One Caribbean Canada Has Become a Go-To Resource for Advisors & Their Clients

After the Caribbean Tourism Organization closed its Toronto office in 2019 as part of a major restructuring, industry veteran Nancy Drolet saw a void in the marketplace.

“There wasn’t anyone promoting the region, so I decided to start a website providing Caribbean tourism information and resources to Canadian travel advisors.”

Now three years old, the post-pandemic product One Caribbean Canada has evolved into a travel resource platform aimed at Canadian travel advisors, consumers, media, and meeting planners.

“It was originally designed specifically for advisors, but has now become a sales tool that they can send their clients to – we’re not trying to steal anybody’s clients, so it works for both,” Drolet says.

With the Caribbean region one of the most popular destinations for Canadian travellers, there is plenty of country-specific promotion by tourist boards with representation here. 

One Caribbean Canada complements tourist board efforts by bringing links to the tourism offerings of the entire region together, and to find economies of scale through joint Caribbean-focused events.

The islands have responded positively, with 26 countries now part of One Caribbean Canada. There are many hotel members too, along with airlines and even dive shops. 

Key resources provided by OneCaribbeanCanada.ca include:

• Destination information for Caribbean countries.
• Tourism board contacts.
• Hotel and resort information.
• Travel requirements and planning tools.
• Advisor resources and specialist training links.
• Articles on romance, history, culture and land and sea activities.
• A major new section on Caribbean events.

Several Caribbean nations joined with Drolet at a mini trade show, lunch and media awards presentation yesterday at Toronto’s Old Mill. Here’s a quick catch-up with some of the destination representatives.

Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority, Kyle Christian, Marketing & Communications Manager: Christian says the twin-destinations have had more consumer visibility in Canada through advertising efforts over the past six months, helping to drive strong visitor numbers.

Bahamas Tourist Office Canada, Quinn Brown, District Sales Manager: Strong demand for the Out Islands from Canada is good news for the Bahamas, says Brown, along with an increase in off-peak visitation. The island archipelago enjoyed a big boost in airlift from Canada beginning last year, and numbers have soared. 

Brown says the biggest recent news is a new Minister of Tourism following the Bahamian election on May 12. Glenys Margaret Hanna-Martin is the new Minister of Tourism and the first woman to have held the role. She’s an experienced politician however, and Brown is confident she will “keep up the momentum.”

Nassau & Paradise Island, Brent Carnegie, VP Canlink Travel: Carnegie says the biggest change in the largest Bahamian destination is a completely revamped cruise port that is filled with shops, restaurants, leisure facilities, music and culture. “It’s so popular that a lot of people don’t even leave the cruise port,” he said.

Carnegie also flagged the completely renovated British Colonial Hotel as a key part of Nassau’s downtown revival. He also mentioned the big increase in lift from Canada, including new flights from Porter Airlines. With Porter teaming up with Transat on packages this year, Carnegie says there’s more growth to come.

Grenada Tourism Authority, Sekou Stroude, Sales & Marketing Director: “Grenada is doing really, really well from Canada,” says Stroude, with WestJet flights so full that it is in talks with the destination to lengthen seasonal service from November to May from the current December to April.

Known as the Spice Island, Grenada offers accommodations for a wide range of budgets, with Royalton, Sandals and Radisson as the largest properties, along with many smaller resorts, ranging from budget to very high-end, like the Six Senses Lagesse Grenada, the first property in the Caribbean for the luxury brand. Last year’s opening of the Silversands Beach House was celebrated by Time Magazine as one of the best of the year. Coming this fall next door to Six Senses is InterContinental Grenada – La Sagesse. “We’re excited for that,” said Stroude.

Aruba Tourism Authority, Liliana Mancini, Sales Manager, Canada: “It only takes a day for people to fall in love with Aruba,” says Mancini. Canadians agree, with Air Canada and WestJet offering year-round service and Porter Airlines recently adding the destination from Toronto and Ottawa. Mancini says newer properties like the St. Regis Aruba Resort, JOIA Aruba by Iberostar and Secrets Baby Beach are attracting new visitors. 

St. Maarten Tourism Bureau, Cari Marotta, VoX International: Marotta says Canadians are visiting more often and staying longer on the island that combines the Dutch St. Maarten with the French Saint Martin. “Twice the Caribbean” is how the twin destinations are described, along with the line “a little bit of Europe, a lot of Caribbean.”

SVG Tourism Authority (St. Vincent & the Grenadines), Andrew Phillips, Assistant Director Sales: Phillips says Canadian arrivals are up over last year in the island group that features the volcanic St. Vincent along with more coral-based islands including Bequia, Mustique and Canouan. He stresses the islands offer a range of accommodations from affordable to uber-luxury, along with a sustainability focus and a natural environment prime for exploration.