Caribbean holidays are top choice for Brits this summer

Amidst concerns over the impact that the global economic crisis and the rising Air Passenger Duty (APD) will have on the number of Britons booking holidays in the Caribbean, the region’s tourism sector can take comfort in the fact that British Airways customers have voted the Caribbean as the top holiday destination this summer.

Industry insiders have attributed the popularity of 2012 Caribbean holidays with British travellers to a disappointing start to the British summer with the month of June having been the wettest in the history of the UK. “The thought of relaxing on a stunning beach, in the warm and friendly Caribbean is a real draw as the summer weather continues to be a bit of a let-down” noted British Airways Holidays Managing Director, Claire Bentley.

Additionally, ease of access to some of the Caribbean islands has contributed to the uplift in tourism with direct flights to the Caribbean island of Grenada, for example, from key source markets like the UK, U.S., and Canada injecting new life into the island’s tourism industry.

Ray Withers, the CEO of Property Frontiers, the firm responsible for the marketing of the recently launch hotel suites at the up and coming Grenada hotel Bacolet Bay Beach Resort stated the following of Grenada’s burgeoning tourism sector, “It is very encouraging to see that, even despite the global economic downturn, Caribbean tourism levels continue to rise… Grenada alone welcomed 116,398 overnight guests and some 309,000 cruise ship day visitors in 2011 and with the World Travel & Tourism Council predicting the island to be the fastest growing market in the Caribbean between 2011 and 2021,we believe that Grenada is the best place to invest in the region”

Grenada is only part of the region’s success story, as the Caribbean Tourism Organisation reported a 3.3 per cent growth in the number of travellers opting for an exotic Caribbean holiday experience in 2011 compared to 2010. With the region’s popularity on the rise and the islands becoming more accessible for travellers from key international markets, 2012 is shaping up to be an even more successful year despite the challenges that the region currently faces.