Michelle Ruiz had a heart to heart traveling in the south of France for her annual summer getaway with her husband. But the rate of $ 5,000 per night in mid-July in Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat stopped it in its footsteps. Her husband suggested that they spend a vacation in the Caribbean instead and suggestedRock houseA luxury charm property in Negril, Jamaica. A high-end villa with a view of the ocean was available for around one tenth of the Grand-Hotel Prize: $ 574 per night.
Given its location on the side of the cliff and its access to swimming coves Azure, Rockhouse “it looks like it is in Europe “, explains Ruiz.” He would satisfy this desire to be rocky and picturesque, and would be at the beach without spending thousands of dollars per night “for accommodation alone. In addition, she adds, for $ 385 per person, she was able to reserve a five -day spa package which covers 50 -minute treatments daily; Massage at the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat. Including the New York plane ticket to Montego Bay, Ruiz says that all of his trip (less meals) will cost the five -star French icon to one night.
With more and more too expensive European hot spots, overcrowded and affected by the anti-tourism demonstrations that are preparing for a second summer, an increasing number of Americans exchange the Riviera and other parts of the Mediterranean for the islands which are closer to their home. Since April 10, the Caribbean had experienced a 26% increase in annual sliding of global summer reservations according to data provided exclusively in Bloomberg by theVirtuoso travel networkA collective of around 20,000 travel advisers.
And there is still a lot of time for people to take shape their summer plans. With more AmericansYou are looking to travel closer to youThe demand for Hot Hot Caribbean holidays seems ready to continue to grow until economic uncertainty persists. And in any case, summers in Europe are also increasingly hot – in July 2024, the coastal Mediterranean areas regularly reached 104F, while most of the Caribbean islands hovered below 90F. In addition, geopolitical tensions fear that Americans will face hot temperatures.
Enter the “Hot Caribbean” summer trend, as we call it. Yes, it's technicallyemerged in the middle of the pandemic. But its growth has recently been so clear that the Caribbean destinations have become two of the five most popular summer destinations for Americans, according to data from the aeronautical analysis companyCIRIRE. Using reservations in July of last year, he said that Mexico declared the most popular summer vacation destination for Americans overall by long -term shot, although its Caribbean coast is only part of its larger attraction. The Dominican Republic exceeded Italy and France to land in fourth place just behind Canada in the United Kingdom, which ranked second and third. A wider list of the 20 best destinations, shows Jamaica (n ° 13) and the Bahamas (n ° 17) ranking before the favorite Greece of Epped Greece (n ° 20). (Because the Cirium mainly uses retrospective data, the reservation models of summer 2025 will not be clear before fall.)
The main draw for Americans for the Caribbean: savings. The average daily rate in luxury hotels across the islands has decreased by 6% compared to 2024, according to virtuoso dataKayak. The strongest savings this summer, according to the company, are on the prices of small islands, such as Saint Barts (-31%), Bonaire (-28%) and Dominique (-17%).
And prices should continue to drop while the main American carriers and the airlines at reduced prices extended the service to the region. Among the new options: weekly non-stops in Punta CanadaOn Spirit Airlines(which started on March 20), an American Eagle route from Miami to South Caicos, andJetblueNew York Service in Bonaire, which started last November. Another 23 other destinations in the Americas and the Caribbean are now linked to each other on the new Dominican national carrierArajetwhich continues to add routes. Victor Pacheco, the founder and CEO of the airline, says that the prices (from $ 250) are “even more affordable than domestic trips” in some cases.
Fiona Simpson, a traveler based in Atlanta who works in sales, has made the Caribbean hot summer an annual tradition since 2021. She says that the value of her dollar goes much further in the Caribbean compared to other regions – by distributing the tasty cuisine of the region and high -level hospitality. “Even in the simplest restaurant on the beach, You get reflected service, ”she says. This year, for the 50th anniversary of her partner in July, she plans eight days inCay poultryAn all -inclusive private island station north of Grand Exuma in the Bahamas.
“I really thought it would be a crazy and crazy cost,” explains Simpson, noting that the total plane tickets, stays at the hotel and daily access to a boat offered by the station has come for less than $ 20,000. Holidays like that in Europe during the same dates would have cost much more, she adds.
There is also the convenience of shorter flights, without time difference. This is part of what attracted the editor of magazines based in Connecticut, Kristin Koch Kennedy, and his family, including four children aged six and eight – to spend a vacation in the Caribbean twice last summer. Another cost – for hotels and plane tickets. “We had the impression that we could save Europe when our children are a little older and that we can enjoy visits and things like that,” she said.
Jamaica, Ruiz, for its part, already dreams of what it will find in Negril in addition to the Mediterranean type landscape – namely the famous food and the music of the island. This is the type of cultural draw that she also seeks when he goes to Europe. The idea of all this is so tempting, she thinks of a trip before she even sets off on the island. Afterwards, everything, she says, the Rockhouse villas include a loft that could easily adapt to his family of four people. It is a little smaller than the premium oceanic view villa that it has reserved for July, but it has additional beds and – at $ 495 per night – it's an even better value.
This story was initially presented on Fortune.com
