Caribbean Travel Advisor

It’s arguably the most anticipated new luxury resort in the Caribbean, on an island that has largely been a well-kept secret among travelers. 

It’s opening its doors at the beginning of 2025, and it’s already taking bookings, Caribbean Travel Advisor has confirmed. 

One of Saint Lucia’s highest-rated all-inclusive resorts is making a renewed push into the travel agent space, Caribbean Travel Advisor has learned. 

That includes a new travel agent portal, new commissions, booking rewards and new client incentives. 

Sandals has seen tremendous success with its newest resort, Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which opened its doors earlier this spring. 

That comes two years after it debuted its new Sandals Royal Curacao resort, a property that was home to this week’s ASTA Caribbean Travel Showcase event. 

The ongoing third annual American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) Caribbean Travel Showcase at Sandals Royal Curacao put the spotlight on Sandals Resorts International and the island of Curacao — and the evolution of AI.  

Here’s what you need to know.

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) just concluded its third annual Caribbean Travel Showcase in Curacao. More than 260 agents and about 50 suppliers attended the much-anticipated event at the new Sandals Royal Curacao. As part of the event, Caribbean Journal chatted with some of the top Caribbean advisors at the show, including Erin Grandorff, who said online travel agencies are once again affecting business.

Here’s what she said about how OTAs are still impacting advisors and about the latest booking trends.

More than 260 agents attended the ongoing third annual American Society for Travel Advisors (ASTA) Caribbean Travel Showcase event hosted at the new Sandals Royal Curacao.

One of those agents, Roshni Karnavat, an advisor with Cruise Planners, said while she has learned and implemented the latest selling tactics, she still believes social media is the best way to introduce a client to a destination they might not heard of like Curacao, for example.

It’s been arguably the biggest trend in the Caribbean travel industry since the pandemic: the rise of villa vacations. 

And it’s showing no signs of slowing down, with villa requests showing “a major spike in demand,” according to Sharon Strelzer, owner of the Travel Made Special travel agency. 

It has been arguably the most-anticipated Secrets resort in the Caribbean since it was first announced back in 2019.

And now it’s finally getting close to opening, Caribbean Travel Advisor has learned. 

With more than half the year in the books, advisors recently shared just how successful certain hotels have been to their respectful agencies.

From what hotels garnered the most bookings to popular brands and obstacles presented by big time hospitality changes, Caribbean advisors talk about the year in a review of hotel bookings.

A top hotel in the Placencia area of Belize is joining the Hyatt portfolio, Caribbean Travel Advisor has learned. 

The hotel will also be joining the World of Hyatt loyalty program. 

Sandals is always right around the top when it comes to the resorts that travel agents book the most. 

In the buzzing destination of Jamaica, one of the company’s brands is seeing the most demand right now, a collection of travel agents told Caribbean Travel Advisor. 

Three new hotels are coming to Aruba in the next year — with two set to open their doors this fall and now a third resort set to debut in the fall of 2025, Caribbean Travel Advisor has learned. 

So what’s the newest property? 

The St Kitts Tourism Authority has launched a brand-new travel agent program, Caribbean Travel Advisor has learned. 

The new program is running from now through Dec. 15, 2024. 

There is a new villa in the BVI: Cape Stout.

Set on a private island in the BVI, Cape Stout’s six-building estate is designed to maximize both sunset and sunrise views, and to reflect the dramatic, oceanfront landscape. 

One of the top all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean is becoming a Beaches, Caribbean Travel Advisor has learned. 

The major new project will begin in mid-August, Sandals Resorts International confirmed. 

It’s been more than half of a year since Karisma Hotels & Resorts announced it would no longer manage selected properties that are owned by Grupo Lomas.

So, what has the impact been on advisors’ business since this longstanding partnership came to a halt?

Iberostar has pushed back the debut of its highly-anticipated new resort in Aruba, Caribbean Travel Advisor has learned. 

So when is the new property welcoming its first guests? 

The American Society of Travel Advisors has named a Caribbean destination as its international partner of the year: The Bahamas. 

The award was presented at the ASTA’s 2024 Travel Advisor Conference earlier this month in Dallas. 

Puerto Rico is easy to get to. It’s one of the easiest, cheapest places to fly in the Caribbean — making it a particularly good place for a destination wedding.

So where is the best place to get married in Puerto Rico?

The aftermath of Hurricane Beryl has included the predictable amount of exaggeration and misinformation about the extent of damage in impacted Caribbean destinations. Phrases like “completely destroyed” were thrown about with abandon.

Jamaica was one of the islands that many experts and travel advisors were hearing this about.

A new all-inclusive resort is coming to the Riviera Maya this winter, Caribbean Travel Advisor has learned. 

It’s the product of a major renovation and a rebrand, the company told CTA.

Only one day after Hurricane Beryl slammed the Eastern Caribbean, Grenada’s flights were up and running.

The sister islands, however, did not do so well as Petra Roach, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority, said both Carriacou and Martinique were both heavily impacted with full recovery not expected for “a good while.”

Meeting supply and demand has been an issue for Caribbean travel specialists for going on about four years now, whether it’s the amount of affordable flights the Caribbean can offer to vacationers who might not be able to afford a lucrative getaway or finding quality hotels that aren’t at full capacity during a time when flights are less expensive.

There are several strategies advisors can use to adapt and find creative ways to make their clients happy without sacrificing quality. Perhaps the most important strategy is finding the most cost efficient airfare so the clients have extra money to spend on a quality hotel room.

If you traveled the British Virgin Islands before the storms, you knew Peter Island. The Marina. Honeymoon Beach. Deadman’s Bay. The ginger lemonade. The chalets. 

What happened next is no secret. But the BVI has made a triumphant return from the storms of 2017, and now it’s finally time for the legendary BVI resort to be reborn. 

With June weddings in the rearview and October matrimonies on the horizon, it’s time for agents to start looking for some October and November honeymoons.

When it comes to the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba, the resort choice is easy, according to several Caribbean travel specialists.