St. Maarten/New York- St. Martin are once again among the select destinations in the Caribbean that made the prestigious list of TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards winners for 2009. Hotel Esplanade Caraibes in Grand Case was ranked number 7 in the region among the Best Hidden Gems of the Caribbean and Mexico. The Inn on the Bay, at Marigot Bay, in St. Lucia won top honors in this category which was dominated by Mexico. Bonaire's Deep Blue View Intimate Resort came second and also placed at number 27 among the Best 100 Bargains in the World.
Dubbed "The only honors representing the unbiased opinions of millions of real travelers, awarded by the world's largest travel community," TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards made its debut last year when Philipsburg, St. Maarten was ranked as the 3rd Best Vacation Destination in the World, and the number one in the Caribbean.
Commissioner of Tourism, Mr. Roy Marlin, welcomed the spotlight the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards continues to shed on St. Martin. Noting that this is the second year in a row that the online travel community has chosen the island, Marlin stressed that "this is welcome news, especially at a time when the industry is reeling under the world economic and financial meltdown."
Director of Tourism, Regina LaBega, said she could not but notice the fact that this year, the focus has been on resorts while last year's inaugural awards was based on the destinations.
"This is indeed a welcome development amidst the doom and gloom we are facing. When over 10 million real travelers make their choices known through an award like the TripAdvisor's, we can only see this as the true Travel Oscars," she remarked.
"I consider it also a wake up call for all our properties to modernize, improve their service levels and offer their guests a lifetime experience, if they are to be considered among the best in the region and in the world," LaBega added.
In general, the Caribbean had an outstanding performance among the top regions in the world, being ranked in about half of the categories covered by the Awards.
Jamaica could be considered the top performer in the Caribbean in this year's awards, with The Caves in Negril rated number one in the Top 10 Best All-Inclusive in the World, in which category the Caribbean alone took half of the honors.
Two resorts in the Caribbean also made the Top 10 Best for Romance in the World, with the Caves in Negril ranked third and the Golden Tulip Bucuti Beach Resort & Tara Beach Suites in Oranjestad, Aruba at number 8. Nine of the World's 100 Best Luxury resorts are in the Caribbean, with The Caves in Negril, Jamaica again in the top 5.
According to a report in the South Florida Caribbean News.com, Hugh Riley, interim secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, commenting on the awards said, "TripAdvisor's ‘Traveler's Choice' Awards are of particular importance to the Caribbean as they reflect the unfettered opinion of our guests without provocation or persuasion."
"We want to impress our guests with an authentic Caribbean experience that can't be duplicated elsewhere in the world, whether they are looking for the perfect family, romantic or luxury getaway. This recognition proves that we are doing that and we thank our loyal guests for making their voices heard on our behalf," the online information source quoted the CTO scribe as stating.