Sandals and travel agents team up to lure visitors

Sandals continues to boost the island’s exposure to the travel community with multi-state US conventions which are currently happening in key US tourism markets. More than 1500 travel agents attended the 2012 Sandals Resorts International’s “MORE Quality Inclusions” Convention in Atlantic City New Jersey to receive information on St Lucia and other Sandals destinations. Top travel agents including Chairman’s Royal Club members, Certified Sandals Specialists and Preferred Sandals Agency owners, as well as soon-to-be certified agents, attended a series of conferences and special events. Senior Vice-President of Sales, Gary Sadler, is of the view that the convention is a very critical part of marketing various Sandals destinations like St Lucia. “Travel agents continue to play a critical role in marketing the Caribbean despite the evolution of technology. “So we are updating them in these conventions on what’s new and exciting in St Lucia and the other islands where we operate fantastic luxury included products,” Sadler notes. Sandals employs nearly fourteen hundred St Lucians and operates three luxury hotels totaling 801 rooms and suites making it the largest tourism operator on the island.