Martinique May Newsletter

US Tour Operators on Martinique field trip. © Martinique Promotion Bureau	Martinique welcomes Travel Impressions, Tourico Holidays, American Airlines Vacations, Vacation Travel Mart, Travelocity and France.com. This spring, the Martinique Promotion Bureau / CMT USA hosted two groups of US tour operators on field trips, in order to update them on the Martinique tourist products, have them meet with the hoteliers, ground operators and develop their Martinique offer. Global feedback is that they loved it, found Martinique to be a unique, diverse, fantastic destination which offers a nice combination of French culture and lush typography. Click here to read a letter that Mrs. Theresa Gatta, Senior Director Caribbean Team at Travel Impressions, wrote during her stay in Martinique, in order to share her appreciation of the destination with travel agents attending a Martinique/ Travel Impressions seminar that same day.

Journalists on Soul of Martinique press trip. © Martinique Promotion Bureau	The Soul of Martinique Press Trip Last May, Martinique Promotion Bureau hosted a Travel Industry press trip organized around Emancipation Day commemoration on May 22. Publications such as Caribbean Travel and Life and Island Life were represented. The journalists visited Martinique, following a cultural/heritage oriented program put together for this occasion. Make sure to check your local newsstand!

Martinique Sunset - © Luc Olivier Club Med - © Luc Olivier Le Belem Restaurant - © Cap Est Hotel	Martinique New Theme Packages Are you looking for the perfect Caribbean romantic gateway for your clients? Think about Martinique, the Caribbean island with a French romantic twist! From lavish 5-star Relais et Chateaux property with a Spa from Guerlain, 4-star hotel from ACCOR chain with a category of rooms right on the beach, a very upscale Club Med Village located on its own peninsula, to charming small boutique hotels, different options awaits your Honeymooners clients. HONEYMOON: Click here for Martinique special Honeymoon packages at Cap Est Lagoon Resort and Spa, Bakoua Hotel and Plein Soleil Hotel. Click here for a special "Pay half for your better half" promotion at *Club Med. CULINARY:* Martinique boasts a vibrant and eclectic culinary scene with local and international chefs elevating gastronomy to an art form. Traditional French cuisine is widely available through-out the island and rivals that found in Paris, but what really sets Martinique apart is its Creole flair. A sublime blend of African, Indian, European and Caribbean flavors, Martinique's Creole culinary creations keep visitors coming back again and again. The Martinique Promotion Bureau is glad to announce the very first ever culinary theme package from the US, with the cooperation of the tour operator Tour de Forks! This exquisite culinary trip is scheduled from August 26 to 31and will feature a culinary demonstration, a visit of the traditional Fort de France market, rum distilleries tour, delightful meals, a catamaran full day excursion and much more! Click here to learn more about the program and how to book for your clients.

Martinique representatives at the
Caribbean fair. © Martinique Promotion Bureau

Martinique at the 2009 Caribbean Week in NYC

June 9 to 12 was the official Caribbean Week in New York, organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization. The Martinique Promotion Bureau team, under the hospitality of Mrs. Marie-Line Lesdema and Mrs. Lise N’Guela, Vice Presidents of Martinique’s Regional Council and Official Representatives from the Martinique Tourism Authority, participated in several events: The Caribbean Fair, the Caribbean Treats Rum and Rhythms event, the Destination Wedding/Honeymoon travel agent seminar, the Caribbean Media Marketplace.

Martinique was also featured on CBS News Monday morning plaza for the kick off Caribbean Week; a Caribbean Tour de Force!

Martinique Major Upcoming Event: Tour des Yoles

Festivities are to the Caribbean as fish are to the sea – one simply cannot exist without the other. In Martinique, the analogy is taken one step further when “la fête” and sea are brought together for a celebration unlike any other, the famed Yawl Boat Race (Tour des Yoles Rondes). A yearly highlight of the Martinican social calendar, the Yawl Boat Race will be contested this year between July 26 and August 2, literally encircling the Isle of Flowers with the boundless spirit of carnival, replete with pulsating rhythms, prodigious libations and nonstop parties.

Click here to learn more.