NEW YORK -- With
new air service, the debut of a reinvented and renovated Club Med
and the introduction of tour operator incentives tied to package
programs, Martinique welcomed the winter season with its launch of
a $1.2 million branding and promotion blitz targeted at the U.S.
market.
"We have much to
celebrate as we head into the winter season," said Muriel
Wiltord-Latamie, director, U.S. and Latin America for the
Martinique Promotion Bureau. American Eagle's entry into Martinique
and Club Med's reopening will put us on the map as never
before."
Wiltord-Latamie
also said Martinique hoteliers are offering U.S. tour operators an
equal euro-to-dollar exchange rate on their Martinique programs
this winter.
"This is a very
clear signal that Martinique is ready and willing to work with U.S.
operators, and we want their business," she said.
Reasons to
celebrate include:
" American Eagle
will launch nonstop service between San Juan and Fort-de-France,
Martinique, on Dec. 15. The flight will operate every Thursday,
Friday, Sunday and Monday, using 64-seat aircraft.
The flight will
depart San Juan at 12:42 p.m., arriving in Fort-de-France at 2:47
p.m. The return flight leaves Martinique at 3:12 p.m., arriving in
Puerto Rico at 5:22 p.m.
Michael Rios,
American Eagle's regional sales manager for the Caribbean, based in
San Juan, reported that the Christmas Day flight already is fully
booked.
"Based on the
success of these four weekly flights, we may work up to a daily
flight," Rios said.
" Additional
airlift will come from Martinique-based Take Air Lines which, under
a franchise agreement with Air Caraibes, will offer daily flights
from St. Lucia's Hewannorra International Airport to
Martinique.
The flight times
enable connections with American's daily flight to St. Lucia from
Miami, US Airways' weekend flights from Philadelphia and its
Saturday flight from Charlotte, N.C., and Delta's five weekly
flights from Atlanta.
" Club Med will
debut the $60 million Club Med Buccaneer's Creek on Dec. 17, the
same day that its weekly nonstop charter service with North
American Airlines begins from New York (Kennedy) to
Martinique.
The airline will
use 757Bs, configured for 214 passengers. The flight will depart
New York on Saturdays at 9 a.m.
The new Club Med
has been built on the site of the original resort, which opened in
1969 and "helped redefine the resort experience," said John
Vanderslice, Club Med's president and CEO, North
America.
The resort
underwent a from-the-ground-up, 20-month renovation.
New amenities
include a 5,000-square-foot infinity pool, the Club Med Spa with
five treatment rooms, a gym and a beachside entertainment area.
Also, there are three restaurants, three beaches and a range of
water sports and activities.
Gone is the
barren and basic guest room style of Club Med's past.
The 293 guest
rooms at Buccaneer's Creek have CDs, flat-screen televisions,
pillow-top beds, small refrigerators stocked with beverages, double
vanity areas and large showers.
"The new
Buccaneer's Creek will breathe new life into Martinique and serve
to strengthen the Club Med brand," Vanderslice said.
Seven-night
air-inclusive rates from New York start at $1,775 per person.
Membership fees of $55 per adult are additional.
Martinique has a
range of accommodations with more than 6,000 rooms, from budget to
deluxe.
" The capital
city of Fort-de-France is undergoing an ambitious development
program that includes the renovation of Savane Park, the
construction of a waterfront promenade and the construction of a
new business and tourist center, featuring a 200-room Marriott and
a large shopping mall.
For information
about Martinique, visit www.martinique.org.
To contact
reporter Gay Nagle Myers, send e-mail to [email protected].