Carrier will have winter service for the second straight year from YYZ
IAN STALKER
Air Canada will again offer Toronto-Martinique service this coming winter, welcome news for Ontario travel agents who have clients who like a Gallic ambiance to their vacations.
The carrier — which has long been carrying passengers between Montreal and Martinique — first began linking the Ontario capital and the Caribbean island this past winter, a move appreciated by the Martinique Tourism Authority, which has been eager to make inroads in the Ontario market.
“It’s a great adventure to open a new route,” says Karine Roy-Camille, Deputy Director Americas for Martinique Tourism Authority. “To ensure success, we left nothing to chance and we made sure to train travel agents, inform the media, and launch our communication campaigns in cooperation with Air Canada. We also benefited from significant support from Club Med and MSC Cruises, who offered packages from Toronto.
“All this combined made the new route work well and I am happy to announce that Air Canada is once again offering flights to Martinique from Toronto from Dec. 14, 2024, to April 19, 2025, every Saturday.”
Quebec is a more mature market for Martinique than Ontario, as Air Canada has been offering direct flights from Montreal to Martinique for 14 years.
“This winter we had up to 5 flights per week (from Montreal) because, in addition to new visitors, we have more and more repeaters who come every year for stays of increasingly longer duration, up to 3 months,” Roy-Camille adds. “The security aspect, the French language and the friendliness of the population are, among other things, very important factors.”
Air Canada’s service to Martinique from Montreal continues through the summer, with 3 direct weekly flights with connections from Toronto, Roy-Camille reports.
The next few months are seeing a growing following for the tropical island, she notes. “We have noticed a new craze for summer, which corresponds to the low season. This is an excellent choice because all activities and accommodation are available at very attractive rates. It’s an excellent time to discover Martinique!”
The low season is seen as an attractive time to visit Martinique. From May to November, travellers can enjoy what Roy-Camille labels “amazing offers on flights, car rentals, accommodations, and more, with prices up to 50% less! There are also a lot of cultural and entertainment events going on this time of the year, so there’s plenty to do! Plus, you can still swim in the sea and stroll the white sands of the Grande Anse des Salines or the black sands of the Anse Noire. It’s also the perfect time to visit the island’s many museums, like the Memorial to the 1902 Catastrophe in Saint-Pierre (Tripadvisor Traveler’s Choice 2023) or the House of Sugar, a sugarcane museum.”
Canada represents the top international market for Martinique, which hosted 1,001,854 visitors last year, up 39.1% from 2022. There were 361,282 cruise passengers, up 6.1% from 2019.
Roy-Camille says Martinique is unique from other Caribbean islands because of its history, which is heavily tied to France, with those ties continuing today and underscored by a dramatic development this month as the Paris Olympics draw near. June 17 sees the Olympic flame arrive in Fort-de-France, marking the 33rd leg of the Olympic Torch Relay leading up to the Paris 2024 Olympics. In a truly moving start to the day, the torch-lighting ceremony will take place at dawn on the summit of lofty Mount Pelée. The flame then made its way through various stops on the island — Lamentin, Robert, Sainte-Marie, Saint-Esprit, Saint-Pierre and Schœlcher — carried by torchbearers chosen from each town for their athletic prowess and for embodying Olympic values.
“The passing of the flame to Martinique is a recognition by France of the important contributions of Martinique; for the merit, courage and performances of Martinique’s athletes, who have shined at some of the world’s biggest competitions,” Roy-Camille states. “The Olympic flame bearers play an essential role. Their mission goes beyond simply carrying the flame; they embody and spread the Olympic values of courage, hope, and unity at every stage of their journey. This is what our athletes embody and it is essential to expose it and share it with our youth. Beyond the athletes, it is also a moment of great emotion for the people of Martinique, who feel great pride.”
In recent years, there has also been a growing demand among those vacationing in Martinique for villas and residential-style accommodations. “This trend aligns with the Martinique way of vacationing, which gives visitors the freedom to do what they want, when they want, and come and go as they please, just like at home. These types of accommodations also cater to the growing segment of remote workers,” she continues.
