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Here we are, wrapping up 2013 with an issue that has Recommend’s editors looking back over the course of the year and pinpointing noteworthy trends and hotel openings, as well as tour operator and destination updates.

Although many trends come and go, some trends in the Caribbean are here to stay.

Is green the new black?

It’s not hard to figure out which clients you should urge to visit Guadeloupe.

There are so many options for just-perfect destination weddings in the Caribbean and Mexico, it’s sometimes hard to choose exactly which well-known hotel brand to say “I do” to. But we’ve done a bit of the legwork for you and your soon-to-be-wed clients by highlighting the offerings at key destination wedding powerhouses, which, of course, have the area’s top wedding coordinators and event planners on hand to help with all the details, no matter how big or small. Some offer travel agent commission for the weddings, some offer commission only on the rooms, but with the popularity of destination weddings skyrocketing, and the size of the wedding parties only getting bigger—and with many in the party adding extra nights to make it a complete vacation—even getting those guestroom bookings are a dream come true to your bottom line.

Catbird views or beachfront ease? Close to home or total/exotic honeymoon escape? Different strokes...

It’s more than fun in the sun—it’s a lifestyle.

Grenada and Martinique offer a combination of unspoiled nature, small-town courtesy, and new hotels.

A half-dozen new, re-launched, and soon-to-open all-inclusivesin Jamaica make it easier than ever to find the right property for each client.

With the Real Relax package at Le Sereno in St. Barts, travelers can experience a luxurious getaway at the beachfront property.

Travel agents and their clients who have sampled and swear by the considerable charms of the Gansevoort Hotel Group’s up-tempo, uber-hip Manhattan properties—the flagship Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC and newer Gansevoort Park Avenue NYC—have had reason to wonder how well the brand would translate to Gansevoort Turks & Caicos when it opened on the island of Providenciales in April 2009. Well...beautifully, as it turns out.

Travel Impressions is increasing its inventory and becoming even more user-friendly for travel agents.

Antigua has been a favorite of sailors ever since Columbus’ day.

The Exuma Islands of The Bahamas are a chain of mostly tiny, uninhabited islands that begin about 35 miles southeast of New Providence Island and dribble south for 100 miles.

Just 75 miles from Palm Beach, New Providence Island is home to capital city Nassau, a magnet for cruise ship passengers and other visitors who want to eat well and shop even better.

MoBay and its environs have plenty to offer, from duty-free shopping at City Centre to hand-made items at the Montego Craft Market, and from Rose Hall Great House, a historic sugar plantation, to the Rastafari cultural experience at Montego River Gardens.

Not only one of the most beautiful islands on earth, St. Lucia is famous for the twin Piton mountains on its southwest shore, and yes, you can climb them (hint: the shorter one is actually harder to scale because it’s steeper).

Jamaica's wealth of all-inclusive wedding options make the island an ideal destination for couples unwilling to compromise on both budgets...