Sandals Resorts has launched a new incentive programme and competition for qualified travel agents to boost the sales of upgraded wedding packages at its Caribbean resorts.

The Sell and Celebrate incentive will see agents receive a 50 high street voucher for every upgraded package sold for destination weddings at Sandals Resorts.

Agents who sell the upgraded packages can send the information to their local Sandals Business Development Manager with details on the booking and any tips and advice for other travel agents. These entries will then be entered into a national draw with a fantastic prize of a seven-night break at any Sandals Resort up for grabs.

Sandals Resorts are a popular choice for couples getting married abroad and the company has a wide choice of properties that offer all inclusive, upscale accommodation and picturesque Caribbean settings.

Beach weddings are a favourite and these can be enjoyed at any Sandals Resorts across Jamaica, St. Lucia, The Bahamas and Antigua.

Brides and grooms who are looking to splash out for their weddings abroad can choose from a range of themed Sandals Weddings by Martha Stewart including Flutter of Romance, Seaside Serenade, Island Paradise, Vision in White and Chic & Natural.

Couples can also choose the customisable Sandals’ standard WeddingMoon package which offers the perfect excuse to extend the celebrations of Caribbean weddings and stay on for a romantic honeymoon while enjoying all inclusive programmes, luxury facilities and fu activities at Sandals Resorts.

Destination weddings can be tailor-made to suit the individual requirements of the bride and groom and with the help of the wedding guru Martha Stewart, they can choose everything from the resort destination, the idyllic setting for their ceremony, accommodation, wedding dcor, cake, flowers, and the colour scheme.

Travel agents have until 31st May, 2012 to take advantage of the incentive and in addition, Sandals Resorts will be launching the Catch the Bouquet competition where one beautiful floral arrangement will be given away each week between 29th March and 31st May, 2012.

All agents have to do is spot the wedding bouquet, which is hidden in a picture in the I DO magazine supplement that will be delivered to travel agencies from 2nd April, 2012.

Holiday resorts for swingers have made swinging holidays highly popular. As the concept of living the swingers lifestyle is gaining social acceptance and respectability with the popularity of Swinger resorts is also increasing day by day.
For more than two decades, the Hedonism Resorts in Jamaica are providing a swinging experience to lots of enthusiastic couples. Recently, several Swinger resorts have been establishing themselves as popular holiday spots in Spain for the British and other European swingers.

The Spanish Swinger resorts are quite popular when compared to the Caribbean ones. Most of the British swingers don’t see this as a disadvantage, rather, they prefer to avoid the pre-organized events, which on the other hand are very much popular with the swingers of USA, who prefer the resorts present in the Caribbean. In Spain, the Swinger resorts are often no bigger than a large villa which is at least suitable for accommodating as few as four couples per holiday.
Around twenty minutes away from Spain’s Costa Blanca (the white coast), there is one such resort that consists of four luxury villas. These villas are located in a very beautiful valley and offer seclusion and natural beauty for all those who want to enjoy a quiet but still a highly erotic holiday.

Swinger couples who are renting these villas share naked sunbathing around a lovely swimming pool. The only time the holiday becomes a bit more organized is on Saturday nights when the swinger parties are held. Most of the people there are the visitors who may be staying at the Swinger resorts in that area and also there are some local swingers as well.

In Spain there is a swinger holiday hotel consisting of eighty rooms and three suites for swinger groups. The hotel is located on the Costa Del Sol very near to Malaga. Further east along the coast another similar villa offers swinger holidays with regular parties.

On the Canary Islands there are popular swinger resort, on Fuerteventura and Tenerife. On Gran Canaria there is a popular swinger party venue where one can find something going on any night of the week.

The Swinger resorts referred to above are just a few examples from the various resorts that are growing up in Spain. The ones which are described above are located in the coastal region but if one does not mind being an hour or so from the nearest beach then there are some very good resorts to be found further inland.

Hotels and resorts across the Caribbean have launched special wedding packages and promotions for couples planning to get married on this years triple date 12/12/12.

Hundreds of engaged couples are planning Caribbean weddings on what will be the last triple date for 89 years and wedding planners are busy organising special ceremonies across the region.

Triple dates occur twelve times in every hundred years and this years triple date is said to be lucky because in numerology, the number 12 is regarded as the number of completeness because there are 12 hours on the clock, 12 months in the year and 12 signs in the zodiac.

This years triple date falls on a Wednesday and though this is not a typical day for destination weddings, hundreds of couples are booking 12th December at venues across the Caribbean and the rest of the world so they can get married on the unique date.

Sandals and Beaches Resorts already have 92 Caribbean weddings booked across their 18 resorts and they are offering a complimentary Beautiful Beginnings ceremony to all couples who book 12/12/12 weddings and stay for a minimum of six nights.

In 2011, Sandals hosted 150 weddings in the Caribbean on the last triple date 11/11/11.

Breezes Resorts has seven Jamaica weddings booked on the lucky date and couples will receive resort credit equalling 12 per cent of their total stay, including upgraded wedding packages and accommodation.

Couples planning weddings abroad at Ocean Two Resort & Residences and South Beach Hotel in Barbados between 1st November and 12th December, 2012 will be able to take advantage of a $12 traditional wedding package if they stay for a minimum of 12 nights. Family and friends attending the Barbados wedding will also receive a 12 per cent discount on accommodation at the hotel.

The Amaryllis Beach Resort in Barbados is offering a complimentary package worth $850 when brides and grooms book a suite for a week. They will also receive a 25 per cent discount on rooms until 21st December, 2012 but bookings must be made by 15th April, 2012.

Hiltons El Conquistador Resort in Puerto Rico has a special offer for its Love in the Sun package. Couples pay $5,000 (saving $2,012) and they will receive the wedding ceremony, venue, minister, photographs, music, drinks vouchers, room upgrades, champagne and chocolate on the wedding night and passes to the water park.

The Caribbean is a very popular holiday destination for people from all over the world. The vast range of Caribbean cruises and resorts gives tourists many options so they can decide on the vacation that suits them the best. There are a number of benefits of tourism in the Caribbean both for holidaymakers and locals these include:

Packages
The tourism industry in the Caribbean is very simple due to the majority of holidaymakers deciding to take up the all-inclusive vacation packages. Due to the fact that planning holidays to the Caribbean takes up a massive amount of time, most Caribbean tourists decide to stay in all-inclusive resorts, where packages can be provided that cover all accommodation and meals for a set price.

Diversity
Caribbean tourism also provides another benefit through the fact that there is a wide selection of activities available to tourists. For tourists wishing to chill out during their holidays there are beaches, swimming pools, fine dining and low-key nightlife. For those more adventurous tourists, there are loads of outdoor activities like tennis, hiking and water sports.

Economic Advantages
There are major economic advantages to be gained from tourism for the islands. Given the fact that there are few natural resources, Caribbean locals are heavily dependent on tourism to provide them with their income. The staff at resorts who provide services to tourists are most likely to feel the economic impact if there is an decrease in tourist numbers and gain economically when there is an increase in tourism.

Nature
Another major benefit of tourism in the Caribbean is the fact that there are opportunities to spend time in a natural setting. The majority of the islands are not heavily developed and the problems like air and noise pollution are rarely present. Tourists that come from major cities are very appreciative of the Caribbeans peaceful environment.

Sandals Resorts got busy promoting weddings and honeymoons in the Caribbean during the recent Caribbean Travel and Cultural Fair which took place at the Vanderbilt Hall of Grand Central Terminal in New York City earlier this month.

During the event, Sandals launched a new interactive online wedding designer application for couples planning tailor-made Caribbean weddings at Sandals Resorts.

The new user-friendly app named, Your Wedding, Your Style, allows loved-up couples to customise their destination weddings with the help of an online wedding portal where more than 7,000 photographs have been uploaded. Users can then choose their flowers,colour scheme, decor, place cards, the wedding cake and much more.

Speaking at the Caribbean event, Sandals CEO Adam Stewart, said: “The new bride is tech-savvy so we were forced to move away from packaged weddings. Brides have the option to have their destination wedding, reception and honeymoon planned online or over the phone.”

The event also held a contest where military couples from the United States were invited to submit an essay stating why they deserved a Caribbean wedding at a Sandals Resort. The finalists gathered in Vanderbilt Hall for an official bouquet toss for the chance to win a WeddingMoon of their choice. Maria and Jason Yates from New Jersey caught the bouquet and they chose a Jamaica wedding worth $8,000.

Mr Stewart announced a surprise to the disappointed couples just after the bouquet toss that they would all receive free Caribbean honeymoons at a Sandals Resort.

Sandals Resorts offers plenty of idyllic spots for romantic Caribbean weddings and the hotel group has luxury resorts in tropical destinations including St Lucia, Antigua, Jamaica and the Bahamas.

Couples getting married abroad at Sandals Resorts can choose from a several settings for their island nuptials including soft sandy beaches for intimate beach weddings at sunset, nuptials within lush tropical gardens, or ceremonies in grand ballrooms.

The new interactive app is just one of the programmes that is available from the Sandals Resorts official website and hopeful brides and grooms will also be able to plan their destination weddings with the help of wedding guru, Martha Stewart. Wedding packages include including Flutter of Romance, Seaside Serenade, Island Paradise, Vision in White and Chic & Natural.

“I think we have another big hit on our hands. Our Martha Stewart wedding packages helped to put Sandals weddings on the global market. With this new product, I’m certain brides will find a Sandals wedding an attractive option. Every day at Sandals we go to work to make it better for two people in love, that’s what Sandals is about,” added Mr Stewart.