Caribbean Travel Advisor

With summer only a few months away, many Caribbean advisors are seeing the usual suspects like Jamaica and Turks and Caicos dominate bookings for the season, while others have reported spikes in business to Punta Cana and St. Lucia.

Here’s why those destinations, and other Caribbean hot spots, are popular heading into this summer, where clients are booking in the popular islands and what Caribbean islands are emerging as summer powerhouses going forward.

It’s the newest ultra-luxe resort in the Caribbean, and now Virtuoso has added it as its next Caribbean Preview Property. 

So where is it?

Travel agents get double rewards for seven-night stays they book at the adults-only, all-inclusive Serenity at Coconut Bay resort in Saint Lucia. 

And now that offer is extending, now through April 30, the property has confirmed. The promotion means agents can earn up to $300 per booking, along with a 15 percent commission. 

Design. Service. Food and beverage. Experiences. Space. They all form an essential core of the luxury travel experience, particularly in the Caribbean, a region where luxury manifests itself in unique ways. 

After all, Caribbean luxury isn’t identical to luxury in New York or Paris; it takes a different shape, and caters to different demands. 

It was recently reported that Cancun’s international airlift numbers have dropped since this time last year, but many Mexican Caribbean-focused travel advisors are not seeing the effects in their Cancun business.

“Cancun is still my most booked destination again this year,” said Kacie Walls, an advisor for Travelista Travels.

Beaches Resorts is now taking bookings for its newest resort concept, Caribbean Travel Advisor has learned. 

The new $150 million development is a 100-acre, 101-room resort pegged to debut next spring.

Caribbean Journal has unveiled the winners for the inaugural Caribbean Travel Advisor Awards top advisors from around the country in such categories as Best Big Agency to Best New Agency.

The results were the product of two months of voting by members of Caribbean Travel Advisor, the world’s only Caribbean-focused travel agent publication.

Several Caribbean advisors are reporting an overall drop in spring break travel amongst college students, a trend that has been evolving for years, but especially post-COVID.

Emily Bertsch, an advisor with VIP Vacations, Inc., said roughly 80 percent of VIP’s spring break bookings for 2025 booked earlier this year with “a bunch more” bookings expected this month.

The highly-anticipated new Zemi Miches All-Inclusive Resort in the Dominican Republic has a new opening date, Caribbean Travel Advisor has learned. 

The new resort is part of a growing network of resorts in the town of Miches on Samana Bay, an area that has been seeing massive investment and a wave of new properties. 

Kingston, Jamaica has been heating up as a travel destination in recent years, with more and more visitors drawn to the capital for its unique blend of art, culture and food.

Now there’s a great way to experience the destination as you begin to sell Kingston to clients. 

The Caribbean’s next big conference for travel agency owners will be in Antigua and Barbuda this fall, Caribbean Travel Advisor has learned. 

The Travel Agency Owners Forum, produced by the Travel Show Marketing Group, will run in Antigua from Oct. 25-30. 

One of the top all-inclusive resorts on Isla Mujeres has officially joined the Virtuoso global travel network. 

The adults-only, all-inclusive Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets, which opened in 2023, is the newest addition to Virtuoso. 

Since its inception roughly 16 years ago, the Ocean Hotels Group has made significant strides in transforming the South Coast of Barbados into an area of the country that is synonymous with high-end all-inclusive resorts.

Patricia Affonso-Dass, group general manager of the Ocean Hotels Group in Barbados, recently shared a brief history lesson on Ocean Hotels Group as well as the company’s future plans, including a possible expansion within Barbados and a few more in other Caribbean destinations.

The top travel and tourism tradeshow in St Maarten is back once again this year. 

This year will be the 17th annual edition of SMART, which last year saw more than 1,000 business meetings and delegates from 25 different countries. 

Hyatt is opening two major new all-inclusive resorts this spring, and now both of them have opening dates. 

The newest Secrets and Dreams resorts in the Dominican Republic are both nearing their debut, Caribbean Travel Advisor has learned. 

Carnival Cruise Line has launched a new push to court travel advisors. It’s called “Book More, Earn Big,” and the promotion is running now through March 12. 

The program is focused on its Travel Agents Rock! loyalty program; it gives agents up to 1,000 bonus points that can be redeemed for things like travel incentives and gift cards. 

The Virtuoso network of luxury travel advisors has a new member hotel in the Caribbean, Caribbean Travel Advisor has learned. 

Virtuoso has welcomed the O2 Beach jClub and Spa in Barbados to its network of more than 2,300 preferred travel suppliers. 

The latest Caribbean Journal webinar was a deep dive into Destination St Kitts, an island we’ve visited countless times and consider one of the most fascinating, beautiful places in the wider Caribbean. 

Whether you’re looking for an eco-tourism getaway, a romantic jaunt or a good old-fashioned beach vacation, there’s something in St Kitts for everyone. 

The number one all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean for 2025 has officially joined the Virtuoso network.

The move only solidifies the property’s position as the leader among Caribbean all-inclusives right now, with just a handful of all-inclusive resorts being members of Virtuoso.

One of the Riviera Maya’s top resorts has announced a sizable 25 percent commission offer, Caribbean Travel Advisor has learned. 

The VidantaWorld brand (it was known as Vidanta until rebranding last year), has announced several new programs for agents. 

The Dreams brand has a new property in the Dominican Republic, Caribbean Travel Advisor has learned. 

Hyatt’s family-friendly brand has officially opened the new Dreams Cap Cana resort in the most exclusive enclave of Punta Cana.