A First-Hand Look at Some Desperation Deals

There’s been a lot of talk about tourism numbers contracting during the economic crisis, and plenty of observers—our own Rolf Potts included—have pointed out that for the budget traveler, with the travel industry running scared and handing out deals left and right, there’s no better time to hit the road than right now.

Still, until I arrived in Barbados this week and started making some bookings for a visit to Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent, I didn’t fully understand the extent of the bargains out there.

The first shock was in the flight booking: I landed a three-part, multi-city itinerary on LIAT—from Barbados to Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia to Saint Vincent, and from Saint Vincent back to Barbados—for $183 before taxes, and $333 all in. Sure, it’s no Ryanair rate. But keep in mind that LIAT isn’t a budget airline: it’s the Eastern Caribbean’s primary carrier, and nation-hopping by air in this part of the world is not generally considered to be an affordable activity. Instead of paying about $60 before taxes for each leg of my trip, I’d been expecting to pay between $80 (if I was lucky) and $100 (if I wasn’t).

Next up, hotels. I found a nice-looking, four-star boutique spot on Saint Lucia’s most popular strip; the cheapest rooms went for $155 in the peak season, and $125 in summer. But when I got a staffer on the phone, she announced that they’d just reduced their rates again—I wound up booking for just $90 per night. Dirt cheap? No. Great value, all things considered? Heck yes. I’ve paid more to stay in an Edmonton chain motel. Given the choice between suburban Alberta and coastal Saint Lucia, which would you book?

All this to say, the recession deals are real. Am I suggesting that the Eastern Caribbean is set to become a new backpacker hot spot? Well, no. But this part of the world often has an air of exclusivity about it, a sense that its tiny island nations are a playground for the rich. And often, to a large extent, that’s true. But right now, it’s anyone’s game.

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