Caribbean Tour Provider Island Routes Focused on Bright Future

Island Routes this year celebrates 15 years as a standout Caribbean land tour provider, operating in nine countries across the region and during its lifetime expanding the definition of Caribbean tour experiences.

The company, operated by the owners of Sandals Resorts International, now offers more than 500 immersive day tours in Antigua, The Bahamas, Barbados, Curacao, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Turks and Caicos, plus Private & Bespoke Collections, a group of private, customizable experiences designed for groups traveling together.

Earlier this year, the company launched Island Route Rewards (IRR), an advisor loyalty program offering preferred product rates, priority client access and advisor fam opportunities.

TravelPulse spoke recently with Ryan Terrier, Island Routes’ CEO, to discuss his thoughts as Island Routes heads toward its second decade in operation.

TP: Sandals opened its newest property, Sandals Saint Vincent, in a new Caribbean destination for the company. What are your thoughts on the new property?

RT: I think the property itself, where it's situated you have the mountains that literally surround one side. You look out on one side and you see these beautiful mountains, and the other side you see the gorgeous water. So I think the whole setting is very unique. But I think the Saint Vincent people on the whole are the true differentiator.

And then Saint Vincent is so panoramic and very mountainous, and you have the Grenadines, which I think are incredible. I think the whole area and expanse of what the islands offer [travelers] several different cultures in one trip, is great.

TP: Does Island Routes offer tours in Saint Vincent?

RT: Absolutely. When the hotel opened we started selling tours [and] the biggest selling tours were the ones to Bequia. Our experiences go to Bequia, Mustique to Tobago Cays.

We do a cruise that goes Bequia and one that goes to Mustique, which is the island of the rich and famous so to speak, with a lot of celebrities. And then our cruises to Tobago Cays have been popular as well, not to mention the volcano hikes. So we've been doing a ton of experiences.

TP: When you look at Island Routes’ beginnings more than a decade ago as a Caribbean tour operator, what stands out?

RT: It's truly incredible. I think we've really succeeded in changing the way that travelers discover the Caribbean. We started off very much trying to expand our destinations rapidly and we hit the threshold.

We're still going to continue to expand to more destinations, but we’ve started to focus more on the products and making sure we were involved in the products that travelers want.

“I think we've really succeeded in changing the way that travelers discover the Caribbean.” – Ryan Terrier, Island Routes. (Photo Credit: Island Routes Media)

TP: How so?

RT: Sun, sand and sea has been synonymous with the Caribbean for so many years, but over the last 15 years we've seen the transition. Where guests initially wanted to stay very much on the beach and very focused on the water-based activities, over the last several years more and more travelers want to get out and experience more of the destination, the more cultural aspect of beauty diversity [that is] very much beyond your traditional sun, sand and sea.

TP: How does Island Routes manage the logistics of working with multiple Caribbean destinations?

RT: When we go into these destinations it's about finding the right partners. You look back over the years and many of the partners we started with were very small. Today they are significantly bigger because over the years we have grown together.

Our 150-plus suppliers across our destinations have been a critical component of our business strategy. We understand we don’t know Saint Vincent like the Vincentians do. So it’s about identifying our partners that truly know the Caribbean.

TP: Can you provide an example?

RT: In Saint Vincent, we work with a local guy [guide] whose passion is to go out and explore the island. He’s found the majority of the waterfalls on the island. So instead of us trying to make this up, we go in and find partners like him who inform us.

Our plan is to work with [local partners] for [their] businesses to grow [and] provide more jobs. I think that's how we’ve able to survive 15 years and continue hopefully to survive 50 more years. We have a sustainable approach and everybody wins as we grow.

TP: How would you describe the company’s relationship with travel advisors?

RT: We pride ourselves in our relationship with our travel agent partners and how over the last 15 years they have been able to really connect with our guests in taking them to the Caribbean. That two-way conversation has really helped us to build out the right products to meet the demand that travelers are looking for nowadays.

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