Photo by Janet Silvera
Brad Miron of itravel2000 makes a point to Angella Bennett, director of sales, Riu Jamaica, during a break from the 'Canada AM' live satellite, broadcast at the Riu Ocho Rios recently.

Janet Silvera, Senior Tourism Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

The influx of Spanish-operated hotels in Jamaica is being credited for re-invigorating the market for Canadian tourists, who have been responsible for playing a pivotal role in the country's achievement of another record year in stop-over arrivals.

"The Spanish chains have set a new standard of value for the vacationer, forcing a number of traditional Jamaican hotels to revamp themselves and spruce up their products," says Brad Miron, vice-president of marketing and strategic partnerships of itravel 2000, one of Canada's most reputable online tour operators.

Itravel2000, in collaboration with the Jamaica Tourist Board, Yoplait and CTV, launched a live television satellite broadcast - from the Riu Ocho Rios last week - of Canada's most popular morning show, Canada AM, showcasing Jamaica to over 2.5 million viewers in the North American country.

Top-selling brands

"Riu is one of our top-selling brands worldwide. We are probably doing 800,000 to 900,000 room nights between Riu hotels in Jamaica, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Aruba," Miron told The Sunday Gleaner.

He said Canadians who, in the next 18 years, will inherit CA$1 trillion in legacy money, are becoming more familiar with the hotel brands and the value proposition that they offer. "For example, someone has been to Riu Mexico and they become collectors of the product and want to experience the different destinations, so their next sampling may be Jamaica."

Coupled with that, he said, the Spanish resort was a good barometer of what Canadians are asking for, which is the minimum of a 4.5 star-rated hotel. All the Spanish hotels in Jamaica are five-star.

Speaking to the robust figures that the market is now attracting, Angella Bennett, director of sales, Riu Resorts, Jamaica, noted that not only have the Spanish hotels grown the business out of the North American destination, "but we have increased business out of Spain and Portugal by over 100 per cent."

According to Mrs. Bennett, the Canadian business she is seeing is a result of the strong partnership between charter operators Sunquest and Riu. "Sunquest has allotted additional flights to Jamaica because of the increase in room count, and the current trend of increased arrivals is expected to continue," she predicts.

Accordingly, Canadians have matured, are at an all-time high consumer base, and are willing to pay CA$1,800 for a vacation, instead of $1,500.

The number-one thing

In Brad Miron's estimation, Jamaica is in line for the expected windfall. He said Canadians are experiencing a very cold winter, their dollar is at an all-time high, the economy is the strongest it has ever been, and unemployment is at its lowest ever. And studies show that among the bloomers and late bloomers who stand to get this legacy inheritance, travel is the number-one thing they plan to do with their money.

"The average Canadian has a boat, a house, a cottage; the next thing they will want to do is experience more of the world through travel," said Miron.

Second, he predicts, will be their desire for foreign real estate investment. Currently, Canadians own CA$10 billion of real estate in Florida. The tax impact of US$274 million in 2002 and the generating of 23,000 direct jobs was enough incentive for the Americans to continue to woo them.