Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/348155
B M & T ••• May/June 2014 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 22 CARIBBEAN CORNER MARTINIQUE PROMOTION BUREAU: AMERICAN AIRLINES EXPANDS SERVICE TO MARTINIQUE THIS SUMMER Experiencing the "Isle of flowers," with its magnificent Fort-de-France Bay, lush tropical rain forest and majestic Mont-Pelée volcano, will be made easier this summer thanks to American Airlines. Starting June 11 through August 13, 2014, American Airlines will launch an additional weekly non-stop connection from Miami to Martinique, featuring a departure and return on Wednesdays. The flight will supplement its weekly Saturday service from Miami to Fort-de-France, the island's capital. Martinique (FDF) – Miami (MIA) Day Flight No. Departure Arrival Wed-Sat 1243 3:30 pm 7:00 pm MIAMI (MIA) – MARTINIQUE (FDF) Day Flight No. Departure Arrival Wed-Sat 1243 11:20 am 2:50 pm MEET PUERTO RICO LAUNCHES " ESCAPE THE MEETING BLAH!" CAMPAIGN Campaign Provides Significant Rewards to Meetings and Incentive Planners Spring has sprung and what better way to get the season off to a running start than with Meet Puerto Rico' new Escape the Meeting Blah! campaign – rewarding meeting and incentive industry planners for booking groups at member hotels and resorts in Puerto Rico before May 30, 2014. Promotion bookings for groups of any size and meetings on any date will receive $15 per room night for their meeting in Puerto Rico if contract is signed during the promotion period. Also, meeting planners will be entered into a drawing to win one of five pre-paid $5,000 gift cards. In addition, as an extra incentive, meeting planners with confirmed bookings of 500 room nights or more, will be invited to a "knock-your-socks-off" rewards trip to Puerto Rico. "We offer the requisite rooms, conference offerings, state-of-the-art technology and airlift that are necessary to compete," said Milton Segarra , president and CEO, Meet Puerto Rico. "We also offer a culture rich destination providing the total immersion that planners are seeking. And, we are on a tropical island, in the Caribbean. No passport needed." The campaign also includes a built-in charitable donation to The Ricky Martin Foundation – a group that advocates for the well-being of children around the globe in crucial areas such as education, health and social justice. "We know that planners today want to provide experiential trips and to work with a destination active in Corporate and Social Responsibility," said Segarra. "Escape the Meeting Blah! Campaign provides that platform with friendly competition, built in CSR, and substantial rewards all wrapped up in a destination that offers experiences groups are seeking for a successful meeting. " Close to 30 hotels and Destination Management Companies (DMC) are participating in this year's first promotion. Escape the Meeting Blah! campaign is valid for bookings with signed contracts dated April 1 to May 30, 2014. This effort is the second Meet Puerto Rico branded promotion since its launch late last year. Meet Puerto Rico's 'Dial & Smile' campaign, a two-day selling event with hotel partners in November, produced 81 group bookings representing 48,258 room nights. The Escape the Meeting Blah! campaign is positioned to be even more successful. For more information on the participating hotel properties, contact Meet Puerto Rico at (800) 875-4765, or visit www.meetpuertorico.com. MILTON SEGARRA With the convenient schedule, visitors will be able to check-in to their hotel, villa or B&B and then head directly for one of Martinique's storied beaches or to a local restaurant for cocktails and dinner to enjoy a rum punch and to sample the island's distinctive Creole French cuisine and other culi- nary delights. Martinique, one of the true gems in the Caribbean, can also be reached four times weekly via San Juan, Puerto Rico on Seaborne Airlines Like those o f American Airlines, the flights are conveniently timed to allow easy connections from anywhere in the United States. Seaborne service can be booked through American Airlines on www.aa.com.