p14-15 July3 1/7/09 21:09 Page 15
ttglive.com
all-inclusive in-depth
IMAGE.
Sector ‘puts back
into community’
THE IDEA that customers on all-inclusive
holidays do not leave the resort or contribute
to the community is an out-dated “white
elephant”, the debate was told.
Virgin Holidays’ Angus Bond believes only
people who haven’t experienced a holiday of
this type still believe the guests simply sit by
the pool for two weeks.
“In terms of pre-booked excursions there is
no difference between all-inclusive guests and
room-only,” he said.
Almond’s Peter Hopwood agreed with Bond.
“It is important to encourage guests to explore
the island,” he said. “If we want them to come
back they need to love the destination.”
Phil Dickinson of Sandals argued it was also
a myth that the hotels take money out of the
islands but don’t put it back.
“All-inclusive businesses are owned by people
ys
from the Caribbean and money is ploughed
back in, now more than ever with projects such
V
i
rgin Holida
as the Sandals Foundation which promotes
education and development,” he said.
REPEAT BUSINESS.
“The staff are local wherever possible; we
Wedding clients stay faithful
alone employ more than 8,000 people. And
our supplies are also sourced locally wherever
possible.”
Atlyn Ford of Rex Resorts agreed with
CARIBBEAN all-inclusive wedding and honey- for more economic ways to tie the knot. Dickinson. “We have staff who have worked for
moon packages can be the key for agents to Rex Resorts’ Atlyn Ford said she had also us for more than 20 years,” she said.
secure repeat customers for years. seen a spike in weddings, adding: “Lots more “And people can progress from housekeeping
Janet Percy of White Sand Weddings big groups are going out – it is a holiday for to food and beverage manager.”
described the repeat business she gets from people and they get to see their friends get
guests who attended a wedding package as married at the same time.”
“unbelievable”. Annabelle Marshall of SuperClubs added Snobs no longer snubbing all-inclusives:
“It never ceases to amaze people when they that guests were prepared to pay more for Snobbery from operators who had previously
find out what is included these days, especially extras such as doves or butterflies because so deemed all-inclusive hotels unsuitable for their
for a wedding,” she said. much was included in the initial package. clients is starting to disappear. Sandals’ Phil
“It costs so much to get married in this coun- Virgin’s Angus Bond agreed all-inclusives Dickinson believes there was, and still is in
try that when couples find out it’s free to do it created very loyal clients, adding: “People some cases, a misconception that standards
in the Caribbean, and they can have a honey- know what experience they are going to have, suffer in an all-inclusive environment. He said:
moon at the same time, they are astonished. and all the extra touches impress them.” “There has been a snobbery from operators
“Nothing is impossible in the such as Carrier, ITC and Elegant who feel it is
Caribbean and it all comes at a below them. They believed their clients didn’t
fraction of the price. want all-inclusive. But our properties, such as
“And for years afterwards Beaches in Turks and Caicos, stand up against
those clients who came for a any luxury family hotel in the world.” Annabelle
wedding want to return to the Marshall of SuperClubs agreed that attitudes
hotel with their children or for had changed: “Now those operators who used
anniversaries.” to look down on us are coming to us for rates –
Percy said she was inundated they realise this is the time to sell all-inclusive.”
at the moment as people looked
03.07.2009 15
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