St Lucia records serge in tourism bookings
The Expedia group has recorded significant increases in travel demand for properties of all-star levels on the island of St. Lucia.
Overall, demand increased more than 20 per cent in the first quarter of 2015 when compared to the same time last year.
Demand is even more significant for four and five star properties, with an increase year over year of approximately 25 per cent.
St. Lucia saw nearly 25 per cent increase in package bookings in the first quarter, and currently has a package share of 50 per cent.
Package bookings combine travel components like flights and hotel and are a boon to hotels as they generally feature twice the length of stay, twice the booking window and half the cancellation rate of a standalone (i.e. hotel only) booking.
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Mobile bookings, which have been growing in nearly all of the Expedia group’s markets, allow travellers to make their bookings on the go.
In St. Lucia, mobile share is now at nearly 25 per cent.
“St. Lucia has always been an important Caribbean destination for the Expedia group, and to highlight that we now have a dedicated team member based locally in St. Lucia,” said Demetrius Canton, director of lodging partner services for the Caribbean, the Expedia group.
“Between our global reach, technology investments and our local market presence, we’ve enhanced our ability to effectively serve our partners and support the continued growth of this destination.”
The Expedia group’s presence continues to grow within the St. Lucia market with more than 130 partners on the island, nearly 50 of them acquired this year.