Travel Agent - September 24, 2007 - (Page 26)

Destinations Central & South America The highlight at both properties, though, is the opportunity to interact with resident dolphins, which is not included in the price of the all-inclusive package. AKR has various programs to suit all ages, from 30-minute beach encounters, where trainers offer hands-on interaction with dolphins in waistdeep water, to snorkeling with the dolphins (David Hasselhoff and Richard Gere have done it), to week-long dolphin training programs. For children ages 5 to 14, the resort offers the Dolphin Summer Scuba Camp, a package that combines a variety of resort and island activities with dolphin encounters and age-specific snorkeling and scuba lessons. And although the Galindos have envisioned Guests can swim building a spa at the resort in the future, “we’re not looking for more activities or amenities to add right now,” says Haydee Galindo. “As it is, we have a quite a bit to offer.” Instead, management intends to improve upon the accommodations and services they currently have on the property, while at the same time look for ways to appeal to new customers. “We’ve created four-night packages for people who want to travel for less than seven nights.” Haydee says. In the past, weeklong packages were not only de rigueur, but also were necessary due to the limited number of flights to Roatan. “We always had to take what we got,” says Samir. “Now, we want to try to get people who will come down for a long weekend. We can try to change our rates and target a market that is willing to spend a little more money, shop more and dive less.” Continued from page 24 the resort’s guests. “But it’s good to be diversified.” Staying Occupied The resort is set on two small islands, Anthony’s Key and Bailey’s Key. Accommodations are across a lagoon from the lobby, restaurant and bar on Roatan proper. The Galindos have already made a push to provide a wide range of offerings for non-diving guests, both in the water and on land. During a typical seven-day, all-inclusive stay, guests can snorkel, kayak, swim, ride horses, visit the on-property Roatan Museum and enjoy beach time at Fins ‘n’ Flippers. The latter is a new facility established by the Galindo family on the south side of the island near Coxen Hole that caters mostly to cruise ship passengers. Photo by Shawn Jackson with resident dolphins at the resort Higher Expectations When it comes to its clientele, AKR has always built its business around quality customer service (“Everything is not ‘mañana’ here,” Samir says). But the resort itself still retains a simple and rustic quality that has evolved in recent years to accommodate changing tastes. “Trying to impress nowadays is a big challenge,” Samir acknowledges. “The people who travel now have higher expectations.” Terry Evans, owner of Roatan Charter, Inc., a wholesaler based in San Antonio, FL that sells packages for a variety of resorts on the island, agrees. “The guests who are going to Roatan now have changed tremendously,” he says. “If you don’t have air-conditioning, they aren’t interested. And you have to have a swimming pool.” AKR, which completed its pool last 26 TravelAgent Interested? Request #012. September 24, 2007 http://www.kapawi.com http://www.canodros.com http://www.kapawi.com http://www.canodros.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - September 24, 2007

Contents Editor's Letter News You Can Use Agenda: Fam Trips, Calendar of Events, Deal of the Week Cover Story - Down the Stretch: Ramping Up 2007 Sales Central & South America: Anthony’s Key Resort, Roatan, Honduras Florida: Hotel Packages for Cruise-Bound Travelers Cruises: A Tale of Two Lines Agent Exchange Classified Marketplace Luxury Travel Expo Update Advertisers’ Information People & Places

Travel Agent - September 24, 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.