Enticing scenes to lure tourists back to Caribbean

Caribbean tourism ministers and officials are in London for this year's World Tourism Travel Market, which starts Monday.

Leading up to the event, the Caribbean Tourism organisation held a warm-up function on Saturday seeking to boost the arrivals to the region for the upcoming peak winter season which starts next month.

Speaking to BBC Caribbean, CTO chairman - and Antigua’s tourism minister - John Maginley, said this year is particularly crucial and challenging for the region due to the global financial downturn.

Haiti gets new PM

Jean-Max Bellerive seems all set to become Haiti’s new prime minister.

The lower house of Haiti's parliament has confirmed him at the weekend, clearing the way for the economist and veteran politician to form a new government.

The 52 to 2 vote came a day after Mr Bellerive won unanimous confirmation in the Senate.

He was appointed to the position by President Rene Preval last week.

Mr Bellerive is now expected to be sworn into office by President Preval during the course of this week, after forming a cabinet and submitting his government plan for formal approval by parliament.

He replaces Michele Pierre-Louis, who was fired as prime minister by the Senate on October 30 for failing to improve the country's economy.

Bahamas jobs boost

Several categories of public sector workers in the Bahamas have been given a guarantee by the government that they will receive agreed salary increases.

Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham announced at the weekend that his government - in his words - is now in a position to honour contracts with several public sector unions.

The Bahamas, like other Caricom countries, has been feeling the sharp effect of the global economic down and there has been some disquiet among labour unions.

But now the government in Nassau says it's starting a temporary jobs creation programme and settling wage agreements with for several categories of government workers.

Teachers are to receive an US$800 lump sum payment, which was already provided for in their contract.

Nurses are to get a previously agreed 4% salary increase and doctors 1.8%.

Together those will cost the government over 2.6 million dollars.

Mr Ingraham also announced that talks will soon start on the the implementation of a agreed health insurance coverage for nurses.

To fund these and other additional expenditures will cost the government an extra $26.5 million on its annual budget for the present financial year.

Jamaica job cuts

Meanwhile in Jamaica, Prime minister Bruce Golding announced at the weekend that a number of government departments will be closed, while others will be merged.

Several thousand jobs are expected to go.

He said this was part of a modernisation drive to cut costs and improve efficiency.

Over 40 thousand jobs have already been lost in the country's private sector.

Apology

It's emerged that the government of Trinidad and Tobago has apologised to the government of Saudi Arabia over the search and questioning of one of their diplomats in Port of Spain last week.

There had been reports 'some discontent' being expressed by the government of Saudi Arabia, over the questioning of the diplomat Dr Fawaz Abdul Rahaman Al Shabili.

The Saudi official was in Port of Spain to issue visas for the 2009 Hajj religious season' which is expected to fall between November 25 and 30.