Each year, millions and millions travel to the Caribbean seeking the ultimate get-a-way experience – the relaxed, laid back island atmosphere surrounded by warm tropical waters, miles of sun soaked beaches and the breezy northeast trade winds all make the Caribbean a favorite destination to many from all over the world.
Over the years, millions of travelers have developed pre-conceived visions of what they believe the Caribbean life offers, typified by excellent photography, tropical paintings, romantic movies and songs of island escapism. And most everyone loves this dream, and certainly, this is a most delightful vision of the Caribbean.
But in reality, this island escapism vision can be difficult, if not impossible, to find. Year after year, more and more travelers visit different islands seeking the escape. The resorts have spent huge amounts of money to create a tropical atmosphere for their guests. They cater to the wealthier travelers, but offer limited “real-life’ experiences with pre-planned group trips and over commercialization. Even visitors who travel on their own are often steered toward places that are geared to the tourist market, or they drive around stumbling upon different areas…never having the opportunity to experience the real down island charm that can be found within the local communities.
There exists a gap between the larger resorts and the smaller down island mom and pop businesses. The much sought after tropical fantasy of escaping to an island paradise, where visitors can socialize the friendly locals, seems to be missing, leaving three distinct options when traveling to the Caribbean, none of which is the perceived down island tropical escape:
- First, there are the small local places, sometimes called rum shops, mostly mom and pop style businesses that are scattered and hidden throughout the islands. Most lack the needed resources or aggressive approach to satisfy the traveler’s pre-conceived visions. These places are consumer friendly, but are not visual exciting.
- Second, and to the other extreme, are the newer resorts with upscale bars, fancy umbrella drinks, exotic foods, pre-planned fun, beach games and scheduled tours. These facilities surround the visitors with “other” visitors and are enclosed within their own communities. Most have a certain commonality and commercial ambience and are completely void of the down-to-earth Caribbean culture and true island charm that many seek.
- Third, there are small places that are focused on tourism, but they are not “local” friendly, as the prices are high and the atmosphere can be intimidating. Usually owned be an outsider who relocated to the island.
Introducing Skeeterz Rum Bar & Grill, and unlike the larger resorts our answer is not an expensive menu and commercialization...it is quite the opposite. Skeeterz is designed to fill the void between the larger resorts and the smaller rum shops, will the perceived tropical fantasy of true island escapism, and done at the local level in a way that is true to the rum shops roots, but with a professional mind-set and a few upgrades – offering a “real” tropical experience that will attract both the locals and the visitors, and keeping it 100% St. Lucia! |
