If you ask Tom Carr, agents could be making a lot more money selling the Caribbean to families.
“The family market has huge potential in the Caribbean,” said Carr, founder and president of All Inclusive Outlet, an online, high-discount travel agency based in Lexington, Ky. “Honeymoons are an easy sell, but I think the industry tends to overlook the family niche. As more and more people are migrating toward group getaways, I see this as an area that is ripe for the taking.”
But selling a region as diverse as the Caribbean — with its many islands, cultures, traditions and languages — means more than just picking the first pretty hotel with a children’s program. The qualifying process is key to matching the right place with the right client. Some families might favor larger destinations such as the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, where well-equipped, all-inclusive resorts thrive, while others may prefer a smaller-scale setting on one of the less-visited islands. And, according to several agents, unique activities and experiences are increasingly what families seek in this part of the world.
“More qualifying is needed for specific vacations,” according to Anthony D. Adler, president and CEO of Cruise and Resort, a member of the Virtuoso Network in Sherman Oaks, Calif. “If it is a multigenerational experience, the requirements are different than they would be for a typical couples’ vacation. We discuss what the family feels is most important before making our recommendations. Are they looking for a huge pool and waterpark experience — possibly Atlantis in the Bahamas? Or is a quiet beach with a little windsurfing — maybe something in Jamaica — more what they had in mind? Do they have young children who may enjoy a kids’ center with planned age-appropriate activities?”
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Timing can also be key, according to Rey Alton, leisure marketing director at Almeda Travel in Houston.
“Aruba is one of Almeda Travel’s best-selling family destinations,” he noted, explaining that “being outside the hurricane zone makes Aruba attractive to families who take summer vacations.”
In addition, Alton reports success in selling Aruba’s “One Cool Family Vacation” promotion, which provides additional value during the summer months.
Family-Friendly Hotels
When it comes to choosing accommodations, the Caribbean is great for families, according to Karen Bavoso, leisure travel consultant at Woodlake Travel in Houston.
“It offers a large selection of resorts and hotels that fit within different budgets,” said Bavoso, noting that her top-selling hot spots include Atlantis, Half Moon in Jamaica, Beaches in Turks and Caicos and the Cayman Islands overall.
“For families, one of the biggest issues is the amount of room they have on vacation,” said Mona Rodriguez, leisure traveler counselor at ARTA Travel in Plano, Texas. “Many clients want to have adjoining or connecting rooms, but many hotels cannot confirm this.”
Rodriguez said that destinations such as the Cayman Islands work well because it offers a lot of apartment-style accommodations.
“With the amount of condos in the Caymans, it is easy to suggest the islands. For families, I suggest the Caribbean Club. They have larger units — three bedrooms — and offer clients the ability to have groceries stocked before they arrive.”
Kid-friendly facilities and services — such as kids’ programs with supervised activities — can also be big selling points for family travelers. But of course, not every young traveler is the same, so there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all hotel or kids’ club.
“First of all, we look at the ages of the kids,” said Carr. “If the kids are taken care of, then the parents will be happy. Finding a resort that caters to infants or teenagers can be daunting, but you must provide options for all ages. Even if a couple says that they won’t use the kids’ club or babysitting services, I want these amenities there just in case.”
Whether there is an organized children’s program or not, how the staff interacts with children is critically important, according to Adler.
“You can make up for a lack of certain hardware if the software — the friendliness of the staff — is exceptional. Having kids’ programs are good, but offering experiences that the children will always remember is another dimension,” he said.
As an example, Adler recommended The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, which operates an Ambassadors of the Environment program that introduces children to the islands’ ecological wonders and cultural traditions through interaction with the resort staff.
“The head chef — with his huge white hat —brings the young kids to the hotel’s own garden, where vegetables and herbs are grown for their restaurants,” he said. “Kids participate, have fun and learn about the food chain and healthy eating.”
All-inclusive resorts can be especially attractive to clients traveling with kids, both because of the value as well as the range of activities available. Brands such as Breezes Resorts & Spas have crafted a solid reputation in this category for agents including Jason True, president of Totally Trips in Crystal City, Mo.
“Breezes has really differentiated itself in terms of meeting different age groups and segments,” he explained. “Something like a Breezes Trelawny in Jamaica or the Breezes Curacao give families a lot of different options. I took my kids to Trelawny, and they thought it was great that they could go on the trapeze.”
Even hotels that aren’t all-inclusive may still offer interesting — and free — activities for kids. This fall, the Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde Beach Resort in San Juan, Puerto Rico, introduced a free children’s cooking lesson program and also organizes Spanish lessons, movie nights and bingo. And at the massive Atlantis resort on Paradise Island, hotel guests have free access to the Aquaventure Waterpark and marine habitats.
Selling the Experience
The Caribbean offers myriad activities and attractions for families. But, according to True, “it’s no longer about just standing in a pool for a 20-minute dolphin swim. People want the real experience; the real culture — something like cave swimming in the Riviera Maya, or Bavaro Runners, a tour company in the Dominican Republic that takes families out and gives them a cultural experience.”
Several hotels have introduced unique programs with a cultural or environmental flavor. Bahama Buddies, at the Abaco Beach Resort in Boat Harbour, the Bahamas, allows children between the ages of five and 15 to meet local children and join classes that focus on traditions such as fishing, cooking and even de-barking a coconut. After the trip, children can stay in touch with their new friends through the program’s email exchange.
Hitching onto the popularity of eco-friendly activities is Camp Hyatt Watapana, the children’s program at the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino. The resort’s new partnership with National Geographic Kids has resulted in excursions including photo safaris and nature walks. This fall, the Nature Discovery Centre at Amanyara, an Aman Resort in Turks and Caicos, launched a conservation program, the Amanyara Turtle Initiative, as part of the Turks and Caicos Islands Turtle Project. The new program allows adults and children alike to follow the migration of Taino, a green turtle, with educational details provided by the hotel’s resident naturalist.
Wildlife is, indeed, a natural selling point in the Caribbean, with family-friendly attractions including the Butterfly Farm and Ostrich Farm in Aruba, the Cayman Turtle Farm in the Cayman Islands and the Barbados Wildlife Reserve on Barbados. Kids can interact safely with marine life including stingrays (at Stingray City in the Cayman Islands) and dolphins (at swim facilities in the Bahamas, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic).
The Dominican Republic becomes an especially exciting place for animal lovers between mid-January and the end of March, when between 3,000 and 5,000 whales pass through the waters of the bay of Samana during their annual migration.
Some of the region’s newest options for children’s activities are offered at Buccament Bay Resort, which opened in St. Vincent in September. The property is home to a Pat Cash Tennis Academy, Liverpool Football Club Soccer School and Harlequin Performing Arts Academy, all of which offer programs for adults and children.
In today’s competitive environment, True said, “the best thing that we can do as agents is to refocus on the experience. There is so much diversity in the Caribbean for families, you can deliver an experience that will last a lifetime for your clients — and you will be their hero.”
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| The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, features an Underwater Photography for Kids activity as part of Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment program. // © 2011 Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman |
