Carrier now delivers people to the island from both Montreal and Toronto
Air Canada is linking Toronto and Martinique for a second straight winter, service the Martinique Tourism Authority says is enabling the tropical retreat to make further inroads in the Ontario market.
The carrier now has non-stop Saturday flights from Ontario’s capital, with the service continuing through April 19. The carrier first began Toronto-Martinique service on Dec. 16, 2023.
Air Canada has long been offering year-round non-stop Montreal-Martinique flights, with Quebec seen as a particularly lucrative market for the French-speaking Caribbean island.
Karine Roy-Camille, who oversees the tourism authority’s Canadian office, says she and her colleagues would welcome added Toronto service as well.
“Before year-round service, we hope to have two flights per week during the winter season to offer more flexibility for travellers,” she says. “For example, a mid-week flight in addition to Saturday would be great. Then, of course we hope to fly all year-round from Toronto. We know that a direct flight is much more comfortable. We did an awareness campaign with Air Canada. Club Med is very active, especially since they have completely renovated the Buccaneer’s Creek, with great success. Martinique also offers a multitude of accommodations, from star hotels to luxury villas and unusual accommodations to vary the experiences. We organize press trips and fam trips. In addition, MSC Cruises offers packages – flights and cruise – from Toronto for cruises from Fort-de-France.”
Canada is the largest international market in terms of visitors to Martinique, with Roy-Camille reporting that this market represents 9.2% of visitors in the high season, an increase of 3%.
Martinique likes to promote itself as a different type of Caribbean vacation destination, with its ties to France providing visitors with a Gallic type of vacation.
The island hasn’t gone the all-inclusive route in the way many other Caribbean islands have, although Buccaneer’s Creek does provide all-inclusive stays. Tourism authorities note Martinique is also very green and often mountainous.
“Here are 10 reasons why you should visit Martinique: Beaches are open and free to all, nautical activities for young and old, lush nature to explore, delicious Creole cuisine, the rum capital of the world, a rich history and vibrant culture, year-round events and festivals, friendly, welcoming residents, a reliable telecommunications network for teleworking, and right-hand traffic, same as in North America,” Roy-Camille states.
“According to 2025 trends, travellers will continue to travel for authentic experiences and leave the material side of things a bit,” she continues. “Think outside the box, experience even for solo travellers, travelling off peak seasons – we have an amazing low season – more tailored stays and Martinique is perfectly aligned with these new trends and habits.”
