After years idling in the doldrums, visitor arrivals to some parts of the region are increasing rapidly, travellers are spending more, and the yield for hoteliers is improving. Moreover, as demand soars it is getting much harder for visitors to find a quality hotel room in the high season at short notice in Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and some smaller Caribbean destinations like Aruba.
Cuba apart − a special case following the virtual freeing of US travel restrictions late last year − this rapid increase in demand for a Caribbean vacation largely reflects the fact that disposable income in the main feeder markets in North America and parts of Europe is increasing as economic recovery occurs, and travellers begin to feel more financially secure. It is also the case that some Caribbean destinations such as some parts of Jamaica’s north coast have again become ‘hot’ in the eyes of those who establish on social media and in print the image of an aspirational destination.
But for the most successful Caribbean markets there are