The travel industry is desperately trying to ramp up promotion as business drops due to a string of high profile hurricanes. The industry is looking to remind people that many Caribbean islands were unaffected by the storms. They also note that many of these countries’ economies rely on tourism.
Multiple agencies are promoting this initiative with deals, events, and fundraising activities for those affected by the storms, with the basic message that many islands were untouched and are eager for tourists.
In one noteworthy example, Travel Leaders (privately traded) travel agency has launched a consumer awareness campaign aimed at promoting Caribbean destinations that are available for tourism during the fall and winter seasons.
Ninan Chacko, Travel Leaders Group CEO, said, “This hurricane season has been devastating for a number of Caribbean islands, but the negative economic impact on the region will be compounded if visitors avoid travel to unaffected destinations.”
Travel Leaders is also using its Family Bonds Foundation to raise money for hurricane victims and impacted communities.
The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association also launched a new website, CaribbeanIsOpen.com, in the first part of a million dollar initiative to promote the region.
The group’s president, Michele Paige, said, “This initiative is also a vital tool to assisting the Caribbean by stimulating the economy. Many Caribbean destinations fortunately missed any impact from the hurricanes, and most affected destinations worked around the clock to reopen for tourism.”
The website also notes that many destinations previously ravaged by the hurricanes, such as Key West, St. Kitts, and Florida, are starting to recover and offer cruise visits again.
The Royal Caribbean (NYSE:$RCL) ship Adventures of the Seas will resume port calls November 10, with a trip from St. Thomas to St. Martin, by way of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The promotion does not end at islands hit by the hurricanes, however. One public relations agency noted that the Bahamas were “fortunate to have come out of the 2017 hurricane season without impact to the country’s primary tourism product.”
They also noted that they had been Zika free since November 2016.
Featured Image: depositphotos/alancrosthwaite
