PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos -- Sandals and Beaches Resorts
rewarded its top travel industry partners from North America and
the U.K. at the eighth annual Ultra Awards here at Beaches Turks
& Caicos.
A black-tie awards banquet topped off a weekend of golf and
other activities.
The event was sponsored by Travel Weekly.
"We realize that it is important, especially [after Sept. 11],
to bring the industry together," said Gordon "Butch" Stewart,
chairman of Sandals and Beaches Resorts.
"Thanks to our partners, we've had a great year and didn't
suffer nearly as badly as we expected."
While Stewart applauded the efforts of the top-producing
operators and wholesalers and thanked them for their support, Bob
Sullivan, publisher of Travel Weekly, in turn lauded the resort
company for its efforts.
"It is plain to see by all of the companies receiving awards,
Sandals isn't a good partner, it is a great one to have," he
said.
"Since Sept. 11, the industry has certainly faced more than its
fair share of challenges," Sullivan said, adding that the products
Sandals and Beaches offer make it easier to stimulate the public to
resume traveling.
Cathy Pelaez, executive vice president of Liberty Travel, said
clients who have been hesitant to travel since Sept. 11 are swayed
by what Sandals and Beaches has to offer.
"The product drives business into our stores," she said. "We
gain loyal customers who come back to us again and again."
This year's awards ceremony saw several new winners, most
notably in the Top Yield Performance and Top Suite Seller
categories as well as the Marketing Innovation categories.
The Ultra Performance Awards are based on Sandals Resorts' sales
figures from Aug. 1, 2000 to July 31, 2001.
Sales categories include Top Yield Performance (sales volume
divided by room nights), Top Growth Production (largest dollar
sales volume increase from 1999 to 2000 and from 2000 to 2001), Top
Suite Seller, Top Group Producer, Top Producing Tour Operator, Top
Producing Wholesaler and World's Top Producers.
Operators and wholesalers contracted with Sandals are eligible
for the awards.
The winners in the performance category were:
" World's No. 1 Producer -- Gogo Worldwide Vacations. This was
the eighth consecutive year that Gogo captured this award.
Air Jamaica Vacations took second place, and Travel Impressions
and Apple Vacations placed third and fourth, respectively.
" Top Producing Tour Operator, U.S. -- Apple Vacations. Funjet
Vacations placed second and MLT Vacations third.
" Top Producing Tour Operator, U.K. -- Virgin Holidays. Second
place went to last year's top producer, Kuoni Travel. Third-,
fourth- and fifth-place honors went to Thomas Cook Holidays,
British Airways Holidays and Thomson Holidays, respectively.
" Top Producing Tour Operator, Canada -- Air Canada Vacations.
Second place went to North America Leisure Group. Signature
Vacations placed third and Holiday Network was fourth.
" Top Producing Wholesaler -- Gogo Worldwide Vacations. Air
Jamaica Vacations and Travel Impressions finished second and third,
respectively.
" Top Group Producer -- Maritz Travel Co.
" Top Production Growth, U.S. -- Certified Vacations.
" Top Production Growth, U.K. -- Worldwide Journeys.
Heard 'round the dinner table:
The former Boscobel Beach Hotel is slated to open July 1 as
Beaches Boscobel Resort & Golf Club in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
Meanwhile, Sandals Grande St. Lucian Beach Resort & Spa will
open on Rodney Bay, St. Lucia, on Aug. 15. The property is the
former Hyatt Regency St. Lucia.
Also on the horizon is the Port Antonio Spa Village, the former
Dragon Bay Beach Resort in Port Antonio, Jamaica. The hotel is
scheduled for a December opening.
Farther down the road, Sandals White House is on pace to open in
December 2003 in Black River, Jamaica.
Firms grab marketing honors
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos -- In addition to the
performance categories, Marketing Innovation Awards were presented
to the tour operators or wholesalers for creativity and initiative
in producing brochures and promotions to sell Sandals products.
The winners were:
" Most Creative Brochure, U.S. -- Happy Tours Vacations.
" Most Creative Brochure, U.K. -- Tradewinds.
" Most Creative Trade Promotion, U.S. -- Sunburst Holidays.
" Most Creative Consumer Promotion, U.S. -- Air Jamaica
Vacations.
" Most Creative Web site, U.S. -- Interline Value Vacations.
" Most Creative Web site, Canada -- Signature Vacations.