Caribbean beaches get lonely

(Economist): IT is the time of year when the Caribbean normally expects its hotels and beaches to be packed with sun-seekers. But this year, cash-strapped North Americans and Europeans are staying at home. Visitor numbers will fall by up to a third, reckons Harold Lovell, who chairs the Caribbean Tourism Organisation. The hotel association in Tobago says that only one bed in three is occupied. Atlantis, a mega-resort in the Bahamas, laid off 800 staff in November, while flights to Nassau,have been cut by a quarter. Go to article