With Caribbean Tourism Growth Outpacing the World, Travel Experts Break …

HOUSTON, TX, Aug 21, 2013 (Marketwired via COMTEX) —
Citing World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) statistics, Beverly
Nicholson-Doty, chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, saw
Caribbean tourism growth “outpace the rest of the world” in 2012.
After all, over one billion international tourists vacationed in the
region in 2012 alone. With visitor traffic growing rapidly this year,
the Caribbean continues to be the number one destination of choice
for international travelers and will remain the world’s most popular
hot spot in 2014.

The Caribbean travel experts at Prohotel International, the
Houston-based hotel management company behind such award-winning
properties as the Riviera Maya’s Hotel Esencia, are announcing their
picks for the region’s top travel destinations for 2014.

Honduras and the Birding Boom

Declared the ‘toucan capital of the world’ by The Lodge at Pico
Bonito’s head naturalist, James Adams, Honduras is a natural paradise
on the brink of discovery and is expected to gain ground on other
popular eco-destinations in the coming year. According to statistics
derived from a Birding Trends survey conducted by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service, birding ranks as the 15th
most popular and the fastest growing outdoor recreational activity in
the United States. Additionally, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
reports that 40 percent of birders are willing to travel to discover
new bird watching opportunities.

Situated on 400 acres of tropical wilderness in the country’s second
largest national park, the Lodge at Pico Bonito is a dream
destination for nature enthusiasts of all kinds, particularly those
with an interest in birding. Offering guests access to a multi-story
canopy observation tower and naturalist guides, over 400 species of
birds have already been spotted on site.

“We expect a 15% increase in bookings next year,” says Gabriel
Cambon, General Manager of the Lodge at Pico Bonito. “Part of this
forecasted increase will come from more repeat visits to the Lodge,
building interest in destination weddings, and partnerships with the
major birding festivals and events that we are targeting.”

For more information visit www.picobonito.com, or call (888)
428-0221.

The Rich Culture and Archaeological Wonders of Mexico’s Yucatan
Peninsula

One thing is clear — travel to Mexico is still as hot as ever,
particularly to such regions as the Yucatan Peninsula. In 2012 alone,
over 20 million U.S. tourists visited the country with more than 20%
of travelers visiting the Riviera Maya. The Riviera Maya Tourist
Board cited an 8% increase in travelers to the region in 2012 alone
and is well on its way to exceeding that growth in 2013.

Perfectly situated on an unparalleled stretch of private white sand
Caribbean beach only a short distance from Mexico’s most enchanting
archaeological sites, Hotel Esencia, once the private retreat of an
Italian Duchess, is the region’s top boutique hotel. The property
features the Riviera Maya’s first world-class organic spa offering an
array of new healing spa rituals, unrivaled gourmet regionally
inspired cuisine and 29 sumptuously outfitted rooms and suites.
Witness some of Mexico’s most jaw dropping ruins on trips to nearby
Tulum, Chichen Itza, and Uxmal among many more.

For more information visit www.hotelesencia.com or call 877-528-3490.

Dominican Republic’s Emerging Hot Spots

Santo Domingo’s Ciudad Colonial

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ciudad Colonial, the colonial city of
Santo Domingo, will experience an increase in leisure and business
travelers next year — particularly with recent growth in the city’s
global banking and film industries.

“The completion of the Coral highway in November 2013 will link a
vast number of tourists to one of the new world’s densest cultural
heritage sites, The Ciudad Colonial,” says Marc Dalet, General
Manager of Las Casas del XVI. “A new initiative by the Ministry of
Tourism will convert a significant part of the colonial city into
pedestrian only, which will enhance the traveler’s experience. This
action by the government has prompted a significant increase in
private investment in restaurants, bars, shops and local excursions.
These two factors combined will result in a definite increase in
travel to old Santo Domingo — making it the Caribbean’s newest hot
spot.”

The area’s first luxury hotel, Las Casas del XVI, will open in
November offering guests access to nine rooms and suites in newly
renovated houses dating back to the sixteenth century all located
within walking distance to area attractions. After all, as the oldest
city in the new world, Santo Domingo is home to the first church in
the Americas, countless museums, fine restaurants and vibrant
nightlife.

For more information visit www.casasdelxvi.com or call 713-528-7862.

The Samana Peninsula, a Secluded Undiscovered Hideaway

This longtime undiscovered hideaway of the French is as authentic a
Caribbean destination as they come. Spectacular beaches stretch for
miles with no developments in site, as mountain ranges provide the
perfect backdrop to a landscape teaming with natural wonders.
Offering guests a tremendous amount of privacy while still a close
distance to the lively, European influenced community of Las
Terrenas, Sublime Samana Hotel Residences, a 20-room boutique
resort located on six miles of private beachfront, is the area’s top
luxury hotel.

Located just outside of town, guests can take a 10-minute drive to
experience some local Dominican culture and fine French cuisine.
Between January and March, travelers can enjoy some of the world’s
best whale watching as Humpback whales arrive to mate.

With a new highway providing easy access from Santo Domingo and a new
JetBlue route from New York City directly into Samana’s El Catey
Airport, travel to the region is only expected to increase in 2014,
according to Bruno Gaudio, General Manager of Sublime Samana. Since
the JetBlue route’s November 2012 debut, flight occupancy has
increased by over 30% with 95% of the seats on the bi-weekly flights
booked today.

For more info visit www.sublimesamana.com or call 888-896-9416.

Sustainable Tourism on the Secluded Southwestern Coast

For eco-conscious travelers, there is no region of the Dominican
Republic more captivating than the Sierra Barahuco mountain range of
the Southwestern coast. While the region is quite a distance from the
island’s bustling tourist enclaves, it offers an ecological immersion
unlike any other with sustainable boutique hotels leading the trend
in green luxury.

Casa Bonita Tropical Lodge, a 12-room eco-lodge surrounded by the
area’s impressive mountain range overlooking the Caribbean Sea, is
the ideal retreat for those travelers looking to minimize their
carbon footprint and get away from it all. A thrilling canopy tour
takes guests flying along cables suspended beneath the jungle’s
towering trees and culminates at a hydroelectric plant situated on a
river that runs through the property and supplies the hotel with 30%
of its electricity. A large sustainable garden provides the produce
for use in the property’s restaurant and enchanting organic river
spa.

Area excursions include opportunities to tour nearby national parks
within the Jaragua, Bahoruco and Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve,
experience an organic coffee plantation, visit the Casa de Tarzan
(Tarzan’s House), Las Aguilas Bay, Oviedo Lagoon and Lake Enriquillo,
or explore caves with ancient tribal art.

For more info visit www.casabonitadr.com or call 800-961-5133.

        
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SOURCE: Prohotel International

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