Martinique Expects 20 Percent Increase in Cruise Passengers Despite Strike

 

Despite being hit by demonstrations in late February as part of a general strike, Martinique still expects to see a 20 percent increase in cruise passengers from the same period last year, says Jacques Bajal, Martinique’s cruise and sailing department manager.

Travel Agent spoke with Bajal during our ongoing press-trip coverage of the destination. Bajal told us he expects 112,000 passengers from October of 2009 to April of 2010, which is a 20 percent spike from October of 2008 to April of 2009.

Madeliene Jouye de Grandmaison, chairwoman of the Martinique Promotion Bureau, told us on Monday that the strike, which also hurt sister island Guadeloupe earlier in the year, cost the destination port calls.

But Bajal says the number of cruise passengers is still expected to see a jump. Bajal, however, says the total number of calls is expected to drop from 100 to 90 from the same period last year and that, if it wasn’t for the strike, the destination most likely would have received a jump of 40 percent in passengers.

 

Learn more about Martinique, especially the culinary aspects of its culture, in the video below: