Caribbean Vacation Offers Varied Experiences

Caribbean Vacation Offers Varied ExperiencesBy Paloma Villaverde de RicoWe sat down with Nicola Madden-Greig, the Caribbean Hotel Tourism Association’s president, to find out what makes the Caribbean region unique when it comes to its tourism offerings and how a multi-destination experience showcases the varied experiences the region offers. She envisions travelers flying into the region to island hop and get a taste for the uniqueness of each island-destination. Recommend Standard Image Template“The overall strategy is allowing visitors, when they come in, to be able to do a multi-destination experience,” she says, although she does appreciate that airlift is one of the major challenges to this type of vacation. “That’s really limiting our route in a lot of our destinations,” she notes. For travelers looking for a multi-destination experience, adds Madden-Greig, a regional passport would come in handy. She says that the CHTA has lobbied for this. “We have written to CARICOM and we’re working with CTO on it.” And what would a multi-destination experience look like? “It’s about [each destination] giving [their] authentic experience,” says Madden-Greig. “Each destination has its own unique experience. So, for me at the CHTA level, it’s about growing the pie, making sure that people, when they’re thinking of where do I travel, where do I go for that unique, authentic experience, the Caribbean is first to mind. Where in the Caribbean can I go? How many destinations in the Caribbean can I go to? And once we get that, then there’s no competition.” She reminds advisors “that travel is not just once a year. [A traveler] can be in Jamaica today, The Bahamas tomorrow, Barbados the following day, Saint Lucia the next.” She says travel advisors need to understand the diversity of the Caribbean, thoroughly understand the destinations. “A lot of our advisors know maybe a few destinations,” she notes. “So, that’s where we need the education so that they understand potential and how they can now educate their clients to what they can do in the Caribbean, the different types of experiences that they can have and that there are different destinations that offer different things. “It’s not cookie-cutter, it’s not the same,” says Madden-Greig. “While as a people generally we have the same warmth, the culture is different, the topography, the attractions, the food is different, the experience is different. And for me as an island person, every time I go to another island that I’ve never been to before, I go, ‘wow.’ Every island has its unique experience, and that’s what we want people to see.” COVERSANDALSTable of ContentsSANDALS SPREADEditor's NotesPALLADIUM BRAND ADAdvisor Speak: Attracting Next Generation AdvisorsFIESTA AMERICANAIndustry Insights: Travel is a ‘Human Need’Cruise: The Call of the World’s Rivers & OceansAMERICAN CRUISE LINES SCAMERICAN CRUISE LINESAMAWATERWAYS SCAMAWATERWAYSDISNEY CRUISE LINE SCDISNEY CRUISE LINEEXPLORA JOURNEYSOCEANIA CRUISES SCOCEANIA CRUISESROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL SCRCI ADOnboard Review: Icon of the Seas Reaches for the StarsOnboard Review: Lindblad’s National Geographic Explorer—An Immersive Expedition ExperienceOnboard Review: Seven Seas Grandeur—All-Inclusive Luxury Offers Top ValueNorth America: Florida Beckons with New Properties, Attractions, EateriesOnsite Review: Miami Sparkles With Art, Nature & Culinary OfferingsLEE COUNTY SCLEE COUNTYAlaska: What’s New in the Last FrontierOnsite Review: Boston Welcomes the Celebrated Raffles BrandWhat's Next for Families in Mexico & the CaribbeanCaribbean Vacation Offers Varied ExperiencesPALLADIUM HOTEL GROUPOnsite Review: Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit—This Dual Destination Shines Brighter Than EverRECOMMEND EDU HOUSE ADWEBINAR HOUSE AD