FRONTLINE showcase success
The Caribbean Tourism Organisation hosts island tourism boards, hoteliers and airlines at the Leonardo Royal Hotel St Paul’s in London. Josie Klein reports
The Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) has hailed the success of its London showcase. Florian Valmy-Devillers, director of business development for the CTO, praised the turnout and said he hoped the event would prompt new package holiday concepts that would entice tourists and boost visitor numbers following the pandemic. “The Caribbean showcase has been great,” he told Travel Weekly. “We have had more than 20 suppliers and 30 buyers attend, totalling more than 200 meetings over the course of the day. “The Caribbean is a very big
region and it is our job as a tourism
The Caribbean has seen its “largest-ever” number of future bookings as visitor numbers surpass 2019 levels. Colin Pegler, chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, said the destination is bouncing back from the pandemic, as visitors return to the islands in their droves. In an interview with Travel
Weekly, Pegler said: “We have seen massive demand for multi- generational holidays alongside a surge in bookings from groups of friends, which has put Caribbean visitor numbers at around 10% higher than they were in 2019. “Additionally, we have
and will create new holidays for those people interested in visiting.”
The Caribbean is a
very big region and it is our job to bring synergy among the islands
board to bring synergy among the islands and get visibility for the smaller destinations, as well as the larger, more popular ones. “Bringing suppliers and
buyers together means people are leaving with new package ideas
operators that have already put out rates for holidays through to the end of 2024 and some even into 2025, which would never normally happen this early.”
SALES IMPACT However, Pegler warned the rising cost of living could have a “significant” impact on sales. “The cost-of-living crisis is the biggest single concern we as a business have in the immediate future,” he added.
He also explained some Caribbean islands are not bouncing back as quickly as others due to a “more cautious” lifting of Covid entry restrictions.
Dexter Marchan, steel pan player
AGENT PORTAL The CTO plans to unveil a special offers section on its website in the coming weeks. Valmy-Devillers said: “As part of our website [
caribbean.co.uk], we are launching a special offers portal for agents. “Our members, which include
tour operators, airlines and cruise lines, can upload their offers onto the portal, which will then be seen by agents who can pass the offers on to their customers. “We want our website to
become the go-to place for agents.”
Valmy-Devillers added the Caribbean is “recovering well” from the pandemic, but that the organisation wants to “do all we can to boost visitor numbers”. In addition, the CTO revealed plans to launch a consumer campaign, and said now is the time to “really push” the Caribbean. “This year, we are also launching the Caribbean Time campaign to tell people it is time they come back to the region and enjoy all it has to offer,” Valmy- Deviller said. “Over the next few weeks, we will launch a digital and cross-channel consumer marketing campaign to raise awareness of the destination.”
13 OCTOBER 2022
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