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Fun on Jamaica vacations"JAMAICA VACATIONS" Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
01-31-2003 After two less-than-sizzling years, the Caribbean is a hot spot again. Airfare and hotel deals, marketing blitzes and the stateside cold snap are luring vacationers back to the islands like for Jamaica vacations. "It's looking awesome," says Mark Adams, president of Air Jamaica Vacations, who says his company's business is "about 20 (percentage) points up from last year." "It's showing improvement," says Richard Kahn of the Caribbean Tourism Organization. From January through October last year, arrivals dived about 4% from the same period in 2001. Because of 9/11 and the U.S. economic slump, winter 2002 was disappointing; arrivals were down more than 8% from 2000, the tourism group says. Figures aren't available yet for this winter, but business is "much better than last year, because a lot of people didn't travel then, and now they're ready," says Arthur Mehmel of TourScan, which specializes in Caribbean travel. Still, he says, "the flights are not sold out; the hotels are not sold out, except maybe Presidents' Week." Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
The tourist warming trend is "mainly due to first-ever airline winter sales offering things like Jamaica vacations" by carriers including Caribbean giant American, Kahn says. Cold weather in the USA also heated up bookings. Air Jamaica Vacations' "Catch the Caribbean heat wave . . . hottest deals ever" ad campaign is "really working in this cold," Adams says. "Still, value is driving everything." One of his current offers: four nights at Beaches Grande Sport all-inclusive resort near Ocho Rios, Jamaica, from $799 a person, including round-trip air from Chicago, meals, premium liquor, water sports and taxes. US Airways is wooing vacationers with fire-sale fares. A recent round-trip, Indianapolis-Montego Bay Jamaica vacations Web fare was just $266. The airline, which is facing bankruptcy, is increasing seats to the Caribbean by 20% this year -- a vote of confidence in the region. Air Jamaica has been adding flights. At Air Jamaica vacations, "February is still booking strong, and I think March is going to be totally full," Adams says. Islands also are marketing hard. Barbados is extending its 8-month-old "Best of Barbados" packages, including airfare credit and a free night's lodging. It was one of just a handful of islands to draw more U.S. visitors in 2002 (up 14% January through October, to 99,351). As for fears that the threat of war with Iraq will chill Caribbean travel, Adams says, "Everybody talks about it, but we haven't seen it." Agrees TourScan's Mehmel: "War doesn't seem to be a factor yet." And though the Caribbean, including popular Cancun, has been suffering, it didn't lose as many U.S. tourists as destinations such as Europe. It's closer and perceived as safer, travel experts say. Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
Also, Caribbean resorts have broadened their appeal. Trends include: * Island nuptials. Wing-in weddings have "grown to tremendous proportions," Kahn says. Seventeen Sandals and Beaches resorts on five islands hosted more than 8,000 last year. * Year-round family getaways. "More families take kids out of school during non-holiday periods," Kahn says. And more resorts offer family activities or kids' clubs where parents leave offspring and do their own thing..... Compare Jamaica vacations here /cheap airfares home |