BY: BOB MOWAT
“We’re the Caribbean and we’re really known for the fact that we love tourists. We’re very welcoming. We’re one of the few places that offers a lot of things to do – whether it’s a boutique hotel or a big mega resort; if you’re into art; if you’re into culinary; sun, sea, sand; there’s family offerings – we’re kind of a ‘one place fits all’ destination.”
–Kim Salter, vice president of marketing for the Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board, pictured at right with Brent Carnegie of CanLink Travel
It’s fair to say that Nassau and Paradise Island have always had the attention of the Canadian travel trade and its customers, but, frankly, it’s always nice to have a little bit more attention.
In Toronto recently to support the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism’s efforts promoting the Islands of the Bahamas to Canadians, Kim Salter, vice president of Marketing for the Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (NPIPB) took some time out from her busy schedule to have a chat with Travel Courier.
Which brings us to the bit about ‘a little bit more attention,’ as Salter told Travel Courier that “Canadian business has been really great for us,” pointing out that “in terms of website visits from the top cities in Canada, we’re at a 200% increase year-over-year. So, we’re gaining a lot of interest.”
Good so far, well it gets better as Salter arrived in Canada just as Porter Airlines announced a major expansion of its sun destination network, including the addition of service to Nassau this fall.
Porter will offer daily flights from Toronto beginning Nov. 26. Weekly flights from Ottawa starting Dec. 13. And twice weekly flights from Hamilton beginning Dec. 14.
Clearly pleased with the additional service from Porter, both Salter and Brent Carnegie, vice president of Canlink Travel Representatives – which represents NPIPB in Canada) – are quick to point out that added to Air Canada and WestJet, Canadians have access to flights from across the country.
And at a time when Canadians are looking for alternative sun destinations to those they’ve traditionally visited in the U.S., Nassau and Paradise Island offer both convenience and ease of access.
Said Salter: “If you’re looking for an alternative in the winter for some sunshine and some warmer weather, we’re the perfect alternative to other destinations that might be close to Toronto.”
So, that brings up the obvious question: what’s the attraction of Nassau & Paradise Island and why should they visit?
“We’re the Caribbean,” Salter observed. “And we’re really known for the fact that we love tourists. We’re very welcoming.”
Considering what’s going on in the world these days it’s definitely a point worth making, but Salter continues: “We’re a great culture and I think when you’re going to other Caribbean destinations, we’re one of the few places that offers a lot of things to do – whether it’s a boutique hotel or a big mega resort; if you’re into art; if you’re into culinary; sun, sea, sand; there’s family [offerings] – we’re kind of a ‘one place fits all’ [destination].”
Carnegie certainly agrees, pointing to how well Canadians know Nassau & Paradise Island.
“Canadians know the market. They know the product. They love the product,” but he also makes it clear that “there have been so many changes over the last little while that people just want to get back there again.”
The other thing that Carnegie touches on is the fact that more and more cruise passengers – who get a day visit when their ship stops in Nassau – now want to go back for more.
And Salter told TC that there’s definitely more for visitors, explaining that in its latest marketing campaign, “we’ve come out and said well we definitely have sun, sand and sea, but we’re more than that – we offer a lot more. Two culinary festivals. A huge art district The different resorts you can go to whether you want to stay in a boutique [resort] or mega [resort] or a couples-only resort. So, I think that’s really something that we’re trying to be mindful of is that yes, you’ll definitely get your beach vacation, but there’s so much more to do.”
The culinary scene is a ‘big deal,’ with Carnegie pointing out that along with two culinary festivals, Nassau & Paradise Island also boast many different restaurants with top name chefs and, he said, “a lot of people will come down to Nassau just for that – for the culinary scene.”
In this respect, Salter told TC that: “What we’re doing as a destination right now is really trying to get a handle on events. I’ve talked about the food festivals, and I think we’ll see some announcements for the fall and the festive season about some new events because we see that some other Caribbean destinations are driving tourism around events, so I think you’ll see that.”
As for the message to travel advisors about what Nassau and Paradise Island offer their clients, Salter said: “I think the message is it’s easy [to get to]; it’s convenient; it’s an alternate to maybe other destinations that Canadians are avoiding right now; great climate; and so many things to do.”
She continued: “And that messaging is important to us right now because we want people to know that there’s more to do than sun, sea and sand – that’s a staple, but you know, we offer a lot more.”
Along with the variety of things to do and experience, Carnegie also pointed to the variety of accommodation people will find in Nassau and Paradise Island.
“Traditionally, when people think of Nassau and Paradise Island, they think of the big mega resorts – like Atlantis or Baha Mar – but there’s such a wide variety of accommodation,” pointing out that along with the mega resorts there’s the small, little value properties and everything in between, “so, you’ve got something in just about every price range.”
And adding to the list of things to do, He points out that visitors can also explore the islands’ pirate history at the Pirate Museum on Bay Street in Nassau; or visit Gray Cliffs which has a cigar factory, a chocolate factory and offers them a chance to make their own wine.
As well, he reminds, “we can’t forget all those Canadian golfers because the golf courses are pretty phenomenal.”
Circling back to accommodations, Salter points to the British Colonial, Margaritaville, Sandals, Comfort Suites and so many others, observing that: “I think there’s a variety [of accommodation], so for anybody who’s interested they can find the right package, and there’s a lot of flights right now.”
Now while Canadians generally visit during the traditional winter season, many destinations are looking to build their business during the shoulder seasons, so it seemed fair to ask whether Nassau and Paradise Island were looking at tapping into that trend.
“Well, it’s interesting that you brought that up because we’ve seen a trend this year with people actually booking in the shoulder seasons specifically Q3 and Q4 – so August, September and October,” Salter told TC.
She continued: “They’re calling it a second vacation and they’re saying that families are actually choosing to take their children out of school a little bit earlier to avoid the crowds; to avoid, they want the heat, but not the excessive heat – and so, we’re starting to see that boom. We’re actually seeing higher numbers when you pre-forecast in Q3 and Q4 than we used to see this far in advance so it’s interesting to see,” Salter said.
And she noted that: “For the summer, [there are] huge increases in the under 15 day booking window – a lot of last minute decisions. And then in the fall, we’re seeing a lot of pre-bookings. So, we would love to fill the January-February, August-September-Octobers – and I think people are choosing to do that on their own.”
Said Salter: “We know that for Canada, the summer is kind of a season where you go to your lake houses, you kind of stay here or take your longer holiday, but we’re so easy to get to we can be the second vacation in the off season.’
Asked whether pricing might be a driver of this trend, Salter said that: “Prices are a little bit better, and I will say the hotels are doing a great job over the summer. There’s some really nice offers with savings of up to 25%, 4th Night Free, there’s the resort credits – so, if you were to go to www.nassauparadiseisland.com, you’ll see lots of great offers or incentives to keep people motivated to visit; but we’re seeing some nice numbers from Canadians which we love.”
