May 1, 2004 – Forbes.com, an online business newsletter of MSNBC, has named The Buccaneer Hotel to its annual list of best family resorts.
Eleven hotels made the list this year; three are in the Caribbean.
At the top of the list is the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, the Bahamas. The Wyndham El Conquistador Resort and Country Club in Puerto Rico ranked 8th. The Buccaneer was in 11th spot.
Also listed were resorts in Mexico; Hawaii; San Diego, Calif.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Vero Beach, Fla.; Jekyll Island, Ga.; Weekapaug, R.I.; and Hilton Head, S.C.
"Family vacations represent one of the biggest market shares when it comes to travel," a Forbes.com article states. It cites information from the Washington, D.C.-based Travel Industry Association of America that family vacations accounted for 74 percent of all vacations in the United States in 2002, up from 72 percent in 1998. "The average family vacation costs $1,067 per trip, with the typical duration of a trip lasting 6.9 nights," the association reported.
The Forbes.com article also quotes Kyle McCarthy at Family Travel Forum as saying that "the family travel sector is enormous" — including not only parents with children but also grandparents traveling with children, siblings traveling with their children, and couples traveling to family reunions.
What makes a resort attractive to families, the article says, is having options for everyone, such as "spa facilities for mom, golf courses for dad, and water sports and day camps for the kids. And, if mom wants to go water-skiing, dad wants a facial and the kids want to hit the links, that's just as easy. In other words, the whole family can have fun."
Martin Public Relations, the territory's mainland publicity agency, put out a release about the Buccaneer's designation as a top family resort. It also noted that through Dec. 19, the hotel is offering a new "Cruzan Reunion" family package featuring a Buck Island snorkeling excursion, painting classes focusing on scenic St. Croix landscapes, and a traditional sterling silver Cruzan hook bracelet for each family member. For more information, call 712-2100 or (800) 255-3881.
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