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 Love Letter from New Orleans
By Kathy Feeney
There are places to visit. And then there is New Orleans. At once spiritual and ribald, antique and artsy, spicy and sweet, New Orleans is a savory stew of sights, sounds, flavors and feelings. The clip clop of horses pulling carriages through the French Quarter mix with the soulful sounds of street musicians. Zydeco and rock music blare from the bars on Bourbon Street as the shrill whistles of trains trudging through the city blend with the baritone toots of steamboats sailing by on the Mississippi. This is the city of Mardi Gras, beignets, chicory coffee, Bananas Foster, Hurricanes (as in the drink, merci beaucoup) jambalaya, and jazz. The spirit of New Orleans makes you want to genuflect out of gratitude one minute and dance until dawn the next. There is and always will be only one New Orleans. And that is reason enough for the city’s infamous adage: “Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!” - “Let the Good Times Roll!”
Big Easy Primer
For an effortless introduction to the Big Easy, check out Gray Line Tours. The company’s “Super City“ offers a narrated overview of the city including a ride through the Central Garden District and a stop at a cemetery. Another good choice is Gray Line’s “Hurricane Katrina Tour.” The tour is not for “gawkers,” according to one guide, but for visitors who want to understand what happened during Hurricane Katrina. Participants will learn why the city was built on the Mississippi River and how the levees were breached. The tour travels through neighborhoods affected by the hurricane, such as Lakeview, Gentilly, New Orleans East, St. Bernard and the Ninth Ward.
Visit www.graylineneworleans.com
For more things to do in New Orleans check out www.foreverneworleans.com and www.24nola.com
Staying There
JAX FAX stayed at The Maison Dupuy Hotel located on the corner of Rue Toulouse and Burgundy streets in the French Quarter. With wrought iron balconies overlooking the boutique hotel’s tropical courtyard complete with a fountain and a heated swimming pool, the Maison Dupuy is a luxurious, yet functional respite for visitors and business travelers. Amenities include a 24-hour fitness room, valet parking, room service, voice mail and Internet access. The hotel’s award-winning restaurant, Dominique’s, features fine wines and a masterpiece menu. The Maison Dupuy offers a discount and an incentive to travel agents. According to Dana Crabtree, Reservations/Revenue Manager, “We will offer travel agents a special incentive (20% commission) to book during our slower periods and special discounts for themselves when they are visiting New Orleans.” Travel agents can call Crabtree direct at 504-648-6115. Rates at the Maison Dupuy Hotel vary with the season. During peak season in spring and fall rates, per room per night range from $129 to $239; summer season runs June through September with rates per room per night ranging from $89 to $169.
Call 800-535-9177 www.MaisonDupuy.com
Voluntourism in the Big Easy
For your clients interested in combining a trip to the Big Easy with volunteer opportunities, the Marriott and Renaissance Hotels of New Orleans have created the “Big Easy Spirit to Serve” program. Rooms are priced seasonally and range from $149 to $269 per night, based on double occupancy. The program was kicked off in April as part of National Volunteer Month, but the offer is valid year-round. Here are the details: Fifty dollars per night of the guests’ room rate will be contributed to New Orleans Habitat for Humanity to help in the revitalization of the Big Easy. Once reservations are confirmed, the Care Concierge at Marriott and Renaissance Hotels will provide recommendations of local volunteer organizations for guests who want to help in the rebuilding of New Orleans. Recommendations will be sent via email and the “voluntourists” will be supplied with breakfast for two to “keep them fueled throughout the day.”
“The Big Easy Spirit To Serve” program is available at the New Orleans Marriott, JW Marriott New Orleans, Marriott New Orleans at the Convention Center, Renaissance Pere Marquette and the Renaissance Arts Hotel.
Call 866.530.3763 and ask for rate code XXAU or visit www.neworleans.marriott.com
Getting There
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport offers 132 daily departures to 37 cities on 10 airlines, including Air Tran, American, Continental, Delta Air Lines, jetBlue, Northwest, Southwest and United.
Call 504-464-3547; www.flymsy.com
For New Orleans Fams and Commissionable Packages Information, call 800-672-6124; www.neworleanscvb.com and click on the “Just for Travel Agents” section for listings of commissionable packages and group fams.
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Crossing Jordan
By Kathy Feeney
 Perched in the heart of the Middle East, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a portal to the past and a celebration of the present. Visiting this ancient land is standing on the bank of the Jordan River where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. It is serenely floating in the Dead Sea and hearing the windy whispers of the sands of the Wadi Rum Desert where Bedouins still dwell in mountain caves.
Finding Jordan is strolling the cobbled roads of Jerash, the most preserved Roman city in the world, then feasting on humus and tabouli in a crowded restaurant served by a smiling waiter garbed in a flowing robe who may think you look as exotic as he does. It is gazing at the gigantic red rocks, tombs and temple facades of “The Lost City of Petra,” which was not known by the Western world until Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt discovered it in 1812 and was recently named as one of the “Seven Wonders of the World.” Jordan is sailing on the bright blue Red Sea, and asking your driver to “please stop!” the tour bus so you can take a photo of a herd of camels clomping alongside the highway.
Jordan’s city of Petra was the subject of a recent feature on ABC’s Good Morning America, as well as a score of other cable or network shows and websites such as A World of Wonders, Compulsivetraveler.tv and is among the highly recommended destinations on Frommer’s site as well as TripAdvisor matched by multiple reviews by actual travelers who have compared Petra for instance with Machu Picchu, finding that neither disappoints but both excite.
 Welcome to Jordan
“We are blessed with a country that is so unique in terms of archaeology, history, and unspoiled natural landscapes, not to forget that Jordan is the Land of the Old Testament and the birthplace of civilizations,” said Maha Khatib, Jordan’s Minister of Tourism & Antiquities, during her keynote address at the first-ever Jordan Travel Mart. The two-day event was hosted last February by the Jordan Tourism Board at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Center overlooking the Dead Sea. More than 250 suppliers and buyers representing North and Latin America attended the trade show. Jordanians JAX FAX met during the conference and traveling throughout the kingdom are eager to show off their country. The welcome mat is out and there is no better time for your clients to visit Jordan.
Accommodations
Overlooking the northern point of the Dead Sea, the Movenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea offers 10 different room styles, including beachfronts with a mountain view. The resort’s 358 rooms either have a balcony or terrace and offer amenities ranging from satellite television to minibars. In addition to its spectacular location, the hotel features a spa and gourmet restaurants. Rates per room per night based on two sharing a room range from $230 for a standard room to $450 for a beach room, including breakfast. Visit www.moevenpick-deadsea.com
Featuring views of mountains, desert, sunsets, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, the Mövenpick Resort & Residence Aqaba has 296 rooms, suites and apartments. The hotel offers six dining choices, an outdoor pool, a fitness facility, and water sports. Rates (valid until November 1, 2008) per room per night range based on two sharing a room from a standard room at $226 to a deluxe room at $283 depending on season and availability. Visit www.moevenpick-aqaba.com
Set on a cliff in Wadi Musa, just five miles from the entrance to Petra, the Taybet Zaman Hotel & Resort is equipped with an outdoor pool and comfortable rooms designed to look like caves. With 105 guest rooms and a royal suite, the resort resembles a village with shops selling pottery and other crafts, a bakery featuring Middle Eastern bread and pastries, a restaurant serving traditional Arabic specialties and a Turkish Bath. Rates per room per night include breakfast and start at $110 per person with a single supplement of $95; double rates per room per night at $220 with breakfast.
The hotel does not have a website, but responds to inquires at E-mail reservation@taybetzaman.com
The Grand Hyatt Amman is in the city’s business and diplomatic center and 30 minutes from Queen Alia International Airport. With 311 guestrooms, including 16 suites, the Grand Hyatt Amman offers amenities ranging from high-speed Internet connections to restaurants and bars to fitness and heath center and an indoor pool with a star-lit ceiling. Rates are per room per night based on two sharing a room and “vary from day to day based on the best rate of the day,” according to a hotel reservations spokeswoman, “however, a safe guide will be a Grand Room rate at $353. Rates are commissionable and special group rates are available. Visit www.amman.grand.hyatt.com
Getting There
JAX FAX flew Royal Jordanian direct to Amman from JFK. More than 20 other international carriers also fly into Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport, including British Airways, according to the Jordan Tourist Board. Flight time to Jordan the major European cities is about four hours. It takes about 30 minutes by taxi to reach the downtown Amman from Queen Alia International Airport and costs approximately $22. Royal Jordanian Airlines; www.rj.com
For more information, contact the Jordan Tourism Board 703-243-7404; E-mail info@visit jordan.com; www.visitjordan.com
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Nowhere but Nashville
By Kathy Feeney
 Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon played here. Ditto Virginia Patterson Hensley, Harold Ray Ragsdale and Harold Lloyd Jenkins. Their stage names - Minnie Pearl, Patsy Cline, Ray Stevens and Conway Twitty - made them household celebrities. But Nashville made them stars. The Music City has long been a catalyst to fame for country music performers, but today Nashville’s sound transcends its country music roots. “Nashville is certainly the home of country music, and because country music is here, there is the infrastructure of studios, songwriters, musicians, and engineers which has allowed music of all genres to flourish. From a rock scene garnering wide spread music industry attention to a Grammy winning Symphony Orchestra, Music City is truly living up to its name!” said Heather Middleton, Director of Public Relations for the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau. Pop, rock, bluegrass, jazz, classical, contemporary Christian, soul, and blues songwriters and singers represented by entertainers ranging from Bon Jovi to Matchbox Twenty and Jewel have launched Nashville’s status as an international music scene.
The Sound of Music
It’s appropriate that Nashville was settled on Christmas Eve in 1779. As friendly as Minnie Pearl’s signature greeting - “How-DEE!” - and as warm as a bowl of grits with melted butter, this gracious upbeat metropolis kindles the joy of the holiday spirit all year round. Visitors literally stroll the streets of Nashville to the sounds of music. The city has installed “Traffic Control Boxes” to orchestrate the stoplights and walk signs as well as to entertain pedestrians with a myriad of music. The traffic control box outside the Schermerhorn Symphony Center plays classical music and the one outside the Country Music Hall of Fame croons country tunes. During football season, other traffic boxes blast college fight songs and during Christmas time holiday music serenades the streets.
 Music Mile
In 1925, the city’s thriving music publishing industry was bolstered by the arrival of “The Grand Old Opry,” a weekly country music radio show that earned Nashville the title “Music City USA.” The Schermerhorn Symphony Center, which is home to the Award-winning Nashville Symphony, anchors the downtown portion of the city’s recently designated “Music Mile.” Described as “a symbolic stretch of roadway,” Music Mile connects the Symphony Center with Nashville’s music district, Music Row, the heart of Nashville’s entertainment industry.
Recording studios, record labels, music publishing houses, and radio stations are some of the businesses represented on Music Row. Tell your clients not to miss touring RCA’s Studio B where performers including Roy Orbison, Elvis, Dolly Parton, The Monkees and the Everly Brothers, to name just a few, recorded. Other places to see include the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (www.countrymusichalloffame.com), the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum (www.musicianshalloffame.com) and Ryman Auditorium (www.ryman.com)
Accommodations
JAX FAX stayed at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Nashville-Downtown. Within easy walking distance of the city’s shopping district and restaurants as well as attractions ranging from The Country Music Hall of Fame to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, the hotel is housed in a 1916-era building formerly a physicians office complex called “The Doctor’s Building.” Amenities include free breakfast, free Internet connection, a business center and a fitness center. The hotel is also pet friendly (call for pet rules and extra rates). Room rates are per room per night based on two sharing a room and go for $189 for a studio suite; $209 for a one bedroom king suite; and $219 for a two bedroom queen suite. Call 615-742-5550; www.homewoodsuites.com
Homewood Suites by Hilton is an expanding brand of all-suite hotels offering accommodations for travelers staying five or more nights, according to Brad Carmony, Director Brand Communications Homewood Suites by Hilton – Hilton Hotels Corporation in Memphis. Homewood Suites by Hilton has become so well associated with guest comfort that it sells its own selection of bedding, bath, and accessories including the “Body Cradling Feather Bed” and the “Down Comforter with Duvet Insert” at www.HomewoodCollection.com
For incentives visit www.hiltontravelagents.com
Getting There
The Nashville International Airport is six miles from downtown. The airport is serviced by Air Canada, American, American Eagle, Continental, Continental Express, Delta, Delta Express, Frontier Airlines, Midwest Express, Northwest, Skyway, Southwest, United Airways, US Airways and US Airways Express.
For information, contact the Nashville Convention Visitor Bureau, 800-657-6910; www.visitmusiccity.com
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Paradise Found: Naples, Florida
By Kathy Feeney
 Spectacular sunsets are serious business in Naples, Florida. Ditto white sand beaches, dancing dolphins, world-class golf courses, wonderful water sports and talented restaurant chefs ready to tantalize your taste buds. As those who live in Naples say, the only challenge with visiting this charming chic city on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico along Southwest Florida’s Paradise Coast is that you’ll eventually have to go home. But, to paraphrase another adage, it’s better to have experienced paradise than to have never been to paradise at all. So send your clients to Naples for the fun, adventure, and relaxation they’ve been wanting all winter long.
What to do in Naples
Located on the outskirts of Florida’s Everglades, the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Blair Audubon Center is just 25 minutes from downtown Naples. Home to the world’s last old growth bald cypress forest, the sanctuary is the world’s largest nesting site for the endangered wood stork. Other bird species as well as mammals and reptiles can be spotted from the center’s 2.25 mile boardwalk, which transports visitors through what many natives call “the real Florida’’ of upland, wetland and cypress forest habitats. Visit www.corkscrew.audubon.org
Your clients can both watch playful dolphins and contribute to scientific research during a trip with Captain Chris Desmond and crew aboard the Dolphin Explorer. Owned by Sea Excursions, Inc., the boat cruise offers a new take on the dolphin sighting experience. The trip is lead by a dolphin researcher and passengers participate in Sea Excursions’s dolphin project, which identifies and tracks the movements of resident dolphins around Marco Island, Naples’s next-door-neighbor. Visit www.seaexcursions.com
 Shoppers can stroll Fifth Avenue Florida style in Naples to find upscale and unique boutiques, art galleries and clothing stores as well as wonderful restaurants. Other shopping choices include Tin City, which features nautical gifts; the elegant Waterside Shops and The Village on Venetian Bay, both in North Naples; and Prime Outlets, a bargain hunter’s favorite haunt located halfway between downtown Naples and Marco Island. Visit www.ParadiseCoast.com
The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens is located within a 52-acre old growth botanical garden. Botanist Dr. Henry Nehrling planted the garden in 1919. All of the zoo’s primates live cage free on islands in a large lake. Boat tours transport guests through the lake up close to the primate’s island homes. Visit: www.napleszoo.com
Author John Villani named Naples as “The No. 1 Small Art Town in America” in his book “The 100 Best Art Towns in America.” There are at least 130 art galleries in the greater Naples area, including the home and studio of famed black and white nature photographer Clyde Butcher. Visit: www.clydebutcher.com
The world class Philharmonic Center for the Arts is home to the Naples Philharmonic and the Naples Museum of Art. The center and the area’s nationally recognized art festivals has landed Naples on the map as a cultural destination. Visit: www.thephil.org.
January through April is peak season for visitors, according to the Naples, Marco Island, and Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau. From May through December, travelers can find great deals on hotels, because rates drop by one third to one half compared to peak season.
Where to Stay
Accommodations available in Naples range from cottages to condos and hotels to resorts. JAX FAX stayed at The Inn of Naples, which is within easy access of area attractions and less than three miles from the city’s upscale Fifth Avenue shopping and dining district. Billed as a “boutique family resort,” the Inn of Naples is comfortable and charming with its Mediterranean style exterior architecture. Amenities include refrigerators, meeting facilities, free parking, private balconies, a fitness center, free in-room wireless High-Speed Internet access, and free local and 800 calls. The inn offers 63 standard and deluxe rooms and 36 one-bedroom suites; all non-smoking and all with private balconies. Depending on room and season, rates range from $169 to $269. Call 800-895-8858; www.innofnaples.com
At the Naples Grande Beach Resort, guests stay in an 18-story tower featuring 395 recently refurbished luxury guestrooms and 29 tower suites with balconies overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The resort also has 50 Bungalow Suites. Dining choices at the Naples Grande include poolside at the Palm Terrace Pool Bar and Grill and the Strip House, a signature steakhouse restaurant. Recreational activities range from playing one of the resorts 15 Har-Tru clay tennis courts to water sports including sailing, windsurfing, and aqua cycles. The Naples Grande Golf Club offers 18-holes of championship golf designed by golf architect Rees Jones. And at the Golden Door Spa at Naples Grande, guests can find themselves in a “Zen-inspired haven of relaxation amidst paradise, featuring 12 Asian-style treatment rooms, a relaxation area, sauna, steam, and eucalyptus rooms.” Rates vary with room and season starting from $249.
Call 800-247-9810; www.NaplesGrandResort.com
Another excellent choice is the Marco Beach Ocean Resort on Marco Island. Dubbed the “boutique Ritz,’’ by local residents, the resort features a spa and fitness center, a pool, and five miles of white sand beachfront. Accommodations feature 83 one-bedroom and 15 two-bedroom suites. The resort is a AAA Four-Diamond Award winner and offers casual and fine dining. Sale e Pepe is the resort’s signature restaurant. Graced with Renaissance art and architecture, the restaurant features the menus of Chef Alberto Varetto, who was born in Torino, Italy. Depending on the room and the season, rates range from $239 to $1,400. Call 800-260-5089; www.marcoresort.com
Getting There
Southwest Florida International Airport, the region’s largest airport, is just 30 minutes to the north of Naples in Ft. Myers. Fort Lauderdale International is 90 minutes from Naples and Miami International is two hours from Naples. The airport’s new Midfield Terminal offers daily flights on Southwest Airlines. Air charters and aerial sightseeing tours are available out of Naples Municipal Airport. Visit: www.flynaples.com
Call 800-688-3600; www.ParadiseCoast.com
A Postcard from Naples, Florida
Debi DeBenedetto wants you to visit Naples and its surrounding neighbors. “(Our) staff is eager to assist you with travel planning for your clients, site visits, and other requests as needed,” said DeBenedetto, Travel Industry Sales and Marketing Manager for the Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We are not currently offering a formalized travel agent destination specialist program for Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades, but we will work with you to provide the best client experience possible in our destination.”
The Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades region is “a beautiful and safe year round destination,” for all of your clients, according to DeBenedetto. From travelers who adore outdoor adventure to families seeking the perfect beach vacation to couples wanting a golf getaway or a destination wedding, the Naples area offers it all. “Accommodations range in price from budget to five star and everything in between. Most properties offer travel agent commission of at least 10%,” said DeBenedetto. “Don’t forget that Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades is a featured destination on the Visit Florida Rewards agent miles program. Be sure to log in bookings for any of our destination’s participating hotels and resorts to earn your miles! Visit Florida also offers a Florida Vacation Specialist program.”
Call 239-403-2379; E-mail Debi DeBenedetto at debide@colliergov.net; www.paradisecoast.com
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CITE Report from The Caymans
By Kathy Feeney
 The Cayman Islands Tourism Exchange (CITE) presented a forum for 25 Cayman Islands tourism operators to meet with 29 international wholesalers April 26 through April 28, 2007 at the Ritz-Carlton on Grand Cayman to provide wholesalers with updates on travel products within the Caymans.
CITE Highlights
Among the highlights of the three-day trade show were a welcome reception at the Governor’s House, hosted by Governor of the Cayman Islands, Stuart Jack (right); business sessions; island property inspections; a snorkel trip; an evening party at Pedro St. James; and a closing reception hosted and sponsored by the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism at Boatswain’s Beach. The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, Cayman Airways and the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman were among the sponsors of the show.
 Among the Top Five Dive Spots
More than 260,000 visitors arrived in the Cayman Airlines via airline flights and 1.9 million visited the islands on cruise ships during 2006, according to the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism. A British Overseas Territory in the Western Caribbean Sea, the Cayman Islands are only 480 miles – or about an hour - south of Miami. Part of the Cayman Ridge, an underwater mountain range, the Cayman Islands are comprised of Grand Cayman, the largest island, and its sister islands Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Set on the edge of the Cayman Trench, the deepest section of the Caribbean Sea at more than four miles deep, the trio of islands is famous for more than 250 exceptional scuba dive sites.
Consistently named among the top five dive and snorkel destinations in the world, the Cayman Islands are blessed with turquoise blue water dotted with shallow reefs and dive spots featuring sting rays, a 330-foot Russian frigate, and a wall of sponges and coral with such diverse names as Bloody Bay Wall, Stingray City, Devil’s Grotto, Three Sisters, Nancy’s Cup of Tea, and Splitsville. For more information about diving here, visit www.divecayman.ky
Natural and Human Encounters
The recently completed Boatswain’s Beach marine park on Grand Cayman offers guests a meeting with more than 11,000 turtles, including one that weighs nearly 600 pounds. Visit www.boatswainsbeach.ky.
Visitors also flock to the Caymans for fishing, golf, kayaking, bird watching (the islands are home to more than 200 species of birds), dining, cruising, and shopping as well as destination weddings. From traditional hotel or church weddings to exchanging vows on a beach to saying “I Do,” during an underwater dive in coral gardens, the Cayman Islands offers a diversity of celebratory spots.
Accommodations
Jax Fax stayed at the Sunshine Suites Resort Grand Cayman, which is 200 yards across the street from the island’s famed Seven Mile Beach. The hotel features studio, deluxe and one-bedroom suites with tropical decorations and plantation shutters. After a welcome rum punch or fruit punch, guests are invited to take a dip in the hotel’s freshwater pool or order more refreshments in the hotel’s Sunshine Bar & Grill Restaurant. Rates range from $250 to $295 for a one-bedroom suite. Visit www.sunshinesuites.com
Other choices include the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman and the Westin Casuarina Resort Grand Cayman, which is directly on Seven Mile Beach.
The Cayman Diving Lodge on Grand Cayman is being rebuilt due to the devastation the islands experienced during Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. The lodge will be the first totally green building in the Cayman Islands. Slated to open in 2009, the new structure will feature solar panels on the roof and will be crafted from recycled materials. Visit www.divelodge.com
Getting There
Cayman Airways is the national airline and services direct flights to Chicago, New York, Miami, Orlando and Tampa. On June 24, 2007, Cayman Airways began non-stop service from New York’s JKF Airport to Grand Cayman. And this winter, the direct flights will increase up to five flights per week. Visit www.caymanairways.com
Other airlines operating service to the Cayman Islands include American Airlines, Continental, Delta, US Air, Northwest, British Airways, Air Canada and Air Jamaica. For more information about the Cayman Islands visit www.caymanislands.ky
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Martinique, “Isle of Flowers” Sees Surge in Arrivals
By Kathy Feeney
 The Caribbean’s “Isle of Flowers,” Martinique, welcomed more than 500,000 visitors in 2006, representing a four percent spike over 2005 including a five percent rise in U.S. visitors. Last year, Martinique implemented a $1.2 million marketing campaign in the U.S.market. “We are planning to increase that budget by 15% in 2007,” said Muriel Wiltord, Director USA & Latin America for the Martinique Promotion Bureau.
This marks the fourth straight year visitor arrivals to Martinique have increased as new hotel developments, expanded air service and innovative marketing initiatives have combined to grow the island’s popularity the world over.
Historically one of the leading tourist destinations for Europeans, Martinique has held “best kept secret” status among U.S. travelers for years. More than 10,000 Americans traveled to Martinique in 2006, a five-percent increase over 2005 according to Wiltord.
Access and Attractions
“We’re pleased with the results for 2006, but we’re not resting on our success,” said Wiltord. “This year should be even better, especially for visitors from the U.S. who can now get to Martinique more easily than ever before thanks to Delta’s new nonstop service from Atlanta and expanded American Eagle service from San Juan. Combine that with our usual wonderful events, unique culture, great food and rum, ecotourism and expansive hotel inventory with over 4,000 rooms and it’s clear that 2007 is the year to visit Martinique.”
Wiltord also mentioned Martinique’s newest attractions. Aqualand, a great waterpark, located in Carbet along the Carbet River is a favorite for families as well as Mangofil, a complex located in Trois-Ilets, offering fun and safe canopy tours. In Saint Pierre the state-of-the-art Earth Science Discovery Center, offers inter-active exhibits that explains earth and volcano activity. Also, Martinique is known as the Island of Flowers and many gardens open their doors to visitors. One of the latest and most beautifully arranged, Les jardins de l’anse Latouche, is part of a 17th century plantation home located in Carbet.
About Martinique
Martinique is 55 miles long and 22 miles wide. Two-thirds of the island is designated as protected park land. The island is touted as "a little bit of France in the Caribbean" because of its excellent food, sophisticated style and melodic language. Wiltord attributes the island’s success to its characteristic flavor. “Martinique is an original product in the Caribbean, combining authenticity and diversity with the comfort you would find at home. The road network is exceptional. It is an island with flair. The cuisine is superb; the cultural heritage rich and diverse. It is a piece of France right next door.” For more information contact the Martinique Promotion Bureau, 212-838-6887; fax 212 838 7855; E-mail: info@martinique.org; www.martinique.org
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