Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, secretary-general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), said in a a recent interview published by eTN that the CTO is considering ways to help U.S. travelers defray the costs of getting a new passport. Starting Jan. 1, 2007, Americans traveling to the Caribbean (except Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) must have a valid passport. Caribbean tourism officials fret that the cost of getting new passports could cost almost $400 for a family of four, which could deter some from traveling.

"We'd rather pay some small sum of money for their passport through some private-sector sites, than allow the tourists to stay closer to home," eTurboNews quoted Vanderpool-Wallace as saying.

The public-relations firm representing the CTO said reports that the group has developed a plan for reimbursing passport costs are inaccurate, but promised to pass along more details if and when the group makes an announcement. Stay tuned!