CARIBBEAN TODAY


 ELEANOR M. WILSON

In spite of belated protests
mounted by Caribbean
tourism organizations, the
much-maligned Western
Hemisphere Travel Initiative
(WHTI) went into effect last
 January. Its
 mandatory
 passport
 requirement
 for re-entry
 into the
 United States
 resulted in a
 five percent
Smith decrease in
 U.S. visitors
across the region January
through April.
 This issue has been a hot
topic at Caribbean confer-
ences for months now.
However, not everyone is
blaming the WHTI for the
decline. When
approached,
Caribbean
tourism offi-
cials and
executives in
the industry ?
responded
with thought
provoking Forstmayr
observations
and opinions on the down-
ward spiral.
 The Bahamas, so close to
the U.S. east coast for con-
venient getaways, has felt the
pinch. Arrivals decreased 11.7
percent the first four months
of 2007 against the same peri-
od in 2006, in spite of an
aggressive campaign by the
Nassau/Paradise Island
Promotion Board that reim-
bursed passport fees to more
than 8,000 visitors. On the
bright side, length of stays
increased from 6.4 to 6.6
nights and hotel revenue post-
ed a 0.3 percent gain.
 Jamaica suffered a 13 per-
cent decrease in U.S. stayover
arrivals January through
April, a particularly bad blow
now that there are 1,200 more
rooms to fill than were avail-
able in 2006. During January
to April last year, arrivals
increased 16.9 percent.
 Basil Smith, director of
tourism for Jamaica, com-
mented: "Cruise ship book-
ings are also down, although
cruise passengers are not
required to produce passports
on re-entering the United
States until June, 2009.
Destinations exempt from the
new rule (USVI and Puerto
Rico) are showing decreases
as well. I think this indicates
that other factors are in play
here, such as a declining U.S.
economy."


 The U.S. Virgin Islands
hotel occupancy does show a
6.5 percent drop in U.S.
guests January through March
against that period in 2006.
While popular
St. Thomas
slumped, St.
Croix visitors
increased 9.4
percent, with
a 23 percent
jump occur-
ring during
the second Issa
quarter. Was
that due to an existing island
promotion, off-season rates,
or visitors switching their
usual Caribbean destinations
to one where no passport was
needed?

OFF TARGET
 Some target markets have
been hit worse than others by
the regulation and application
backlog. John Lynch, execu-
tive vice president of sales
worldwide for Sandals
Resorts, estimated that the
Caribbean overall would lose
-10 percent of its business in
the first half of 2007. He said
the high cost of passports is
especially impacting the fami-
ly and mass markets pack-
age tours and students on
spring break. Sandals caters
strongly to honeymooners,
who traditionally celebrate
the momentous occasion with
a trip abroad.
 One sure industry sign of
'traveler angst' is advance
bookings occurring closer and
closer to departure dates.
 "This was our first red
flag last fall," said Mike
Norton, former vice president
for sales at Air Jamaica
Vacations who is now at
Sandals Resorts. "People
aren't as sure about spending
their money. So the visitor
slowdown becomes an econo-
my issue as well."
 Norton also had a ques-
tion: When those massive
backlogged applications are
finally filled, will regular
Caribbean visitors return to
the region, or go to Europe or
Asia now that they have the
entry document that has
always been required there?
The luxury market seems to
remain constant through wars,
recessions and passport
dilemmas.
 "My guests at Round Hill
Resort are seasoned travelers
who already have passports,"
Josef Forstmayr observed, "so
we're not experiencing any
significant occupancy
change."
 He did express concern
that the U.S. accounts for 70
percent of Caribbean visitors,


"...a huge market we cannot
afford to lose. We all need to
take a much more aggressive
approach to overcome this
passport obstacle, and the
joint Caribbean Hotel
Association/Caribbean
Tourism Organization is
working toward that goal."

PROMOTION
 SuperClubs didn't wait
for those organizations to
pave the way. At first
announcement, the marketing
division correctly perceived
the WHTI as a huge problem
and initiated its own promo-
tion to circumvent the issue.
When guests book "Passport
Included" for a minimum four
nights, documented new or
renewed passport costs are
deducted from the all-inclu-
sive package rate. At $97 for
adults, $82 for children and
$67 for renewals, a family of
four reaps an impressive
reward.
 As of
Sept. 9,
approximately
6,000
SuperClubs
guests had
taken advan-
tage of this Perez
promotion.
The latest
Oct. 31, 2007 expiration date
is now undergoing quarterly
review. According to
Chairman John Issa, it will
probably be extended again
for at least two months, cov-
ering travel through Dec.
2008.
 "We are proud of this
success," said Issa. "Not only
have we helped travelers
obtain passports, but during
the first month of the initia-
tive, bookings increased 15
percent at our six Jamaican
properties, while all around
us, Caribbean hotel occupan-
cy levels were dropping signif-
icantly."
 Hoteliers were hesitant to
predict what kind of winter
season they're facing. That
late booking syndrome is still
in effect. Esmeralda Perez,
marketing director for Puerto
Rico Hotel & Tourism
Association, where passports
are not required but numbers
are down, reported that it is
too early to forecast for
leisure properties.
 "...But I can tell you that
Puerto Rico is looking at a
very healthy group and corpo-
rate booking chart," he said.
"This is an excellent indicator
that the season will be good."

MIXED BAG
 A random sample of U.S.
Virgin Islands hoteliers


targets'


"The Next Generation:
Learning From The Past,
Preparing For The Future"
will be the theme of the 30th
annual Caribbean Tourism
Conference (CTC) to be held
this month in Puerto Rico.
 The business meetings
will be held Oct. 19-21 and
the conference sessions Oct.
21-24.
 For the third year in a
row, conference participants
will earn continuing educa-
tion credits through George
Washington University for
attending the CTC master
classes. Master classes
involve in-depth study of top-
ics affecting the tourism
industry using case studies
and best practices. They are
designed for travel agents as
well as general delegates.
 Other scheduled program
highlights include hotel and
site inspections for travel
agents, destination spotlight
presentations for agents, spe-
cialized workshops, and the
Cond6 Nast Traveler "My
Caribbean Essay CIIIL I
and the Travel + Leisure
"Youth Congress".

TOURS
 In addition, there will be
guided product tours for del-
egates, media activities pre-


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC St. Vincent and the
Grenadine's tourism sector
pumped over EC$350 million
($131 million) into that
Eastern Caribbean country's
economy last year, an official
has disclosed.
 Minister of Tourism
Vincent Beache said the sector
accounted for more than 60
percent of the country's gross
domestic product in 2006 and
after a sluggish performance in
the early part of this year,
should end 2007 in an even
better financial position.
 "We have a slight decline
in stay over which is something
I don't like to see," Beache,
who was in Barbados last
month as part of a regional
tourism thrust, told the
Caribbean Media Corporation.
"We also have a slight decline
in same day visitors which is
expected because of the high
airfares.
 "In our yachting sector,
which is always our bii,-LI,
sector, we are up about 14 to
15 percent approximately so
that as usual is a big strength


US. vTheCUaR I S M / T R AVIE

U.S. visitor arrivals in the Caribbean dip Caribbea


sented by the host venue and
other Caribbean Tourism
Organization (CTO) member
countries, and awards events
- including the "Fifth
Annual Travel Writer and
Photographer Awards" and
the "Third Annual Creativity
in Travel Awards" for travel
agents.
 A series of business
meetings involving ministers
and commissioners of
tourism, the board of direc-
tors and various CTO com-
mittees will precede the con-
ference beginning on Oct. 19,
with the conference opening
keynote address taking place
on Oct. 21.
 The conference is the
Caribbean region's premier
caucus of tourism decision-
makers and an important
event on the calendar of
tourism practitioners and
individuals doing business
with the Caribbean.
 This year, CTO expects
to host over 600 tourism
industry officials representing
Caribbean governments,
hotels, airlines, cruise lines,
travel agents, tour operators,
strategic partners and media
representatives from around
the world.
0


for us, but
we also
need to
look at our  I
cruise ship
passengers
that have
been up
and contin-
ue to rise.
 "As a Beache
 "As a
matter of
fact for this upcoming season
we are on point to have the
bionwl season we ever had so
things are on the up and up in
tourism in St Vincent and the
Grenadines."

COMMON THRUST
 He identified the need for
a common Caribbean market-
ing thrust where the region
could be offered as a common
destination.
 "It is time we realize that
we are really not in competi-
tion with each other, that
every other country in the
world wants the tourism dol-
lar and they are going for it,"
Beache said.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE16)


n tourism confab


Next Generation'


as passport re-entry requirement takes toll


 St. Vincent's tourism sector

making contribution ~ minister


October 2007