et it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
That is the holiday wish of many agents for whom the Caribbean is
not the easy sale it once was.
Unseasonably warm weather, especially in the Northeast, has
conspired with other obstacles -- the aftermath of Sept. 11, the
reluctance of many to fly and the state of the economy -- to
undermine agents' ability to book and sell sea and sun.
Still, some agents reported the holidays and winter season are
not a total washout. In fact, several agents said they were too
busy with clients to take our calls. One agent explained politely,
"If I have to choose between booking a client or talking to you,
I'll definitely stick with the client."
Maureen Weron, owner of Travel Pro in Weymouth, Mass., said she
considers herself among the fortunate. "Right from the get-go, we
got a marketing plan together, zeroed in on our leisure clients and
went after the good deals that are out there for them," Weron said.
Doing well through the holidays are Aruba, the Mexican Caribbean
and St. Lucia, she said.
"We're getting lots more inquiries about the U.S. Virgin Islands,
especially St. Thomas, than in the past," Weron said. "That
destination is part of the U.S., and therefore has a good ring to
it."
Overall, Weron said her holiday bookings are flat. In years
past, she noted, New Year's packages would have been sold out weeks
ago. However, she said, "business will bust wide open in January if
it is freezing cold and people are cabin-bound. Then they will want
beaches and sun, and they'll be more willing to wait in airport
lines."
Ann Boyer at the Travel Society in Lakewood, Colo., said her
clients want shorter trips closer to home. "Hotels and cars will do
better this season than resorts and airplanes," she said. Boyer
said she is trying to develop some niche markets, such as walking
tours. "Agents who specialize in areas such as cruises or gay
travel, or who have their own Web sites will fare better," Boyer
said.
An agency that caters to the high-end market by charging its
member clients about $15,000 in fees per year is New York-based
Fischer Travel. Top of the line resorts in St. Barts, Nevis,
Anguilla and Barbados are doing "very well," as is the private air
charter business, according to Bill Fischer, president.
He reported only a few cancellations after the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks. One client called Sept. 11 to cancel, only to
call back two weeks later to rebook the same trip. Fischer said he
expects his overall business to rebound to near-normal levels in
the next "two to three months." "People will feel more comfortable
traveling again, especially those who can afford it."
He sent his staff to Sandy Lane resort in Barbados in October to
put them at ease about air travel. "It was important that they see
the resort but also experience what travel is like now so they can
better relate to our clients," Fischer said.
Before the terrorist attacks, Sherman Oakes, Calif.-based Valley
Travel Group's business was "marginally slower, but Sept. 11
flattened whatever momentum we had going," said agent Angela
Restivo. Although the agency is booking beach destinations,
especially Mexico and Hawaii, the Caribbean is not picking up much
of that business. "Just because a hotel offers a great rate, it
still costs a lot of money for the airline ticket," Restivo said.
"Our clients are looking for air travel bargains."
Kathy Green-Seiwert, president of Chicago-based Travel Gallery,
described the travel business as a "roller coaster since Sept. 11."
After the attacks, Green-Seiwert processed cancellations and
"played head psychologist" to clients and her own agents. She said
business picked up until the U.S. started bombing Afghanistan and
then dropped off again.
What's keeping her agency afloat right now is group business --
but the Travel Gallery is not standing still waiting for individual
travel to rebound. "We do mass mailings, hold group meetings, send
out faxes, network and anything else we can think of to get our
business moving," Green-Seiwert said. She said she's confident that
"as soon as the snow starts to fall, people will travel again."
The Chicago market prefers Caribbean destinations served by
nonstop flights, such as Jamaica, the Bahamas and Punta Cana,
Dominican Republic, according to Green-Seiwert. San Juan-based
cruises are holding up well, she said. "Clients like to tack on a
pre- or post-cruise stay, so we are seeing a rise in stopover
traffic there."