Online travel company Expedia revealed that it has achieved significant growth for the Caribbean region in 2011, with notable room night growth to Curacao, Turks and Caicos, Barbados, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. In the first three quarters of last year, revenue generated through Expedia by hotel partners in the Caribbean grew 8% in comparison with 2010.

In just the first three quarters of 2011, Expedia delivered over 1 million room nights to Caribbean hotels from across its brands, which include Expedia Worldwide, Hotels.com Worldwide, Hotwire, corporate travel company Egencia, and the Expedia Affiliate Network. 

While the Caribbean region broadly experienced the benefits of the added exposure and access to international markets provided by Expedia, some destinations in particular achieved notable net room night growth through Expedia in 2011:
• Curacao with 38% growth
• Turks & Caicos with 26% growth
• Barbados with 22% growth
• Dominican Republic with 13% growth
• Puerto Rico with nearly 10% growth

Expedia’s commitment to the Caribbean hotel industry is also reflected in the participation of the executive team at the Caribbean Marketplace, the most important industry event organized by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), from Jan. 22-24, 2012 in Paradise Island, Bahamas.

Expedia has also intensified its efforts in growing the non-US international demand for the Caribbean in 2011, resulting in notable room night growth on Expedia, Inc. sites in countries such as Brazil, Italy, the UK and Canada.

“Recent results affirm Expedia’s key role in the progress of international tourism to the Caribbean. We have become a key marketing and distribution partner for hotels and resorts in the region, as they obtain exceptional exposure with our international travel websites and the possibility of reaching 53 million visitors in a monthly basis”, said Marco Tagliatti, vice president of Lodging Supply for Latin America & Caribbean.

An important factor in the growth experienced by the hotels in the region is the packages channel that Expedia offers to hotels. By offering package rates through Expedia, hotels are able to secure exposure and demand for their property among vacation travelers who book hotel and air travel together without seeing the actual hotel rate or airfare alone. This means that hotels can manage their pricing strategy in their own commercial platforms, and be assured that s Expedia will never disclose the room rate its hotel partners offer in the packages channel.