Destination paradise

The Caribbean as a destination is in high demand among US travellers. And Barbados is set to grab a bigger piece of the pie form that market in coming months.

This follows the familiarization of some 200 travel agents/advisors from that market who are now in a better position to sell the 166 square miles destination.

During the four-day Spirit of Barbados Mega Fam 2019, which came to an end on Monday, the US-based travel advisors had an opportunity to gain greater insight into the unique attributes Barbados has to offer ranging from culinary, culture, attractions and activities.

The also shared in a mini ‘jump up’, and were exposed to the variety of accommodation offerings.

A number of travel agents who spoke to Barbados TODAY, say they were now in a better position to sell the destination.

Luxury Travel Advisor with Largay Travel Inc. Lena Brown, who is based in Las Vegas, told Barbados TODAY the opportunity to experience destination Barbados was a learning one for her.

“I think this is an amazing opportunity to come and learn and experience what my clients will experience when they come to Barbados, and educate myself on the island and everything the island has to offer them so that I can share with them before they get here,” she said.

Adding that the demand for Caribbean remained high, Brown said: “I think every one wants to go and experience an island. So Barbados is high on the list with great non-stop flights from Florida and the Carolinas”.

Expressing similar sentiments was Angela Caes also of Largary Travel Inc. She is based in Connecticut.

Caes said she thought the opportunity was a good one for travel agents given that there were many “unreal” pictures about destinations “in today’s day and age”.

“We are here to make sure that things are authentic. So knowing the ins and outs of the island is critical and getting to know people who know the island very well is an amazing value for community travel advisor,” said Caes.

“I am from the New York/Connecticut area and right now the weather just turned cold and it is getting colder, so everybody in our neck of the woods is now thinking what do we do for February break, where are we going for April, what are we going to do that is new and different this year? So there is a big demand to get to the islands and get to the right island for a great vacation,” she added.

President of Fifth Meridian Travel Donatella Braghieri, who is based in New York, told Barbados TODAY it was her first time to the island and she was very impressed.

She said she received a lot of request from clients about Barbados but she was not as knowledgeable as she needed to be in order to better recommend the destination. However, all that has now changed.

“I get the request for Barbados a lot but I have never been. So now that I know what the island offers – the hotels, the people – I am going to be a lot more comfortable selling it. There are so many more things here than I expected. I can definitely push those,” said an excited Braghieri.

“People in general are gravitating toward the Caribbean because of the type of holiday that it is – it is relaxing and beautiful. So Barbados especially I think, has an edge on the other islands because of the safety factor. Not that the other islands are dangerous, but here it is primarily marketed as a safe environment and people are super friendly, food is amazing and the beaches that you have are some of the most beautiful. So definitely that is what people are looking for when they come to the Caribbean,” she explained.

Braghieri admitted that it was very difficult to choose one island to recommend over another when clients do not come with a destination in mind.

“Some people know exactly where they want to go – the resorts, dates, the island – and you just book that. Some other people do not really have an idea and just say they want to go to the Caribbean. You have to be able to ask the right questions and see what they are looking for, and according to what they are looking for you will direct them to the island that is most appropriate. Luckily, Barbados has kind of like a lot of everything so it is going to be very easy to recommend,” she said.

Meanwhile, Director of Marketing with Largay Travel Scott Largay, who is based in Connecticut, said he believed the familiarization trip would help the travel agents “to be somewhat of an expert” so they could better sell destination Barbados.

“Doing things like this is awesome because we are actually talking to the people in the market place about all the individual activities, properties and getting to know them and know the nuances of the different properties.

“So we can go back with a more educated approach into being able to recommend something that is personal to the individual we are trying to sell it to. Instead of just having a generalization of a destination we can actually have that personalized experience that we can bring back and share with our clients,” said Largay.

He said the demand for the Caribbean remained high among people living on the east coast of the US.

“Everybody wants to feel the sun and Barbados is a perfect destination for that. The other thing about Barbados is that it has a lot more to offer than just the beach. It has a lot of adventure and we have a lot of adventure-seeking clients,” he said.

Describing Barbados as the “culinary capital of the Caribbean”, Largay said he saw Barbados as “the full package” for anyone seeking a holiday.

The agents who took part in the familiarization trip were those who booked a minimum of five bookings to Barbados in a “short window” which include air and accommodation.

Over 70 per cent of the agents on this trip have never been to Barbados before, one aspect that organizers were especially pleased about. (MM)