Primed for Success Volume 3

Diversifying Destination Management

Familiarity is the face of destination management, as firms within this sector leverage their relationships and purchasing power to provide the highest quality service in a cost-effective manner. In Antigua and Barbuda, this holds true for one of the region’s most successful destination management companies. Established in 1973, Carib World Travel started as a family-owned business in volcano-ravaged Montserrat.

Initial exposure to the travel industry came for Pamela Arthurton, Co-owner and Managing Director, while working for LIAT in Montserrat. Some years later, she was given the opportunity to manage the operations, which had been taken over by British West Indies Airways (BWIA) Limited. With this, she entered the airlines industry as an incoming agent, handling passenger bookings out of Montserrat; and with that, Carib World Travel was born. “We started our business serving charter flights out of Montserrat, before becoming the General Sales Agent (GSA) for Pan American (Pan Am) World Airways,” recounted Pamela. With her background in the airline industry and her passion for success, the boutique travel agency was destined for success, but not without challenges. “One of the greatest trials we faced came when Pan Am went out of business in 1976. That was like my world coming to an end because the first place the airline pulled out of was Antigua.” Carib World Travel still continued to be the airline’s GSA, but there were no flights going to Antigua, which meant a decrease in business. This gave Pamela the motivation to apply for International Air Transport Association (IATA) accreditation, allowing the company to represent all airlines. Eventually business started to expand for Carib World Travel and the Montserratian economy was also seeing increased growth. But another challenge was on the horizon, or in this case the Atlantic. In 1992, Hurricane Hugo hit Montserrat causing wide spread destruction and devastation. “Hurricane Hugo destroyed 99.9% of Montserrat, and to compound matters, our insurance company also declared bankruptcy. But throughout this ordeal we came to appreciate the saying ‘good credit is sometimes better than money in the bank”.

With help from Barclays Bank PLC, Pamela was able to rebuild and re-open the company, but three years later, the eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano caused another set back. “This was by far our biggest hurdle. My husband Percy and I were both self-employed and therefore had some choices to make. So with the encouragement of the airlines in Antigua we decided to relocate there.” In 1996 Carib World Travel relocated to Antigua and Barbuda. In the aftermath of the Volcano, the British Government contracted the company to undertake the evacuation process. This propelled the business into a new direction and provided the cash flow that was needed to re-establish operations. This experience also prepared Carib World Travel for the ground handling aspect of the travel industry. The company expanded with another office in Antigua and Barbuda, and branches in St. Kitts and Nevis, and Baltimore in the United States. However, the move away from retail travel services and the growth of online bookings saw the company’s operations consolidated to its current single location. “In retrospect, these challenges were in fact opportunities to diversify our business. We had our share of ups and downs, but they gave us a chance to think more seriously about taking a different approach in the competitive travel industry, while exploring other alternatives that would complement our business.” In addition to air travel and ground handling, Carib World Travel varied their operations by becoming a Western Union outlet, as well as a Federal Express and LIAT Quikpak drop-off point. Further, with the recommendation from a company in Barbados, Carib World Travel was invited to become a member of Virtuoso - a network of the world’s finest travel agencies with knowledgeable advisors who have global connections with the best hotels, cruise lines,

Primed for Success / Vol. 3 / 2014-2015

www.carib-export.com

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