Agents told to prepare for more interest in Central America as celebs race across the region
The CEO of the Latin American Travel Association, Danny Callaghan said he’s confident of a rise in demand for Central America when the next Celebrity Race Across the World hits TV screens on 6 November.
The popular BBC series will return for a second year running to Latin America, starting on the Isla Mujeres on Mexico’s Caribbean coast and finishing 5,900km away on the Península de La Guajira in Colombia.
“Last year’s Celebrity Race Across the World put Latin America onto primetime television, portraying the region so beautifully and encapsulating what we as industry insiders already know makes it such a special place to visit,” said Danny.
“We are excited to see this year’s celebrities explore Central America, which is an equally wonderful region to visit, and have no doubt that it will have a positive impact on bookings to the region in the coming months.”
Laura Rendell-Dunn, Journey Latin America PR & Business Development Manager said: “With the new series of Celebrity Race Across the World set to air next month, we’re thrilled to see Mexico, Central America, and Colombia’s northern coast take centre stage.
“It’s always exciting when Latin America is showcased to such a wide audience, and we’re proud to see the region in the spotlight once again. While Mexico and Costa Rica are already well-established favourites, it’s particularly exciting to see that some of Central America’s hidden gems will be brought to light.
“We’re hopeful this new series will inspire even more travellers to discover the rich diversity and beauty of Latin America.”
Last year’s Celebrity Race Across the World led to an increase in bookings to Brazil, Argentina and Chile, said LATA, with one of its members attributing a 25% uplift in business to the programme.
Also, members say the TV programme has inspired customers to explore areas ‘off the usual tourist path’. Laura added: “Last year’s series, which prominently featured Brazil, led to a noticeable increase in enquiries — with many clients specifically referencing the show.
“The programme did a fantastic job of highlighting Brazil’s lesser-known treasures, so we’re eager to see which destinations will be featured this season.”
Rainbow Latin America Product & Travel Specialist Jack Brooker added: “We especially look forward to enquiries generated to lesser-known spots, diversifying tourist investment away from just the big hitters, and we’re excited to see both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts securing airtime, as well as Colombia – one of our strongest growing destinations at Rainbow for the last couple of years, but still hugely undiscovered by the UK market and with plenty of opportunity to grow.”
Steve Wilson, founder of LiNGER Travel had some tips of his own for the Race Across the World contestants. “Our family sabbaticals across Central America are among our most popular, and they’re largely overland. Some of these countries – such as El Salvador – are compact enough to be relatively straightforward to cross, and their road networks often put our potholed tarmac to shame.
“The inexpensive, luxurious overnight buses should make some journeys pretty comfortable for the participants. They’ll do best to stick to the Pacific coast in parts, taking advantage of border crossings by boat such as the Gulf of Fonesca between El Salvador and Nicaragua. The dense Darién Gap remains the ultimate frontier – this is likely to be the greatest challenge on their journey.”
Image, courtesy of the BBC, shows, clockwise from top left: Roman & Harleymoon Kemp; Balvinder Singh Nazran & Anita Rani; Jackie & Dylan Llewellyn; and Tyler West & Molly Rainford.
