Affluent traveller programme announced

Wednesday, November 19, 2003

LONDON, England: Caribbean Escapes Cooperative Marketing, Inc. announced the launch of the Caribbean Escapes Collection last week at the World Travel Market in London.

Dedicated to giving upscale resort properties, fine dining establishments, destinations, and fashionable boutiques access to the most discriminating Caribbean traveler, the Caribbean Escapes Collection will allow the luxury travel constituent in the Caribbean to strategically segment and cooperatively pursue the affluent traveler niche in the most coveted markets. 

By invitation only, the program will feature 25 destinations and 100 of the Caribbean's best resorts, which will be guaranteed full exposure to millions of potential guests. The Collection will also showcase the best in dining, golf and spa experiences and upscale boutiques in the 25 destinations.

"Regionally marketing to the luxury travel niche provides an untapped opportunity to stimulate highly profitable travel to the Caribbean. To be successful, it's necessary to have a campaign targeted at the prosperous jet setter and luxury seeker profile. The campaign should reach them directly with a comprehensive and multifaceted strategy," said Caribbean Escapes Cooperative Marketing, Inc. Principal Glenn Harris. 

"The Caribbean Escapes Collection offers that through integrated efforts of television programming, alluring publications, and enticing multimedia presentations. For the upscale Caribbean property and constituent, it's the perfect supplemental marketing solution." 

Highlights of the program include an upscale, glossy publication, Extraordinary Caribbean Escapes; the Extraordinary Caribbean Escapes - Specialty Broadcast Segment television program, the CaribbeanEscapes website, as well as supplemental radio promotions, print advertising, public relations and targeted travel agents marketing efforts.

"The business model and concept is quite unique," said Elite Island Resorts President & CEO and Caribbean Escapes Collection Advisory Board Member Steven Heydt. 

"The innovative marketing strategy is designed to provide the affluent consumer with the ultimate Caribbean, luxury travel planning experience. We're pleased to have Galley Bay and St. James's Club in Antigua, and Palm Island in the Grenadines as part of the 100 select properties." 

One element of the program is the ultra chic, oversized publication Extraordinary Caribbean Escape. The annual publication will feature editorial on select properties, and fine dining restaurants, upscale shopping retailers, golf and spa reviews and will be written by leading travel writers. Additionally, the key attributes of 25 featured Caribbean destinations will be showcased. 

The publication will be distributed primarily through subscription sales, cross marketing on the Web site and the specialty-broadcast segment, as well as sales through leading bookstore retailers. The publication will also be placed in the guest room of each resort featured. The estimated initial viewership is over two million affluent Caribbean travelers.

The Extraordinary Caribbean Escapes Specialty Broadcast Segment has been developed to offer each strategic partner the opportunity to garner significant television coverage.

The 30-minute segment, scheduled to appear on two networks in 225 markets in the US as well as via satellite, will include the highlights of each destination. Additionally, each participating property will have the opportunity to include video footage and interviews with various management or guests. 

The television segment will drive the viewer to book their vacation, purchase the Extraordinary Caribbean Escapes publication, and/or view the Caribbean Escapes Web site. A high profile celebrity host is in the works.

The comprehensive www.CaribbeanEscapes.com website has been designed to provide potential guests with an informative and enticing pre-travel research and purchasing experience. The website will be marketed through print advertising in travel and lifestyle publications and various newspapers in key markets. 

The website will provide extensive information on each participating resort property including room categories, rates, restaurants, available services, as well as editorial content. Visitors will be able to request brochures directly from the property. 

Partner websites will be able to "show through" the Caribbean Escapes website and allow the user to contact the property directly at their discretion. Through a partnership with World Travel Vision, the Caribbean Escapes website will also feature 10 virtual tour images for each participating property as well as additional multimedia features.

Additionally, the Caribbean Escapes Collection Brochure will promote resort property special offers and destination promotions and will be distributed in key airports such as LaGuardia, O'Hare, and Kennedy airports, and within Florida at numerous hotels, tourist attractions, and upscale shopping malls. Pre-travel circulation target is 300,000 readers. What's more, an exclusive brochure will be developed to spotlight golf in the Caribbean and distributed through various golf retailers and courses in the United States.

As Harris understands that the marketing resources for a number of properties during these times are limited, the program was developed with no hard dollar requirement for resort properties to participate. Properties must only provide four, five-night packages and are required to place the publication in the guest rooms. Twenty-five selected destinations may choose to expand their exposure from the Caribbean Escapes Specialty Broadcast Segment with minimal investment to offset programming development costs.

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