ANTIGUA & BARBUDA TOURISM AUTHORITY

(Dickenson Bay October 7^th, 2011) Travel agents from critical US markets have been flocking Antigua by the hundreds to sample the destination as Sandals and the Ministry of Tourism join hands to promote the island ahead of the traditional peak winter season.
Some two hundred agents are the first in a series of several to get firsthand experiences of the offerings of Sandals and Antigua. Regional Director of Sandals Resorts International in the Eastern Caribbean Jeremy Jones has said that the Mega-Fams are great exposure for the island.
 

“The Sandals philosophy is that you are empowered to sell the product if you see it. Well the agents on this trip are not just seeing it, they are living it too. There is just something about when people experience what they recommend to their customers rather than a distant knowledge of the internet. This is great exposure and will certainly help to sustain the good occupancy levels Antigua has been experiencing,” added Jones.     

Travel agents will also have the opportunity to earn or renew their Certified Sandals Specialist (CSS) certification while on the FAM trip, during a four-hour training course that arms participants with helpful tools to grow their business. The CSS program is the most powerful agent-supplier partnership in the industry, providing agents with an opportunity to align themselves with the world’s only Luxury Included® Resorts. The certification includes meaningful benefits for agents like marketing tips and techniques, bonus commissions, and business tools such as co-branded collateral, websites and advertising opportunities. 
 

During the three-day / two-night trips, agents will attend the CSS workshop, have the opportunity to tour all three resort properties and experience the resorts’ Luxury Included® vacation as they attend exclusive hosted events. Meanwhile Vice President of Public Relations for the St. Lucia Tourist Board, Nadine St. Rose was full of praise for the marketing efforts of Sandals Resorts and believes the St. Lucia as a destination profits tremendously from its presence.
 

The Mega-Fam campaign, which left St. Lucia for Antigua on Sunday, will see another 2300 travel agents.