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LOCALSaturday 23 January 2016
With Aruba near the top:
Expedia Reports Rise in Caribbean Demand at CHTA
ORNAJESTAD - Paradise Is- indicates that the United also reports a significant data for 2016 looks promis- while also meeting with
land, The Bahamas – Janu- States remains the key year over year growth dur- ing with nearly 70 percent valued hotel partners and
ary 20, 2016 –The Expedia feeder market for the Ca- ing the third quarter 2015 for increase in shoppers for the reinforcing the company’s
group, one of the world’s ribbean with a reported Barbados, with over 50 per- Caribbean up in Q4 2015 commitment to the region.
largest online travel com- growth of nearly 20 percent cent increase in demand; compared to Q4 of last “The Caribbean is an im-
panies, reported today at to Caribbean destinations. and U.S. Virgin Islands year. This is punctuated by portant, ever-growing mar-
Caribbean Travel Market- Other international markets (made up of St. Thomas, St. the 300 percent shopping ket for Expedia group with
place (CHTA) an increase reporting substantial year Croix, and St. John), with increase to Kingston, Ja- more than 2,700 hotel part-
in travel demand of 20 per- over year growth in the third nearly 25 percent growth. maica; 150 percent shop- ners currently in the region,
cent year over year for the quarter of 2015 include the Based on customer shop- ping increase to Dominica; and more than 1,000 new
Caribbean via the com- United Kingdom, with near- ping behavior from Q4 and 130 percent shopping partnerships in 2015 alone,”
pany’s platforms during the ly 45 percent growth, Can- 2015, searches for travel to increase to St. Barthelemy. said Demetrius Canton,
third quarter of 2015 with ada, with nearly 10 percent The Bahamas in 2016 are The Expedia group’s mar- Director of Lodging Part-
significant growth reported growth, and France, with up over 70 percent com- ket management team is ner Services for the Carib-
across the entire region. over 10 percent growth. pared to last year. The top pleased to attend Carib- bean, the Expedia group.
The company also reports During the third quarter of three markets searching for bean Travel Marketplace, “We continue to focus on
that Punta Cana in the Do- 2015, the company saw Bahamas travel are the U.S. the destination’s most in- how we can better support
minican Republic remains large increases throughout (up 80 percent yoy), Can- fluential industry event or- our hotel partners and pro-
the top producing market some Eastern Caribbean ada (up 70 percent yoy), ganized by the Caribbean vide them with the ability
in the Caribbean with more destinations including Anti- and the UK (up 50 percent Hotel and Tourism Associa- to generate revenue and
than 15 percent growth gua, with nearly 50 percent yoy). tion (CHTA), from January drive demand.” By working
year over year (yoy) in the growth. The Expedia group Looking forward, shopping 21-23, 2016 in Paradise Is- with Expedia group, hotels
third quarter of 2015 when land, The Bahamas. Dur- in the Caribbean gain ex-
compared to the same pe- ing the conference, the posure from the more than
riod in 2014. San Juan, Puer- company’s market man- 200 travel booking sites in
to Rico (nearly 15 percent agement team will discuss more than 75 countries in
growth); ARUBA (nearly 30 trends and new technol- 35 language, in addition
percent growth); and Mon- ogy tools and marketing to a myriad of mobile sites
tego Bay, Jamaica (more capabilities designed to and apps, from brands
than 10 percent growth) provide increased visibility such as Expedia®, Hotels.
follow as leading in-de- and incremental demand com®, Travelocity®, Orb-
mand markets on all Expe- for hotel partners. More- itz®, Hotwire®, Egencia®,
dia group platforms. over, the team is expected Expedia® Affiliate Network
New data from Expedia to share recent successes and others.q