The Caribbean Tourism Development Company (CTDC), the marketing and business development unit owned equally by the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), has launched a new blog on the region’s official tourism Web site, www.CaribbeanTravel.com, in an effort to offer an insider’s perspective on the region and encourage a dialogue among site visitors.

The “Caribbean Insider” blog, to feature a roster of guest bloggers from the Caribbean tourism industry, creates a forum for discussion on various topics including everything from sustainability and the environment to the region’s cuisine and current events. The first “Insider” to blog is Lorraine Headley, former director of tourism for Antigua and Barbuda. Her posts can be found in the “News and Features” section of the site or at http://www.caribbeantravel.com/meetingplace/blog.aspx.

According to CTDC co-CEO Alec Sanguinetti, the blog is a great opportunity for site visitors to engage in an exchange of ideas. “Communication is the lifeblood of any society and we want to give visitors to the site the opportunity to engage in conversations about the Caribbean and also get a unique perspective from the bloggers themselves on life in the region.”

CaribbeanTravel.com was officially launched in March 2008 and is designed to offer travelers the most current destination information including weather reports, upcoming festivals and events, news from the Caribbean, as well as travel deals and promotions. Travelers can also utilize the site to either book a Caribbean trip with Travelocity, the website’s official travel booking engine, or to be connected to a Caribbean specialist travel agent to plan or book their vacation.

Other distinctive features of the site include: a “Hot Deals” section with special travel values, maps of the region, and detailed descriptions of places to stay, things to do and special events throughout the year.