What
At the recent Caribbean Tourism Organization outlook forum held in Barbados, Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said the company predicts that its Caribbean cruise tourism business will grow by 50% in the next 10 years, with the overall economic benefit for the region reaching $6 billion.
Why It Matters
Bayley noted that eight of the top 10 cruise destinations worldwide are in the Caribbean. Since cruising is one of the hottest markets for travel advisors, the future is bright for any advisor who prepares now by brushing up on their knowledge of the region.
Fast Facts
- Bayley noted the success of the cruise line's recent $250 million private island destination experience in the Bahamas known as Perfect Day at CocoCay. This is a unique stop on what was once called Little Stirrup Cay, but is now a privately owned island destination by Royal Caribbean. It offers a number of attractions, including a record-setting water slide — the tallest in the region — and a massive wave pool described by the cruise line as the largest freshwater pool in the Bahamas.
- The Caribbean tourism outlook forum was organized by the CTO as a platform for discussion between member governments and leaders from the tourism industry that generate business to the region. It was attended by ministers and commissioners of tourism, directors of tourism, chief executives of destination management organizations, permanent secretaries, advisors and specialists and technical officers from 12 member countries.
What They Are Saying
"The Caribbean was, is, will always be, the number one cruise destination in the world," Bayley said. "There are considerations that we need to take into account in terms of some of the destinations' ability to absorb the growth that is coming — in some places the growth is perhaps already at a critical mass — but we need to find a way to accommodate the growth that is inevitably coming to cruise tourism in the Caribbean.”
The Details
Caribbean Tourism Organization
www.onecaribbean.org
Royal Caribbean International
www.royalcaribbean.com