In a gala ceremony held in Miami on Sunday, April 6, Nevis Sun Tours was awarded the coveted “Best New Tour” by the luxury cruise company Azamara Cruises. “All of us at Nevis Sun Tours are thrilled to receive this honor. Chosen from the dozens of worldwide destinations and many tour offerings, it is humbling to have our Alexander Hamilton tour standing out as the best of the best,” noted Greg Phillip, CEO. “I am deeply grateful to our team and to the dedicated Azamara staff for their superb work and support as well as to the many Azamara cruise visitors whose choices contributed to our receiving this honor.” As Alexander Hamilton was born on the island of Nevis, it is natural to offer visitors a close-up exploration of the sites he walked and the scenes he saw. For example, the Alexander Hamilton tour visits the 18th century church in which Hamilton was not allowed to attend school as his mother and father were not married to one another. (And that’s a whole other interesting story!) Visitors learn about the young sisters buried in the church and how Hamilton almost certainly knew them. The tour continues on past the alley where enslaved persons, just off slaving ships, were held. On to the Jewish cemetery where it is pointed out, Hamilton received much of his education, of both financial and linguistic fields, from the Jewish immigrants who came to Nevis for their freedom to worship. Azamara is known for what they call “Destination Immersion” experiences. Their intimate, club-like ships fit in smaller ports, such as Nevis, in the Caribbean’s West Indies, where bigger ships can’t visit. Nevis Sun Tours offers exactly what an immersion port of call demands: a concierge-level personal local culture experience for visitors. In St. Kitts and Nevis they offer over 12 tour selections offering island-wide,  culinary, cultural and active experiences. For reservations, visit reservations@nevissuntours.comm or call 869-469-1299 or 869-662-3975.

In 2012, the world’s attention will be on Jamaica with the concurrence of three significant happenings: the country will celebrate its 50th anniversary of independence; its athletes, some the world’s fastest runners, will be showcased in the upcoming Summer Olympics and Jamaica tourism will reach out to the Jamaican diaspora inviting them to “come home” to visit. Recently, Multicultural Travel News attended the 21st Annual Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) convention and had the opportunity to interview the Jamaican Tourist Board’s (JTB) Director of Tourism, John Lynch, to learn more about these upcoming events and initiatives.