This year, for Black Friday & Cyber Monday, more than two dozen accommodation providers and experiences in Saint Lucia are providing discounts of up to 80%. Offers include discounts on room rates, hotel upgrades, resort credits, Pitons cruises, cultural tours, nature excursions, and more.
The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority makes it easy for travellers to check out all offers with a dedicated Cyber Monday page at www.stlucia.org/cyber-Monday-specials, or visit www.stlucia.org and click Specials.
Saint Lucia is located in the southern Caribbean and is easily accessible from Canada with direct nonstop flights on Air Canada, WestJet, and Sunwing. There are no pre-travel Covid-19 requirements to enter Saint Lucia.
Most deals begin the week of Black Friday and end on Cyber Monday; offers and details vary.
Saint Lucia Black Friday/Cyber Monday Deals include
* BodyHoliday: Up to 35% off
* Coco Palm Hotel: Up to 50% off
* Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa: Save up to $400; airport transfers included
* Marigot Beach Club & Dive Resort: 40% off all room categories (except villas)
* The Landings Resort and Spa: Daily credit of 29%, $100 spa credit, daily breakfast
* Zoetry Marigot Bay, St. Lucia: Up to 80% off
Tours, Dining, and Excursion Deals:
* Barefoot Holidays: 20% off Flavors of Saint Lucia cooking tour
* Israel King Boat Tours: 20% off scenic cruises
* Natural Splendor Tours: 50% off Birdwatching and Southern Historical Tour
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. JIM BYERS PHOTO
AIR CANADA VACATIONS/AEROPLAN BLACK FRIDAY
Air Canada Vacations is offering up to 40% off great holiday packages for Black Friday, with deals on Mexico, the Caribbean & more. Book between November 17 and November 24, 2022, for travel between February 1 to April 30, 2023.
Air Canada’s Aeroplan also has a Black Friday bonus program. You can earn a 50% points bonus for economy class flights and vacation packages and a 100% bonus for business class or premium economy flights and packages. You also can get 5% points back, with at least 1,000 and up to 25,000 pts on eligible flight redemptions. Book by Nov. 27, 2002 for travel by June 30, 2023.
Playa Rincon is a magical beach in the Samana region of the Dominican Republic. JIM BYERS PHOTO
CANADIANS STILL IN LOVE WITH THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
In a visit that clearly acknowledged the importance of the Canadian market to the Dominican Republic, Minister of Tourism David Collado made his second visit to the country in just the past six months, meeting last week in Toronto with tour operators, airlines, agents and partners. His message was clear: Canadians are a key market for the Dominican Republic and the government is proactively working to support local partners. In addition, he presented recent statistics that tell a story of remarkable recovery and growth.
According to Collado, “the Dominican Republic is a favorite sun destination for Canadians. We had nearly 1,700 flights from Canada the first ten months of the year. A large source of traffic comes out of Ontario with a 97% increase this year over 2021. Canadian customer satisfaction remains very high with 9 out of 10 exit polls showing guests would return in future. Hotels and excellent beaches were the elements most often cited in customer satisfaction surveys.”
Punta Cana remains the favorite destination with current reservations up 20% over pre pandemic bookings. “We have just confirmed 500 additional flights into Punta Cana this winter. It is one of the most popular sun destinations out of Canada and we want to ensure that agents have inventory to sell,” added Collado.
The Minister acknowledged that while inflation has increased the cost of travel, only 7% of Canadians said they would cancel travel plans. They will, however, be seeking economical options.
“We are well positioned to cater to a price sensitive market because our packages offer excellent value. We have a high level of service, competitive pricing, and a reputation for safety and service. This all combines to make us highly competitive heading into the winter season.”
MASKS RETURN TO SOME CRUISE SHIPS
The PointsGuy website states that a couple of cruise lines have reinstated mask-wearing on some ships following a string of on-board COVID outbreaks.
“On November 17, both Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line reactivated their mask policies for Coral Princess, Majestic Princess, Grand Princess, Carnival Splendor and Carnival Luminosa, all of which are based in Australia and New Zealand,” the website says. “Royal Caribbean International is also now requiring passengers to wear masks on Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas, which are also sailing Down Under.”
