The Caribbean conjures up images of soothing ocean beaches that government-aided companies might view as lavish but hotels there are offering double-digit and low-triple-digit rates, while at the same time airfares are reasonable.
"The days of the North American low-cost carrier being domestic are definitely changing," said Bryan Baldwin, a spokesperson for JetBlue Airways, which has expanded its Caribbean presence dramatically over the past year. One-way rates now are as low as $29 from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau and $119 from New York to San Juan.
But airfare is only part of the reason why the Caribbean can be a bargain, officials say. One major reason is that low-cost airlines are undercutting legacy carriers for a bigger potion of the pie here.
"For us, the Caribbean is a really big area of focus, and we’ve had great success expanding our low-fare model to international destinations," Baldwin says.
Among the biggest bargains in the Caribbean are the Out islands in the Bahamas, said Meeting Focus Extra.
“Nassau/Paradise Island are the meeting locales of choice for most gatherings, dominated by huge properties like Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort, Atlantis Paradise Island and the recently renovated Wyndham Nassau Resort,” the site said.
A lure of the US Virgin Islands is that no passport is required and there’s increased nonstop service from Delta and American Airlines. There’s also a $1,600 duty-free allowance on all items purchased there.
"Meeting groups also find the U.S.V.I. to be hassle-free because the territory shares so many of the same conveniences as the mainland U.S. — coverage on most cell phone carriers, and the same laws, currency and global shipping and postal services, to name a few," said Beverly Nicholson-Doty, commissioner of the U.S.V.I. Department of Tourism.
Puerto Rico has become popular with meeting groups since the 2005 opening of its 580,000-square-foot Convention Center. There’s a 113-acre hotel zone around it and 1,358 hotel rooms.
by David Wilkening
