Recommend December 2013 - (Page 55)

villa and a 4-bedroom garden villa. The Dominican Republic's Kosher Crown Villas, a Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Resort (lifestylekosher vacations.com), is going gangbusters, too. But how unique dare we go? What if, say, your clients wants kosher catering and an underwater ceremony? Answer: the Curaçao Marriott Resort (marriott.com). That's customization. girlfriend getaways So far, I've avoided putting my foot in my mouth with last year's predictions, but maybe not on this one. Let me start with a confession: Whereas I've personally experienced every other trend in the Caribbean, I have never participated in a girlfriend getaway. Disappointing, I know. (But then again, some of my colleagues at other publications have never gone deep-sea fishing with a stogie in their mouth. So there.) This much is clear: Whereas properties continue to market girlfriend getaway packages, they can no longer claim that the ladies-only vacation is a radically innovative notion. The buzz has moved on to "green" and other trends mentioned above, which may help explain why 2012's steady stream of eblasts about BFF trips dwindled in 2013. Also, while many women still take girlfriend getaways, they don't all buy Girlfriend Getaway packages. As happens when planning a wedding, they now demand customization. Not a bad thing; that's where travel agents come in. So should girlfriend getaways no longer be part of a "trends that are here to stay story"? Too soon to tell, but if so, allow me to revisit my dentist for a refresher course on removing my foot from my mouth. ● more trends? DECOR: Time was almost every Caribbean hotel featured either formal colonial, casual Caribbean, or uninspired functional style, but then contemporary villas and hotels (e.g. Amanyara) showed a new way. Now, for example, the San Juan Marriott Resort's dramatically renovated rooms feature a modern, urbane design whose beige tones evoke the beach, but with abstract subtlety. Will scores of other hotels replace Chippendale or playroom pastels with sleek chic? INCREASED ACCEPTANCE OF GAY VISITORS: The Dutch and French islands have long been pretty LGBTfriendly, but some English islands had an iffy reputation. These days there's at least one hotel on almost every island that welcomes gay visitors and commitment ceremonies, and even the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis has spoken out on behalf of gays. FESTIVALS R US: "Today almost every island has some sort of music festival-jazz, blues, reggae, etc. Jamaica, Barbados, the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival in Aruba, the Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival, St. Kitts, Aruba Soul Beach, and others," says travel agent Ann Cappa, A.C.C., D.S., of Caribbean and Beyond. This dovetails nicely with an undeniable trend discussed elsewhere in this story: the eagerness of hotel guests to go forth into the island. AND YOU COULD WIN$1000! Take the course, complete the exam and sign up for the incentive program that uses Recommend's Agent Transaction Monitor (ATM) to record your Guadeloupe bookings. All agents with at least one ATM booking can qualify for quarterly rewards and FAM trip opportunities:  $500 for the top seller plus random awards of $300 & $200 each quarter  Top-selling agent at year's end will receive $1,000 Additional benefits for all course graduates include:  Credits from The Travel Institute  Credits from The Canadian Institute of Travel Counsellors  Full color certificate  Guadeloupe newsletters and marketing support  Listing of you and your company as a Guadeloupe Specialist on the tourist board's website and on Recommend.travel's Guadeloupe Specialist Finder http://www.vacations.com http://www.marriott.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend December 2013

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Canyon Ranch
Tour Talk: Insight Vacations
17th Annual Recommend Readers' Choice Awards Winners
Cruising 2013
Discovering North America
Caribbean Trends
Anguilla Travel Agent Specialist Program
Asia & The South Pacific in the Rearview Mirror
Mexico 2013
Latin America in 2013 and Beyond
Africa + The Middle East Continue to Make Stides
Nostalgic for Europe

Recommend December 2013