Cruise Economy: Rhapsody of the Seas made its first 2026 summer call to Port Zante on June 10, bringing about 2,360 passengers and kicking off nine scheduled visits between June and September—supporting off-season tourism and local spend. Tourism Operations: Royal Caribbean also added an extra port stop (La Romana) to a July 4 sailing on Rhapsody, replacing a day at sea and expanding shore-excursion options. Entrepreneurship & Finance: The Ministry of Small Business launched the second cohort of its Building Bankable Businesses Financial Literacy Program (10 weeks, with SKN National Bank), training entrepreneurs on budgeting, planning, records, and banking relationships. Cost-of-Living Relief: Government reiterated customs surcharge relief, including waiving bunker and shipper surcharges from customs duty/tax calculations to reduce imported goods price pressure. Climate & Agriculture: The Greenhouse Village Initiative is shifting to a more structured, climate-smart model for farming at Brotherson’s Estate, with training to keep greenhouses hurricane-ready. Regional Preparedness: CDEMA urged continued preparedness as it reviews lessons from the 2025 hurricane season, stressing better emergency communications and integrated information sharing. Visa/CBI Pressure on Tourism: CHTA president-elect Gregor Nassief says his US visa renewal was denied, highlighting tighter Washington scrutiny tied to citizenship-by-investment concerns. Sports Administration: SKNOC’s Jessica Warner was selected for the IOC Immersion Stay Programme in Lausanne, a boost for federation sports governance capacity.