CTO declares 2017 ‘Year of Adventure’ in the Caribbean
ON THE heels of last year’s successful Year of Romance, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) has declared 2017 the Year of Adventure in the Caribbean. This year, the region will celebrate everything from adrenaline-pumping pursuits to local culture and casually sampling culinary experiences unique to a specific CTO destination. “Adventure comes in different degrees for travellers. For some, it is zip lining high above a valley or speeding around a motor racing circuit. For others, an adventure is simply exploring local communities to learn their language and customs and teasing the senses with new cultural and culinary experiences,” said Hugh Riley, secretary general and chief executive officer of the CTO.
The 2017 Caribbean Year of Adventure will be promoted through social media and traditional media channels and will create opportunities for travellers and vacation planners to share their experiences and ideas of an adventure-filled Caribbean vacation throughout 2017. The CTO has adopted the hashtag #CaribbeanAdventure and encourages all member countries and hotels to use the hashtag when posting images via social media networks.
COMMON DENOMINATOR
While each destination is unique and inviting in its own right, the common denominator of all Caribbean destination vacations is travellers yearning to enjoy a Caribbean adventure – no matter how laid-back or thrilling the activity may be. Through the campaign, the CTO and its member countries and hotels will highlight the Caribbean as the leading choice for a vacation filled with adventure for consumers and travel planners selling the region. The theme is designed as a catalyst for sellers and promoters of group travel, family adventure, and ‘friends-cation’, as well as weddings and honeymoons.
Visitors, too, will be invited to submit thoughts on their most memorable Caribbean adventures. “With a variety of destinations to discover, the Caribbean provides the ultimate vacation playground highlighted by picture-perfect landscapes and ideal weather for an abundance of land and water activities,” said Riley.
“The Year of Adventure will highlight the range of activities offered throughout the Caribbean. It’s a theme which can easily be embraced by all CTO member destinations 365 days a year,” Riley noted.
Throughout 2017, the CTO, in cooperation with its private sector partner the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association will assist member countries and hotels with an assortment of ideas that can be implemented around the theme of adventure to appeal to consumers, travel agents, and tour operators. Initiatives will be developed around:
Once-in-a-lifetime getaways – (volcano discoveries, helicopter tours, etc)
There’s a first time for everything’ vacations – (zip lining, scuba diving, go-kart racing, etc)
Family and ‘friends-cation’ discovery journeys – (whale watching, swimming with dolphins, world-heritage site explorations, etc)
Wellness adventures – (paddle board yoga, aqua parkour, tai chi, etc)
Dine-around delicacy vacations – focusing on unique food offerings.