what he called the “narco-terrorist threat,” and ending illegal immigration. He linked drug trafficking through the Caribbean directly to the more than 100,000 annual U.S. overdose deaths, and told the room the administration would not continue “business as usual” with the region.
“We’re taking actions accordingly. And we’d like to work with your countries to make sure that we’re all on the same page, at least in recognizing the common danger of this and seeing how we can try to address this scourge together,” he said.
NEW COMMITMENTS
The new commitments he announced include:
$61.5 million to launch ASPIRE – the America Strategic Partnership for Independent Regional Healthcare Excellence – aimed at building the region’s own healthcare workforce capacity.
$37 million in new Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) programming to protect critical digital infrastructure and strengthen port security.
$55.5 million to strengthen regional law enforcement, including on illegal fishing, plus $11 million in Foreign Military Financing to build up Caribbean security forces.
$175.8 million for a Caribbean and Central America undersea cables program, intended to provide secure, high-speed connectivity across the region.
U.S.-Caribbean investment dialogue
Landau also announced a U.S.-Caribbean investment dialogue to launch next year, aimed at connecting Caribbean governments directly with American private-sector companies, and said the next CBSI security ministerial will convene in spring 2027.
Pierre, delivering brief remarks as CARICOM chair, welcomed the dialogue and named the region’s priorities as affordable energy, investment, safer communities, and reliable disaster response. He said Haiti “must remain central” to the partnership, welcomed the extension of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force mandate there, and said credible elections are essential to restoring the country’s stability.
On the issue most on the minds of Caribbean nationals right now, Pierre offered a single, carefully diplomatic sentence: the dialogue, he said, “must make room for immigration and migration matters, with profound implications for our communities and our people-to-people ties.” It was the closest either leader came, in their prepared remarks, to directly addressing deportations or the U.S. military’s ongoing boat-strike campaign in the region.
“Let us connect political dialogue with sustained technical engagements, identify priorities, and establish clear arrangements for follow-up between governments and the private sector,” he added. “The CARICOM Secretariat will help coordinate the community’s technical work alongside our national authorities and regional institutions. CARICOM comes to this table ready to listen, ready to engage, and ready to build a partnership that delivers mutual benefit, with respect for our sovereignty and our shared aspirations.”
Neither Landau’s nor Pierre’s remarks, as delivered, referenced the boat strikes against alleged drug-trafficking vessels – which have killed at least 238 people since September 2025, including confirmed Caribbean nationals – or the deportation agreements several Caribbean nations, including Jamaica, Guyana, and Saint Lucia, have signed with Washington in recent months. Both issues have generated significant controversy and political friction in the region, even as officials on both sides described Wednesday’s funding announcements as evidence of a strengthening partnership.
RELATED: Caribbean Leaders Talk “Partnership” With The US Today While Absorbing Its Deportees And Boat-Strikes
Guyana Is Sitting On A $19.6 Billion Exxon Audit It Still Won’t Release
By News Americas Now Business Editor
News Americas Now, NY, NY, Fri. Oct. 16, 2026: As Guyana’s oil economy posts some of the fastest growth rates in the world, the government is holding back a US$19.6 billion audit of ExxonMobil’s spending that it has possessed since May 2025 – the largest and most consequential of three outstanding cost-oil audits the International Monetary Fund flagged this week as a governance risk.
The IMF’s 2026 Article IV consultation, released last week, praised Guyana’s economic trajectory – 19.3% real GDP growth in 2025, projected to hit 22.3% in 2026 – while explicitly calling on the government to resolve its backlog of unpublished oil audits and strengthen transparency around how ExxonMobil’s costs are being verified.
“Priorities include resolving outstanding cost-oil audits, improving the timeliness of public enterprise and agency accounts, further strengthening audit capacity, especially in the oil and gas sector, and ensuring consistent compliance with the procurement framework as public spending expands.,” the IMF stated. “Efforts to strengthen AML/CFT and anti-corruption frameworks should continue, including by strengthening the Integrity Commission and the asset declaration regime.’
THE PATTERN
The pattern spans three separate audits. The first, covering 1999–2017, flagged US$214 million in disputed costs more than five years ago; that dispute has only now reached the International Chamber of Commerce, which is working to appoint a sole expert to resolve it, Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat confirmed, with no timeline yet set. A second audit, for 2018–2020, found an additional US$65 million incorrectly charged to the country. But it’s the third audit — covering US$19.6 billion in Exxon costs, by far the largest sum in question — that the government has sat on since last May without releasing it or addressing what the auditors found.
The IMF’s broader message was pointed: durable prosperity from Guyana’s oil wealth depends on governance keeping pace with growth, not just the growth itself. The Fund also pushed Guyana to tighten public procurement compliance, reinforce anti-corruption safeguards, and move away from broad consumer subsidies toward targeted assistance — all while warning that the country’s fiscal deficit is set to widen from 5.5% of GDP to 6.4% in 2026 before improving in 2027.
With Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund now holding roughly US$3.3 billion and the country posting some of the highest reserves and lowest debt ratios in the Western Hemisphere, the open question the IMF is effectively putting on record is whether the government intends to make the full scale of disputed Exxon costs public —- or continue managing the country’s oil wealth with its largest audit kept out of view.
RELATED: Guyana Record Oil Profit Share Could Be Temporary – Here’s Why
Carnival Corporation supports young tourism leaders at SOTIC 2026
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (Oct. 13, 2026) — Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL), the world’s largest cruise company, strengthened its support of Caribbean tourism and young people as the lead sponsor of the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) Regional Tourism Youth Congress.
The company also provided the first-place prize for Amarni Webster, 15, of Anguilla, who was named the 2026 Youth Congress winner.
Held Oct. 8 as part of the State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) in Guyana, the congress brought together students from across the Caribbean to present their perspectives on issues affecting regional tourism and share ideas for the industry’s future.
Marie McKenzie, senior vice president of government and destination affairs for Carnival Corporation, served as chief judge for the Youth Congress. She was joined by Jill Stone, founder and CEO of Blue Group Media, and Jim Brody, vice president of destination partnerships at Tripscout, in evaluating the students’ presentations.
For McKenzie, the opportunity to sit with young people who are already thinking seriously about the region’s tourism industry was an important part of Carnival Corporation’s participation in SOTIC.
“It has been a privilege to serve as chief judge today, representing Carnival Corporation, and to hear from these remarkable young tourism leaders,” McKenzie said. “The strength of their ideas made choosing a winner especially difficult. From one Caribbean leader to the next generation of Caribbean leaders, never underestimate your ideas, your voice or your ability to make a difference.”
Carnival Corporation, in partnership with Acordis International Corporation, also donated a laptop to support the winning student’s continued education, with Philcher Grant, Carnival’s director of public and community affairs, making the presentation during the Youth Congress. The contributions reflect Carnival Corporation’s ongoing involvement in the Caribbean and its interest in supporting young people who will eventually become part of the region’s tourism workforce and leadership.
The Youth Congress is a longstanding feature of SOTIC, bringing together students from CTO member countries to debate tourism-related issues, develop their public speaking skills and consider the challenges and opportunities facing the Caribbean tourism industry.
Carnival Corporation has supported the Youth Congress as part of its broader engagement with CTO and the Caribbean tourism sector, recognizing the value of giving young people a voice in conversations about the industry they will inherit.
Youth Congress judges, from left, Jim Brody of Tripscout, Marie McKenzie of Carnival Corporation and Jill Stone of Blue Group Media evaluate student presentations at SOTIC 2026 in Georgetown, Guyana.
Marie McKenzie, senior vice president of government and destination affairs for Carnival Corporation (left), and Dona Regis-Prosper, CTO secretary-general and CEO, applaud the Regional Tourism Youth Congress winners onstage at SOTIC 2026 in Georgetown, Guyana.
Martinique Joins Villas of Distinction’s Luxury Villa Portfolio
FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique (Oct. 14, 2026) — Martinique has joined the luxury villa portfolio of Villas of Distinction, offering travelers a curated collection of private villas and personalized concierge services on the island.
The addition places Martinique alongside other destinations in Villas of Distinction’s portfolio and introduces the island to travelers seeking privacy, space and highly personalized stays. The collection currently includes 21 villas across eight locations in Martinique, including Le François, Le Vauclin, Le Robert, Grande Anse d’Arlet and Plage du Diamant. Villa options range from intimate retreats to larger properties designed for families and groups, with features including private pools, outdoor living spaces and ocean views.
Sun loungers line the pool deck of Caribbean Serenity, a member of Villas of Distinction in Martinique.
Photo credit: Carefree Caribbean
“Martinique is an exciting addition to the Villas of Distinction portfolio, and I’m thrilled to see us expand into such a unique destination,” said Jamie Cash, chief operating officer of Villas of Distinction. “The island has so much for travelers to discover, with incredible food and culture, beautiful landscapes and truly distinctive villa experiences. We’re pleased to offer our guests another way to experience the Caribbean and look forward to introducing more travelers to everything Martinique has to offer.”
For Martinique, the partnership reflects the destination’s growing appeal among travelers looking beyond traditional hotel stays and seeking accommodations that allow them to experience the island at their own pace.
“Martinique offers a compelling blend of French sophistication, rich Creole culture, exceptional cuisine and diverse landscapes, making it particularly well suited to the villa experience,” said Muriel Wiltord, director of the Americas for the Martinique Tourism Authority. “The addition of Martinique to the Villas of Distinction portfolio gives travelers looking for privacy, flexibility and memorable experiences more options to discover the island.”
Villas of Distinction’s Martinique collection provides visitors with a private base from which to explore the island’s contrasting landscapes and experiences. The portfolio highlights locations along both the Caribbean and Atlantic coasts, offering access to beaches, boating, water sports and the island’s natural and cultural attractions.
Guests can also take advantage of Villas of Distinction’s personal Villa Concierge service, Carefree Caribbean, with assistance available for arranging private chefs, boat charters, snorkeling and diving excursions, rum tastings, guided hikes, transportation and other experiences during their stay.
The partnership further supports Martinique’s positioning as a destination where travelers can combine the comforts of a private villa with opportunities to explore the island’s character, from its French-Creole culinary traditions and world-renowned agricultural rum to its beaches, volcanic landscapes, coastal villages and outdoor experiences.
The Martinique collection on Villas of Distinction is available at www.villasofdistinction.com/destination/martinique.
Anguilla converts ILTM North America engagement into bookings and new business
ATB engages more than 70 luxury travel advisors, strengthening relationships across the U.S. market
THE VALLEY, Anguilla (Oct. 14, 2026) — The Anguilla Tourist Board (ATB) generated new inquiries and on-the-spot bookings while strengthening relationships with more than 70 luxury travel advisors during ILTM North America 2026 and related trade engagements in Nassau, the Bahamas. The event ran Sept. 28-Oct. 1 at Baha Mar.
ATB was represented by Kendisha Hall-Prentice, chief marketing officer, and Vivian Chambers of The Muse Collection, the destination’s U.S. sales representative. They reconnected with advisors and agencies familiar with Anguilla and introduced the destination to new luxury travel professionals, sharing updates on air access, accommodations, new developments and experiences.
“ILTM North America provided an exceptional opportunity to engage directly with luxury travel advisors and share the continued evolution of the Anguilla experience,” Hall-Prentice said. “The inquiries and bookings generated during the event further reinforced the value of these face-to-face engagements.”
ATB’s engagement extended beyond its scheduled ILTM appointments. On Sept. 27, Hall-Prentice and Chambers hosted about 20 members of Coastline Travel Advisors for dinner and an in-depth destination presentation. A second dinner and presentation were held Sept. 28 for advisors representing several leading travel agencies.
Kendisha Hall-Prentice and Vivian Chambers with luxury travel advisors during an Anguilla destination dinner held in conjunction with ILTM North America 2026
“The conversations throughout the week confirmed that Anguilla continues to appeal to luxury travelers seeking privacy, exceptional accommodations, distinctive experiences and genuine Caribbean hospitality,” Chambers said. “Advisors were highly engaged, sought additional information and identified opportunities for clients actively considering the destination.”
Travel advisors remain central to Anguilla’s U.S. sales strategy, connecting the destination with travelers whose interests align with its accommodations, culinary offerings and personalized experiences. ATB will continue investing in training, destination updates and direct engagement to keep Anguilla top of mind among luxury travel professionals.