Although Carnival 2010 started off to a slow start, it now seems to be in full swing. Cascadia Hotel expects to be fully booked by this Carnival weekend. Barry Bidaisee, general manager, Cascadia, said, "Carnival 2010 started off very slow. By the turn of November 2009, occupancy levels started to increase, the enquires started to come in much faster and started to transcend into actual bookings.
When compared to the previous year, by December 2008 we were 95 per cent sold out. By December 2009 to January 2010, we were at 85 per cent booked, which is about ten per cent below the previous period.
"By the third week of this January, there were more enquiries and bookings. We anticipate 100 per cent occupancy for Carnival 2010, despite the late start. I think we are moving forward," he said in an interview at the St Ann's last Tuesday. Last minute bookings are common around the Carnival period, Bidaisee said.
"The industry will show that last minute bookings normally take the occupancy levels to a favourable response." There is a wide cross-section of tourists who visit T&T's shores from all over the world for Carnival, according to Bidaisee. "North Americans will top the list, but we are seeing a mixture of Europeans, South Americans, which is a new market, and your regional business with visitors coming from Barbados, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, The Bahamas that come in and partake in Carnival."
Incentives for visitors
Describing the packages that are offered during this season, Bidaisee said Cascadia is offering as many incentives as possible to make them more attractive to the visitors. "We try to make our packages and incentives in terms of our packages in terms of the add on. We extend shuttle services between the hotel and the Queen's Park Savannah. We provide airport shuttle service. We offer you complimentary wireless service as well.
"Although it's Carnival, your international visitor needs to be connected. We try to make the package more affordable. We offer complimentary buffet breakfast to all our guests and we look at value for money." There is a wide range of tastes from visitors in their choices of venues for the Carnival season he said. "Our shuttle service is geared towards the hotel and Queen's Park Savannah. From there, people tend to move in their own direction, but you find that there is a wide cross-section of events that visitors go to, there's Kiddies' Carnival, then there are people who go to fetes and play mas. So people are looking for different aspects of Carnival."
Repeat tourists
Bidaisee said Carnival is important for the tourism sector as there is usually a high return rate. "That's what makes Carnival so interesting, the wide cross-section of visitors who come in to the destination and they have preference and choices on where they want to stay. "When you are tailoring your packages and prices, you have to cater all the markets segments who travel. Carnival is a high return visitor experience. People who stay at the hotel for Carnival have been doing it for the past five or six years, so the return clientele is great. "Some visitors when checking out on Ash Wednesday, they are already booking reservations for the following year; that's how fluid the market is. This is what sustains the industry, the return visitors for Carnival."
Aggressive marketing
Despite the fall in travelling around the world since the international economic crisis hit more than a year ago, he said T&T has to continue its marketing thrust. "The world has changed since 2008. Statistics will show you that the travel industry is down, but we are here and we've become very aggressive in our marketing in trying to attract new and different markets, like sports tourism, medical tourism, improving on the conventions market in Trinidad, trying to attract international events. In other words, to create a well-rounded tourism sector." Bidaisee said there is the need to improve T&T's tourism product to survive. "The market has become so aggressive, you have other competing destinations that are creating new tourism products. It becomes now an opportunity for the discerning traveller who has choices. So we have to tailor our packages and marketing campaign and we have to make sure that proper marketing is done and that our investments are great. "Marketing is not cheap. Tourism requires a lot of funding, reaching the right markets, getting into the right publications to attract international visitors. The product must be improved.
Boosting the tourism product
The average traveller does not travel to a destination because of the hotel; they travel because there is something to do. By creating new tourism products, new events making the destination more appealing to the international traveller." Bidaisee gave the example of this current Carnival season, which shows that T&T can hold its own. "Carnival 2010 is a perfect example. With more hotel rooms on the market in 2010 when compared to 2009, the occupancy levels are very much similar. There must be the need to continue to enhance the Carnival product, continue to market the Carnival product internationally and make it more appealing. There are other carnivals on the regional market we have to compete against. We must differentiate our product." Bidaisee said contemporary travellers now travel for special experiences. "People travel today for 'out of the box' events. People travel for wine, they travel for food. It's the concept now. Carnival is a very unique event that must be promoted."
Service: How may I help you?
Commenting on customer service in T&T, Bidaisee thinks that it has improved over the years. "It's good and on its way to becoming excellent. We don't want to be known for giving quality events like Carnival or having quality hotels, but giving horrible service. Service is what sells in the industry, the consumer buys service.
"We have went as far as co-ordinating service training, product training, how to deal with customers. We have a very successful hotel school here in Trinidad that turns out fantastic service-oriented, hospitality people. People remember how they were treated and that sells."
Bidaisee said T&T is making the right choice by investing in the tourism sector. "The return on tourism investment is great. We might not see it this year or next year, but the returns are significant. Tourism is the fastest growing industry in the world today. Even in the middle of the downturn of the economy, it is still considered a source of employment and revenue generator for many countries."
Bidaisee is confident the tourism industry will continue growing as a major revenue earner for T&T. "There is a lot that is going on from the Tourism Development Corporation (TDC) in ensuring that the industry remains on the radar. The energy sector and the tourism industry go hand in hand. The tourism industry is a foreign exchange earner and creates and a high level of employment. We have what it takes to have a vibrant tourism sector."