Category Archives: Caribbean

Hurricane Sam, the 18th named cyclone of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, will make big waves in Atlantic shipping lanes this weekend.

Related: How and why do hurricanes get their names?

Sam was a tropical depression for a couple of days prior to becoming a tropical storm early Thursday morning. Less than 24 hours later, Sam had exploded into a Category 1 hurricane, with sustained winds of 75 mph as of early Friday morning.

At that time, Sam was centered over the tropical Atlantic about 1,470 miles southeast of the northern Leeward Islands.

The National Hurricane Center is forecasting Sam to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane Category 3 or higher by Saturday afternoon. The latest outlook has Sam tracking into the Caribbean next week, but staying far enough to the north to avoid landfall.

For now, Sam is only a threat to container ship crews who will have to steer clear. However, theres enough uncertainty in the hurricanes future path to keep attention focused on it for the next week. A slight shift to the south could have it crashing into several Caribbean islands, including U.S. territories like the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Compared to an average season through Sept. 23, this season has produced an above-average number of named storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes, with 18, seven and three, respectively. The averages over the past 30 years are 10, five and two.

In addition, the average date for the seventh Atlantic hurricane formation is Nov. 16 (the season officially ends Nov. 30), according to Philip Klotzbach, a meteorologist at Colorado State University who specializes in tropical weather. So, Sam is way ahead of schedule.

This is a developing situation, so look for updates on the FreightWaves website and social media accounts.

Heavy rain will continue to drench the Northeast, especially the New England states. Widespread flooding isnt likely, but areas of localized flash flooding are possible. The system producing the rain is moving slowly to the northeast and may not clear northern Maine until sometime Sunday. The National Weather Service has flash flood watches posted for western parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts, where another few inches of rain could accumulate.

Interstate 90 from Springfield to Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Interstate 91 from Hartford, Connecticut, to Greenfield, Massachusetts.

Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.

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Hurricane Sam to intensify on way to Caribbean - FreightWaves

In Haiti, the August 14 earthquake and August 16 landfall of tropical depression Grace have increased the population facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3 outcomes) by 50 percent through December 2021 compared to before the earthquake. Impacts were most significant in the department of Sud. In addition to the loss of life, these back-to-back shocks displaced thousands of people, destroyed infrastructure and assets, and disrupted markets, trade routes, and livelihood activities.

Some early-planted fall crops in mountainous areas were destroyed by landslides; some damage was reported to maize and pea crops, worst affecting poorer households whose crops are primary source of food and income. Many farmers lost agricultural tools and seeds in the earthquake, which will limit their capacities for the fall agricultural season. Given that these shocks come on top of already high food prices and sociopolitical instability, food access for the poor and the poorest households is expected to be lower than usual as income sources reduce and expenses increase for rebuilding their livelihoods.

In Central America, relief from the approaching harvests and seasonal labor opportunities will not be sufficient to avoid Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes for the poorest households of the Honduran and Guatemalan Dry Corridor, areas impacted by Eta and Iota and the coffee-producing areas of central and eastern Honduras and western El Salvador through January 2022. In these areas, incomes remain low and household debt has grown, smallholder farmers face below-average maize and bean production, and households that rely on agricultural labor opportunities face constraints due to high transportation costs and reduced demand for labor related to coffee production.

Postrera harvests are expected to be near average. However, localized excess moisture during the August to November rainy season may cause some maize and bean crop losses. A seasonal decrease in maize and bean prices is expected in El Salvador and Honduras and markets are well supplied and operating normally across the region. In both Guatemala and Nicaragua, however, maize prices have remained significantly above the five-year average, due to supply chain disruption, atypical increases, and price speculation. Higher food prices, as well as increasing transportation and gas prices throughout the region, are constraining household purchasing power.

Vaccination progress has been uneven and multiple waves of COVID-19 are expected throughout this outlook period. There are no restrictions in place despite of the high number of infections and national governments are not likely to reinstate stringent COVID-19-related restrictions. This is expected to allow for gradual economic recovery and an improvement in household incomes, particularly for households reliant on tourism, commerce, services, or informal employment.

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Central America and Caribbean Key Message Update: Food insecurity increases in Haiti and persists in other parts of the region, September 2021 - Haiti...

A cruise ship plies the waters near Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas.

Its getting harder to find a Caribbean cruise itinerary that doesnt include a stop on the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Do Not Travel list. Over the past few weeks, the list of popular Caribbean cruise ports given the CDCs dreaded Level 4 designation has ballooned.

The CDC uses a four-level system to alert travelers to health threats around the world. Countries with a Level 4 travel health notice are deemed to have a very high risk of Covid-19 with a Do Not Travel recommendation for Americans.

The Caribbean islands at Level 4 now include: Aruba, the Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Barts, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin/Sint Maarten and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Its an understatement to say that cruise lines and Caribbean nations share a common interest in navigating the murky waters of the Covid pandemic together. The North American cruise market is dominated by the easily accessible Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda.

Likewise, cruising plays an outsized and growing role in the regions tourism. In 2019, nearly 12 million people visited the Caribbean on a cruise ship, roughly double the 6.2 million recorded in 2010.

Despite rising Covid transmission rates, cruises lines have kept popular Caribbean islands on their itineraries by nimbly adapting their protocols to stay in line with both the CDC guidance and ever-changing restrictions in host countries. Caribbean destinations and cruise lines started working together in summer 2020 to develop a universal set of guidelines for resumption of cruise travelacross the Caribbean, Mexico and the Americas, says a Royal Caribbean spokesperson.

The CDC recommends that both passengers and crew be vaccinatedbefore boarding a ship, and says vaccinated passengers can generally go masklessandexplore portson their own. These days, cruise ships are overwhelmingly filled with travelers age 12 and up who are fully vaccinated. A few cruise lines require all guests to be fully vaccinated before boarding without exceptions. Others allow unvaccinated passengers for certain cruises but then subject them to strict masking and testing policies as well as restricted shore excursions. These protocols also typically apply to children under 12.

When the CDC issues a Do Not Travel travel health notice, cruise lines have several tools in their toolboxes, says Chris Gray Faust, managing editor at CruiseCritic.com, a Tripadvisor-owned cruise review site.

The first option is to make a substitution to an itinerary. If Covid spikes in a country and it shuts down to cruising, the cruise line will find another port, says Faust, pointing to the Cayman Islands as an example of a destination that is closed to tourists.

But rather than ban cruise ships outright, its far more likely that a country with a spike in Covid transmissions would tighten its regulations. In that case, cruise lines adjust their protocols to adhere to the new rules. For instance, when the Bahamas recently mandated that only fully vaccinated cruise ships could stop at its ports, cruise lines were compelled to change how they process passengers on Bahamian itineraries sailing out of Florida. Previously, most cruise lines had not asked passengers sailing from Florida for proof of vaccination, due to Governor Ron DeSantis much-hyped but unpopular ban on vaccine passports.

The Bahamas mandate essentially forced Royal Caribbean to bring its vaccine policy for cruises departing from Florida to the Bahamas in line with its own policy for sailings departing from all other U.S. ports, says a Royal Caribbean spokesperson. Travelers unable to show proof of vaccination will beunable to sail. There is an exception is for kids under 12, who are ineligible to be vaccinated, and must provide a negative test result at boarding and follow certain health and safety protocols.

Passengers age 12 and up must prove they are fully vaccinated to visit Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.

Similarly, Carnival Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line now require that passengers age 12 and up sailing from Florida to the Bahamas must show proof of vaccination, with an exception for younger children, who must be tested and adhere to masking policies.

Norwegian Cruise Line takes an even stronger stance, requiring that all passengers, regardless of age, must be fully vaccinated prior to sailing from any port to all destinations. This policy will remain in place at least until the end of 2021. Last month, a U.S. judge ruled that Norwegian can require passengers to show proof of vaccination status before boarding a ship, agreeing with the cruise line that Floridas law jeopardizes public health and is an unconstitutional infringement on Norwegian's rights. Virgin Voyages also requires all passengers to be fully vaccinated.

A third way that cruise lines adapt to a heightened risk of Covid-19 is by changing how they handle shore excursions in a specific port of call. Faust saw this firsthand on a recent Viking Ocean Cruise in Europe. In the countries that are at Level 4, they restricted shore excursions to ship-sponsored bubble excursions, and in places where the CDC rating was lower than 4, passengers were allowed to explore on their own, she said.

Passengers on bubble excursions explore a port as part of a guided tour with others from the same ship, while passengers exploring a destination on their own must still follow that country's protocols. For example, a country might require that visitors show proof of vaccination to dine indoors.

Caribbean islands currently at Level 3, which means high risk of Covid-19, include: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bermuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Turks and Caicos. Many Caribbean itineraries also include stops in Mexico, which is also at Level 3.

Its absolutely crucial for cruisers to realize that protocols differ from cruise line to cruise line, said Faust, which means travelers need to do their homework before booking and then be prepared for protocols to change on the fly. Our advice to cruisers during this time is to be very flexible, said Faust, and to realize that when you sign up to the cruise, some destinations and itineraries may end up changing due to the pandemic.

Link:

These Caribbean Islands Are On The CDC's 'Do Not Travel' ListHere's How Cruise Lines Navigate Covid's Murky Waters - Forbes

Wonder of the Seas, Royal Caribbeans fifth Oasis-class ship, will debut in Florida in March 2022. The ship, originally scheduled to sail exclusively in Asia, will instead sail in the Caribbean and Europe. It joins Odyssey of the Seas, which launched this summer, in both destinations, giving North American cruisers easy access to Royal Caribbeans two newest ships for the first time in several years.

The ship will feature many of the Oasis-classs most popular attractions, along with all-new features like the Suite Neighborhood and The Vue, a cantilevered pool bar.

The momentum taking off across bookings and our returning ships in the U.S. and Europe is significant, said Michael Bayley, president, and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. With half of our fleet sailing again, we are encouraged by what were seeing. These regions are in the position to welcome a brand-new, innovative ship like Wonder of the Seas.

The Vue. Photo: Royal Caribbean

Eight Neighborhoods of FunWith the addition of the Suite Neighborhood, Wonder of the Seas will be the first Oasis-class ship to have eight neighborhoods.

The Suite Class Neighborhood, a keycard-accessible area features an elevated Suite Sun Deck, complete with plunge pool, bar, and plenty of loungers. Its also where youll find Coastal Kitchen, the suite-only restaurant. A highlight of the accommodations in the neighborhood is the Ultimate Family Suite, which can fit up to 10 people.

Also, new onboard Wonder of the Seas will be The Vue, a cantilevered pool bar. And for the kids, Wonder Playscape is a new interactive, open-air kids play area with an underwater theme, slides, climbing walls, games, and an interactive mural.

Returning favorites include the Ultimate Abyss and FlowRider, the Perfect Storm waterslides and Splashaway Bay water park, The Lime & Coconut bar, and the Boardwalk and Central Park Neighborhoods, among many others.

Pool deck on Wonder of the Seas. Photo: Royal Caribbean

ItineraryWonder of the Seas sets sail from its homeport of Fort Lauderdale on March 4, 2022, sailing to the Caribbean for the spring, before making its way to Barcelona and Rome in May.

From Fort Lauderdale, Wonder of the Seas will sail 7-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, visiting Cozumel, Mexico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and more. All sailings include a day at Perfect Day at CocoCay, the lines private island experience in the Bahamas.

In Europe, the ship will sail 7-night Western Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona and Rome with stops in ports such as Palma de Mallorca, Spain, and Capri, Italy.

Wonders Caribbean itineraries are open for booking today, while its European sailings open on September 22.

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Royal's Wonder of the Seas to Debut in Caribbean, Features All-New Suite Neighborhood - Travel Market Report

Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Tropical Storm Peter, the 16th named system of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, is projected to pass multiple islands in the Caribbean in the coming days.

Peter, which became a tropical storm early Sunday, is on track to move close to the Northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico through Tuesday, forecasters said.

In its 5 a.m. EDT Update, the National Hurricane Center said Peter was located 245 miles northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. It was moving northwest at 14 mph.

Forecasters said a gradual decrease in forward speed is expected through Tuesday, with a turn to the northwest expected by Wednesday.

The storm is not expected to impact the United States mainland.

Compared to the record-setting 2020 hurricane season, Peter arrived a little late. Last year, the 16th storm, Paulette, developed on Sept. 7.

Tropical Storm Rose also formed on Sunday, becoming the 17th named storm of the season, and is projected to follow a similar movement as Peter.

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Tropical Storm Peter projected to bring rains, wind to islands in Caribbean - UPI News

Royal Caribbean hopes biggest will be best when it comes to luring customers back to sea. Its new ship, Wonder of the Seas, is the largest cruise ship afloat at 228,081 tons and measuring 362 metres. At full capacity, it will hold 7,912 passengers. It nudges ahead of Caribbeans Symphony of the Seas, which holds up to 6,680 passengers.

The innovative new shipinvites adventurers of all ages to reimagine, explore and make memories once again, says Royal Caribbean in its press release, introducing the ship and its tagline: Reimage whats Possible.

Its a bold move as, while the will to cruise is high, many cruisers are still tentative about travelling, particularly on the giga cruise ships. Many cruise lines have been offering vast discounts to passengers in an attempt to make sailings viable.

However Royal Caribbean is confident that its innovative cruise-meets-theme park ships will weather the storm. The momentum taking off across bookings and our returning ships in the U.S. and Europe is significant, says Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. With half of our fleet sailing again, we are encouraged by what were seeing. These regions are in the position to welcome a brand-new, innovative ship likeWonder of the Seas.

Wonder of the Seas will feature eight distinct neighbourhoods, including the all-new Suite Neighbourhood where Royal Suite guests enjoy a Suite Sun Deck, lounge and private restaurant. Also fresh to the ship is the cantilevered pool bar, The Vue. Wonder Playscapealso debuts, an interactive, open-air kids play area with slides, climbing walls, games and puzzles.

The new ship will retain favourite features from other Royal Caribbean ships. The Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea, will return, as will Central Park, the lush green neighbourhood featuring real plants. The Caribbean-inspired pool deck experience also remains in place, alongside high speed waterslide, The Perfect Storm, and aqua park Splashaway Bay.

Wonder of the Seas will set sail from Fort Lauderdale to explore the Caribbean from March 4 2022. The cruise ship will then make its way to the Mediterranean, where it will sail from both Barcelona and Rome.

Wonderwill shine bright as the worlds newest wonder in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, said Bayley. And whats in store is the ultimate vacation experience that highlights the very best of Royal Caribbean, reimagines renowned favourites and introduces new adventures every guest, no matter their age, can enjoy.

Royal Caribbean has already shown its ability to push the boundaries. Spectrum of the Seas, launched in 2019, was ahead of the game with digital room keys, immersive augmented reality games and VR trampolining. The ships shows also feature immersive technology.

The cruise line also joined the trend for cruises to include visits to private islands. In 2019 Royal Caribbean opened Perfect Day at CocoCay, a $250 million private island in the Bahamas, the first in the Perfect Day Island Collection.

The island is for the exclusive use of the cruise lines guests and includes a wide range of sporting, adventure and relaxing activities. Highlights include a 1,600 foot long zipline and the chance to float above the island in a tethered helium balloon.

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Royal Caribbean launches Wonder of the Seas with attractions - Blooloop

Jerry Bruckheimers Pirates of the Caribbean is a sequence of fantastical swashbuckler movies based on Walt Disneys theme park entertainment of the same name. The Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise began in 2003 with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which received positive reviews from both audiences and critics and grossed US$654 million worldwide.

Following the success of the first film, Walt Disney Pictures announced that a sequel was in the works. From the beginning, the movie performed admirably, and it continued to do so. The franchise has a total of 5 movies currently and viewers are excited for a 6th one.

The story started with Blacksmith Will Turner collaborates with quirky pirate Captain Jack Sparrow to free Elizabeth Swann, Turners love, from cursed pirates headed by Hector Barbossa, Jacks mutinous former first mate. And its still going strong and delivering incredible results.

Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is currently under production. It was speculated just before the release of On Stranger Tides that Disney was preparing to shoot the fifth and sixth movies back-to-back, yet only the fifth was produced. Dead Men Tell No Tales was simply the commencement of the final adventure, according to director Joachim Rnning, who confirmed that it will not be the series final movie in March 2017.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer revealed in September 2017 that a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie was still in the works. Finally, in May 2020, it was announced that Bruckheimer indicated that the first draft of the sixth movies screenplay would be completed soon. The movie is now in production, and we cant wait to see it.

Kaya Scodelario also revealed that she had signed a contract to return for a sixth film. The upcoming movies screenwriters are Ted Elliott and Craig Mazin, and the director is Joachim Rnning.

Though the movies title and release date have yet to be revealed, they will be in the near future. But its not like we cant anticipate when the next movie will be out. The franchises movies, on the other hand, have generally been released in July or May. According to previous movies, the first three installments of the franchise were released in May. And the first two installments were released in July.

Well, were hoping for a similar pattern with this upcoming film. A four to five-year gap between Pirates of the Caribbean movies has been the standard, with the exception of Dead Mans Chest and At Worlds End (filmed back-to-back in 2005).

Also, as we all know, the scripting was probably finished in May 2020, but owing to the epidemic, maybe everything got pushed back. However, the upcoming movie is expected to be released in 2023. Were awaiting confirmation from the officials. These were just expected release date.

So, lets move on to the next exciting news we have in store for everyone. Disney stated in June 2020 that they were working on a female-led spin-off, with Christina Hodson penning the screenplay and Margot Robbie scheduled to appear. The movie will be distinct from the six-picture project now in development.

Jerry Bruckheimer will also serve as a producer on the movie. For the time being, we only know that there will be a spin-off. And there are no further updates on the story-line or the release date. Well, whenever any updates regarding the 6th movie, and the spin-off is announced, we will try to keep everyone up-to-date.

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Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 Release Date: Is it Renewed? - TheTealMango

With the rollout of Lightning Lane imminent, three more attractions have received signage for the upcharge service at the Magic Kingdom.

Over in Adventureland, signage has been installed at the entrance of Pirates of the Caribbean. This is the second attraction in the land to feature the new service following the Jungle Cruise.

Meanwhile, in Frontierland, signage for Lightning Lane has replaced the one for FastPass+ at Splash Mountain.

Finally, over in Fantasyland, the signage has been added to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, typically one of the longest waits in the park.

Given how popular the attraction is, its no surprise that the ride was mentioned specifically as one of the additional attraction selections available for a separate charge from the general Lightning Lane service.

Earlier this week, signs for Lightning Lane were added to even more attractions in the park, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, as well as Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mad Tea Party, and Mickeys PhilharMagic.

As always, keep following WDWNT for all of your Disney Parks news, and for the absolute latest, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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PHOTOS: Lightning Lane Signage Installed at Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in the Magic Kingdom - wdwnt.com

UNICEF urges countries in the region to scale up the return to in-person learning

PANAMA CITY, 16 September 2021 A year and a half into the pandemic, about 86 million children remain out of the classroom in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the latest UNICEF estimates.

However, at least 47 million children have resumed in-person learning across the region thanks to the recent efforts of several countries to accelerate school reopening, either partially or totally.

For the past 18 months, most children in Latin America and the Caribbean havent seen their teachers or friends outside of a screen. Those without internet havent seen them at all, said Jean Gough, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. Digital education should continue and improve, but its clear that during the pandemic the most marginalized families havent had access to learning. Every day out of the classroom brings the most vulnerable children closer to dropout, gang violence, abuse or human trafficking.

School is not only a place where children learn but also a safe space for them to interact, play and grow together. During the pandemic, Latin America and the Caribbean has had longer uninterrupted school closures than in any other region in the world. Across the region, 153 in-person school days[LD1] [CM2] have been lost on average since the pandemic hit. The widespread school closures have caused the largest disruption of learning in the regions modern history.

The latest evidence from around the world shows that schools are not associated with increased transmission of COVID-19, but rather reflect the level of community transmission. Even in places with the highest COVID-19 rates, the World Health Organization recommends considering all options to continue in-person learning[1]

UNICEF, along with UNESCO and the World Food Programme, have developed regional guidelines for ministries of education and for school administrators and principals to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at school. To help keep students and teachers safe, governments must implement prevention measures, including physical distancing and provision of soap, clean water and, where appropriate, protective equipment.

Its hopeful to see that every day more schools are reopening and more children and teachers are going back to school in Latin America and the Caribbean, said Jean Gough. More and more countries in the region are proving that in-person learning is possible; others must urgently bring their children back into the classroom. The risks of staying out of school are too high, higher than the risks of being in school. Children in this region have already lost more than a year of school. They cant afford to miss another day of in-person learning.

To support school reopening in Latin America and the Caribbean, UNICEF has worked with countries to develop back-to-school strategies, deliver education and hygiene supplies, and provide psychosocial support to students and teachers.

UNICEF urges governments to open all schools as soon as possible. Together with the World Bank and UNESCO, UNICEF is calling for:

Targeted programmes to bring all children and youth back in school where they can access tailored services to meet their learning, health, psychosocial well-being, and other needs;

Effective remedial learning to help students catch up on lost learning;

Support for teachers to address learning losses and incorporate digital technology into their teaching.

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Around 2 in 3 children are still out of the classroom in Latin America and the Caribbean - World - ReliefWeb

From contactless paymentsto self-driving carsto the race to space, technology is advancing at a rapid pace. Businesses and economies around the world are moving swiftly along with it, and several Caribbean companies have joined the dash.

Kyle Maloneyco-founder of regional tech ecosystem, Tech Beach Retreatanticipates that new industries will be birthed that can significantly change the economic trajectory of the region.

He foresees large corporations playing a key role in such advancements as a lot of resources sit in the hands of our region's executives capital, networks, and access. Having these players invest in closing the digital divide will only seek to yield tremendous benefits for all involved.

With these entities stepping up to the plate, Tech Beach believes it is important to highlight the work being done across the region. As a part of its continued efforts to facilitate constructive conversations around the topic of innovation, Tech Beach engaged executives from some of the Caribbeans largest enterprises to share their perspectives on how technology will impact the regions future. Heres what they had to say.

Stephen Price vice president and general manager, Flow Jamaica

A leader in the telecommunications industry, Stephen Prices vantage point over technologys impact on the Caribbeans future is wide.

Digital innovations are reshaping our society, economy and industries, and disrupting the way businesses operate, Price says. To stay relevant in this era of techno-economic change, Price advises all businesses to consider industry innovative practices and trends.

Among the innovations the region will see in the future, he says, are digital payments, artificial intelligence, robotics and automation, blockchain and cybersecurity, as well as digital currency and mobile wallets. He acknowledges that some Caribbean countries are already using these technologies, but theyre likely to be more widely adopted throughout the region in the near future.

To facilitate widespread adoption of digital solutions, the Flow Foundation has several digital education initiatives that provide support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Price encourages every business, regardless of size, to implement digital solutions to better facilitate the needs of its customers and increase its economic viability. And he emphasises that all companies should engage e-commerce platforms, which can expand their customer base with the ease of access to online platforms for potential customers.

Karrian Hepburn Malcolm vice president, sales and service, Unit Trust Corporation

As a leader in Unit Trust Corporations (UTC) Sales and Customer Service departments, Karrian Hepburn Malcolm envisions a highly digital future for financial transactions in the Caribbean. I expect to see tech- based changes and innovations emerging in the Caribbean in the near future concerning payments such asmobile wallets, digital currencies. Financial planning and advice will utilise artificial intelligence, robo-advising and e-trading platforms. Similarly insurance will use artificial intelligence to guide risk pricing and contracts. Malcolm also anticipates that businesses and individuals will rely heavily on non-traditional channels such as crowdfunding and an evolved credit scoring system to raise funds.

Emphasising the need to focus on tech education and foster a healthy ecosystem where innovation and adoption of new technologies can thrive, Malcolm advises that every Caribbean business should adopt the use of a website and e-payments system.

Malcolm notes that UTC has made significant upgrades to its digital strategy, including the introduction of a Digital Strategy Unit, to ensure our customers receive a real-time, accessible and user-friendly digital experience.

UTC is also contributing to driving innovation in Trinidad and Tobago by investing in local tech-based start-ups through initiatives such as URPRENEUR, Scale Up Trinidad and Tobago, and Enterprise Suite, along with partnerships with TechBeach, Wipay, The University of the West Indies, the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Commerce and the American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago.

Julie Avey Senior Vice President, People and Innovation, Massy Group

In her role heading the Massy Groups People and Innovation department, Julie Avey empowers Massys team from nurturing and supporting the companys leaders, to overseeing the wider teams health, wellness and financial benefits through the Human Resource department. As the co-founder of Nudge, a social enterprise developed in partnership with Anya Ayoung Chee and powered by Massy, she supports entrepreneurs across the region.

At the most basic level, Aveys work is in the empowerment of people and, as such, her vision for the Caribbeans future in a technology-driven world is one where we embrace our people and our culture.

She foresees the development of innovations that are more human-centric and embrace our creativity and joy, adding that though we are adopting such practices from other countries, the Caribbean should do more that suits our culture and humanity. Referencing Bob Marleys hit One Love and the elation that radiates from Trinidad and Tobagos Carnival, she believes that, marrying tech and our humanity is an opportunity.

Avey distinguishes between tech migrants [who] like me are born before 1985 and are in positions of power, and tech natives [who] have the answers with regard to tech. She urges tech migrants to responsibly release control and support the tech natives so that we can evolve as a region.

Nadeen Matthews Blair Chief Digital & Marketing Officer, National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited

Nadeen Matthews Blair

NCBs Chief Digital & Marketing Officer, Nadeen Matthews Blair, has served as a driving force behind the NCB Groups thrust to digitally transform its business.

As the bank strives to enhance its customer experience and competitively position itself amidst the ongoing digital disruption of the financial services industry, Matthews Blair and her team seek to create a platform that will allow NCB to provide financial solutions that empower our customers and help them to unlock their dreams.

Matthews Blair anticipates that the region will experience an intensified focus on tech-based solutions for pain points such as payments and money transfers. In addition, she encourages businesses to interrogate any process that relies on paper, cash or takes more than a few minutes for their customers. There you will find the opportunities to begin digitally transforming your micro and small enterprises which can start with open source and free digital tools.

As it seeks to accelerate the pace of its digital transformation, NCB has created a fully digital start-up TFOB(2021) Limited under the leadership of CEO Vernon James and will launch Lynk, its first digital financial services solution, later this year.NCB will also be the first financial institution in Jamaica to make the Central Bank Digital Currency accessible to its customers. Additionally, the NCB Foundation, of which Matthews Blair is the CEO, intends to focus on initiatives that expand the pool of digital producers, such as software developers, data scientists, and robotics engineers, in the region through scholarships and grantsand supporting boot camps and skills development programmes for primary and secondary school students.

Noting her companys track record of working with younger innovative tech companies, Matthews Blair sees it as critically important to begin nurturing an interest in tech amongst the regions youths and she wants to begin investing in developing these capabilities as early as primary school.

Theres no denying that the future of Caribbean industry lies in digital innovation and these executives and their companies are leading the charge. Moreover, they have identified the need to harness the potential that exists within small and medium enterprises in order to capitalise on existing synergies and build a strong future for the region.

By Serah Acham

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Execs share their vision for the future of tech in the Caribbean | Loop Jamaica - Loop News Jamaica