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UPDATED: Connection to previous BFP article. Scroll to bottom.
I couldn't believe the air-included package price New York City to Barbados as shown on Linda Thomkin's My Barbados Blog – so I wrote her about it.
Here is my email to Linda and her response…
————– Original message ———————-
From: Marcus – Barbados Free Press <barbadosfreepress AT yahoo.com> This email was transmitted via barbadostravel.squarespace.com. Sender: Marcus – Barbados Free Press
Reply To: barbadosfreepress AT yahoo.com
———————————————————————-
Linda My Darling
(wait for it! 🙂 )
On your blog you have your Barbados South Coast September Special.
Now, the way I read this thing is that for $449 from New York city, a person would get 7 nights at the Coconut Court – including air fare and breakfast.
Is this true?
I see this on your website…
Package Includes:
– Round-trip midweek air to Barbados
– Transportation to and from hotel
– Accommodations for number of nights selected
– Hotel taxes and service charges
– PLUS… $300 Air credit per person, per stay – 6th & 7th Night FREE
– Full American Breakfast daily
– All for New York – Kennedy – 7 Nights – $449
Are you shinin' me on?
How is this happening? Tell me and we will post an article. As well – I'll load my sister's whole family up from new york city and have them all down for September.
What is the story?
Marcus
To: "Marcus – Barbados Free Press" <barbadosfreepress AT yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Can't Be True!
Yes, it's true! The info is time sensitive, and they can pull at anytime, but as of today, it is still in effect.
Lord have mercy, I wish I could go at that price, but I'm snowed under with travel request, and need to make some $$$$$.
I will keep you posted if the special becomes unavailable.
Linda Thompkins, Owner/Travel Consultant
Travel 2 the Caribbean Agency
http://www.travel2thecaribbean.com
UPDATED: Connection to previous BFP article?
Is this travel deal related to our previous article "Barbados Government Agency Promoting Tourism By Selling Below Cost… Really"…?
Can anyone assist?
Adrian Loveridge Chimes In
From Adrian's June 20, 2006 letter to The Nation News (link)…
"Hotel executives lauded it (Best Of Barbados) as a programme that helped to keep properties in Barbados open while there were closures and lay-offs in other destinations."
In fact, between 2002 and 2004, Barbados lost one in seven, 14 per cent or a staggering 2 000 jobs in its tourism industry. They still haven't been recovered, five years on.
And Barbados Tourism Auhority president Stuart Layne said that contrary to criticism in some quarters, there was no net-outflow of revenue associated with the Best Of Barbados package. If you sell a product below its actual worth, of course there is a net-outflow.
Compare tourism revenue generated from tourism in three of our key markets over the last five years, United Kingdom, Canada and the United States and you will see that we have not even kept abreast of inflation.
In simple terms no real growth!
Discounting does not drive loyalty business. It merely attracts the most fickle of traveller and the market segment least likely to return to the destination, unless the price is right.
Read the whole letter here.
Barbados Free Press 