BUYERS AND SUPPLIERS
at the 26th annual Caribbean Marketplace [formerly CHA
Marketplace], held Jan. 15 to 17at the new Puerto Rico Convention
Center in San Juan, are buoyed by strong bookings for the current
season, increased airlift into the region, numerous hotel projects
set to break ground or to open this year, and a new spirit of
cooperation between the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) and the
Caribbean Tourism Organization, according to Berthia Parle, CHA
president. Parle described 2005 as a year of challenges. Winter
2005 was excellent, but summer and fall with hurricanes and high
fuel prices slowed growth considerably, she said. Although final
figures are not yet out, 2005 overall visitor figures are expected
to reflect a 5% growth rate over 2004. Total delegates at this
years Marketplace, the largest meeting to date to be held in the
new convention center, which opened in November, totaled 1,454,
slightly under last years turnout in Jamaica. More than 14
ministers and directors of tourism attended this year, marking the
biggest turnout of the government sector ever to attend Caribbean
Marketplace.
SANDALS AND
BEACHES RESORTS launched its WorldPoints Rewards program
tied to a Platinum Plus Visa credit card. The program enables
members to put points earned from purchases toward Sandals and
Beaches vacations, airline tickets to the Caribbean [with no
blackout dates] and select merchandise. The hotel chain says it is
the first all-inclusive resort firm with its own card. Other
features of the card include no annual fee; six months of free
financing on retail purchases, including travel; and 5,000 points
when the card is first activated. Consumers earn one point for
every dollar spent and two points for each dollar spent at Sandals
and Beaches. To apply for the card, call (866) 438-6262 and use
source code L4MP.
TOUR
OPERATORS
" Travel Impressions, with a total of 37 more hotels in its
Caribbean package portfolio for 2006, added Martinique and St.
Barts as new destinations this winter, and enhanced its offerings
to Puerto Rico beyond the San Juan area, according to Steven Gorga,
president and CEO. The additions bring to more than 600 the number
of hotels offered on 26 islands served. New to the portfolio are
eight properties in Martinique; seven in St. Barts; seven in
Guadeloupe [up from one last year]; and five properties more in
Puerto Rico, including Horned Dorset Primavera and Rincon of the
Seas-Grand Caribbean Hotel, both on Puerto Ricos west coast. For
details, visit www.travelimpressions.com.
" Island Resort Tours launched a new booking engine for the
Caribbean at www.islandresorttours.com. The site enables users to
select from more than 250 of the operators resorts on 30 islands
and combine them with wholesale air fares on seven carriers,
including American, Continental, Delta, US Airways, Spirit
Airlines, Air Jamaica and BWIA. Island Resort Tours live customer
support desk is available to on-line users Mondays through
Saturdays at (800) 251-1755.
TAKEOFFS
" Caribbean Sun will launch twice-daily flights from San Juan
to Port of Spain, Trinidad, on Feb. 1 and add a third daily flight
via St. Lucia on June 1. The carrier will take delivery of its
first Dash-300Q 50-seater aircraft on May 18. Caribbean Star will
begin daily service from Antigua to Anguilla and Tortola April
1.
" Continental pulled out of its weekly Saturday service from
Newark to Barbados on Jan. 14. The flight had been offered for a
year, but the carrier said its code-share agreement with Delta,
which operates three flights a week from Atlanta to Barbados, could
pick up the slack.
OOPS:
The Somerset on Grace Bay in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos,
which opens June 1, will offer seminars in sandcastle-building,
although the Guinness World Record sandcastle builder Mark Mason will not be
personally teaching the seminars. Also, not all of the 54 suites
will have wrap-around terraces, as reported in the Jan. 12
Caribbean E-letter.