Expedia Reports Rise in Caribbean Travel Demand

The Expedia group, one of the world's largest online travel companies, reported on Tuesday at the Caribbean Travel Marketplace organized by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) an increase in travel demand of 20 percent year over year for the Caribbean via the company’s platforms during the third quarter of 2015 with significant growth reported across the entire region.

The company also reported that Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic remains the top producing market in the Caribbean with more than 15 percent growth year over year (yoy) in the third quarter of 2015 when compared to the same period in 2014.

San Juan, Puerto Rico (nearly 15 percent growth); Aruba (nearly 30 percent growth); and Montego Bay, Jamaica (more than 10 percent growth) follow as leading in-demand markets on all Expedia group platforms.

New data from Expedia indicates that the United States remains the key feeder market for the Caribbean with a reported growth of nearly 20 percent to Caribbean destinations. Other international markets reporting substantial year over year growth in the third quarter of 2015 include:

United Kingdom, with nearly 45 percent growth
Canada, with nearly 10 percent growth
France, with over 10 percent growth

During the third quarter of 2015, the company saw large increases throughout some Eastern Caribbean destinations including Antigua, with nearly 50 percent growth. The Expedia group also reports a significant year over year growth during the third quarter 2015 for Barbados, with over 50 percent increase in demand; and US Virgin Islands (made up of St Thomas, St Croix and St John), with nearly 25 percent growth.

Based on customer shopping behavior from Q4 2015, searches for travel to The Bahamas in 2016 are up over 70 percent compared to last year. The top three markets searching for Bahamas travel are the US (up 80 percent yoy), Canada (up 70 percent yoy), and the UK (up 50 percent yoy).

Looking forward, shopping data for 2016 looks promising with nearly 70 percent increase in shoppers for the Caribbean up in Q4 2015 compared to Q4 of last year. This is punctuated by the 300 percent shopping increase to Kingston, Jamaica; 150 percent shopping increase to Dominica; and 130 percent shopping increase to St Barthelemy.

“The Caribbean is an important, ever-growing market for Expedia group with more than 2,700 hotel partners currently in the region, and more than 1,000 new partnerships in 2015 alone,” said Demetrius Canton, director of lodging partner services for the Caribbean, the Expedia group. “We continue to focus on how we can better support our hotel partners and provide them with the ability to generate revenue and drive demand.”

Source: Caribbean News Now