Sharing Our Latin American Knowledge with the Caribbean Tourism Industry

Recently, our Senior Strategist Jackie Santiago held an interactive presentation at the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s Annual Caribbean Week NY 2024. Held at the InterContinental in NYC’s Times Square, the room was filled with leaders, policy makers, changemakers, learners and doers from Barbados to Jamaica, Anguilla, the Islands of the Bahamas and beyond. Jackie spoke to the room on CIIC PR’s strategic insights and opportunities on the importance of Latin America for the Caribbean. 

As the exclusive U.S. agency for LatamPR and having worked with Latin American clients for nearly 30 years as a firm, CIIC knows a thing or two about the nuances of the market, and have recapped our learnings and insights to share with a wider audience.

While all of this information applies to the Caribbean, it can certainly be used for other markets such as the U.S and European markets interested in attracting LATAM travelers. 

WHY INVEST IN LATIN AMERICA

Tourism Growth and Statistics

  • Latin America boasts a diverse economy with emerging markets and a growing middle class. The region offers abundant investment opportunities and a burgeoning tourism sector.

  • Traveling has transitioned from being a privilege exclusive to only a few, to becoming accessible to a more diverse range of people from various backgrounds.

  • The Latin America travel and tourism market is projected to expand significantly between 2023 and 2028, with its size anticipated to increase from USD 49.50 billion in 2023 to USD 64.42 billion by 2028 (Mordor Intelligence, 2023).

HOW TO INVEST IN LATIN AMERICA

The Foundation

  • Define your markets: When it comes to the Latin American countries with the most travelers to destinations abroad, the 3 top players are Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, according to the most recent Statista (2023).

  • Understand what LATAM travelers want: LATAM travelers are more prone to book packages, e.g. hotels bundled with transportation.

  • Speak their language: Ensure Social Media channels and websites are set up in both English and Spanish, Portuguese for an added bonus.

  • Make them feel welcome: Provide training for staff at airports, hotels, bars and restaurants.

  • Survey them: Invest in surveys to understand your destination’s positioning within your defined target markets. Leverage the importance of travel agents.

HOW TO TELL YOUR STORY

Public Relations Strategies and Tips

  • Invite the press: Opportunity to generate impactful editorial features to drive sales.

  • Be seen: Attend conferences in target regions to build relationships with key players.

  • Work with influencers: Influencers are KEY! Exposure, engagement and content.

  • Host Events: Invite media, influencers and brand partners.

  • Sponsorships/Partnerships: Understand the market you’re targeting and build a strategic partnership plan around that.

  • A Pay for Play component should be part of your communications plan.

THE LATAM TRAVELER’S PREFERENCES

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Latin American travelers have a wide range of interests and motivations for travel, which contributes to the diversity and dynamism of the travel market.

  • Seamless and convenient travel

  • Prefers sustainable, eco-friendly tourism

  • Interested in tailor-made packages, including wellness and culinary experiences

  • Attends conferences, meetings, and events in other cities/countries

  • Visits family-friendly attractions like theme parks and natural parks

  • Workations and digital nomadism

THE LATAM TRAVELER PROFILE

  • Average travel duration: Typically spend 9 days on trips to global destinations. Travel lengths vary from 5 days to 14 days or more, with 7, 10, and 12 days being the most popular choices.

  • Investment: Travelers generally spend between USD 1,500 and USD 3,000 per person on accommodations and services, excluding airfare.

  • Key transit hubs: Major connecting flights are routed through Panama City, Lima, Bogota, and Miami. New York and other eastern U.S. airports have also become more popular recently.

  • Accommodation preferences: All-inclusive resorts and boutique hotels to vacation rentals.

  • Technology use: There is an increasing use of online travel platforms and mobile apps, simplifying access to information, booking, and itinerary management.

CTO, a sincere thank you for having us in NYC. The impact, passion and knowledge the organization bands together is exceptional. We look forward to next year. 

CIIC PR