Secrets of the Caribbean & Mexico - with Rene Jongmans, president of Vacation Express. Plus How Everything Just Changed for European Vacations. New! Jessica the Travel Deal Expert.

Rene Jongmans, president of leading leisure company, Vacation Express, and a former Saint-Martinois, reveals the new resorts and best places to stay and eat in the Caribbean and Mexico. Mike and James dig for gold with Rene's favorite spots and hidden gems - while he preaches patience and preparation for the Summer travel season. Another new voice, travel marketing expert Jessica Deverson, brings her research and sharp eye on the best deals and values in the market this week despite inflation (and will be back regularly in coming episodes). Plus, how Americans traveling to Europe and the UK now can enjoy the lowest costs in 20 years. Inspired by the actor and monologist Spalding Gray, this week's tip for more meaningful travel has to do with a quest for "the perfect moment" on every trip. Listen in and find out more.

Podcast Introduction and Guest Welcome

Welcome to No Tourists Allowed, a podcast where two recognized travel industry executives with a combined 69 years on the inside of travel and technology give up their secrets to the thing everyone wants to do: Travel better, pay less, and see more of the world. Enjoy today's episode.

Mike Putman: Welcome everyone. I'm Mike Putman.

James Ferrara: And I'm James Ferrara. We have a great pod waiting for you this week. We've got a very good friend, a person who has a lot of experience in the business that we're going to bring on. James, why don't we go ahead and bring him on at the top of the show?

James Ferrara: Absolutely, Mike. It is my pleasure. This gentleman I've had the pleasure of working with for years now, and his company provides some of the most sought-after and successful travel product that we handle. So it's my great pleasure to bring Rene Jongmans, who is the president of Vacation Express. Welcome, Rene.

Rene Jongmans: Well, welcome, James and Mike. Glad to be here.

The Role of a Tour Operator

Mike Putman: Thanks for taking the time to be with us this week and chat with us a little bit. Rene, let's start out by just making sure everyone knows a bit about Vacation Express and what you do.

Rene Jongmans: It's a good question because when it comes to this part of the business, people are often not knowledgeable about how it really works. Vacation Express traditionally is a tour operator. We contract with all the resorts in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Costa Rica, and we package that together with airfare.

We also actually operate our own aircraft during the peak season. We combine all of that into a package with transfers and insurance, and we sell it to travel agents throughout the United States. Most people don't think that when they go to a travel agent, they actually go to another company who has already done all the pre-thinking and the pre-planning for them. In a nutshell, that's what Vacation Express does.

James Ferrara: From the travel advisor's perspective, I'll give you this: it's really important to us that customers who want to enjoy these experiences and the value that Vacation Express brings work through a professional travel advisor. We really appreciate you for that.

Rene Jongmans’ Career Journey

Mike Putman: Mike, I think we ought to know a little bit about Rene's background too. I know Mike is waiting with his rapid-fire questionnaire. But Rene, can you tell us a little bit about how you came to be president of Vacation Express?

Rene Jongmans: How I actually became president wasn't too complicated, but I've been with Vacation Express for over thirty years now. I was living abroad in St. Martin, having a great time, and Vacation Express was one of my clients.

I moved to Atlanta, started working for Vacation Express, and probably seven or eight years into it, the president at that time was leaving the company and I was asked to take over. At this point, that's been twenty-two years now. Time really does go fast when you enjoy what you're doing.

James Ferrara: You had me at living in St. Martin.

Rene Jongmans: Yeah, I lived in St. Martin. You should be jealous! That was a great experience and that's how I got started in the travel business.

Rapid-Fire Travel Preferences

Mike Putman: Rene, what we do with all of our guests is ask a few rapid-fire questions. We are looking for a one-word or one-phrase answer so we can learn a little bit more about how you like to travel as a non-tourist traveler. What's your favorite destination?

Rene Jongmans: I don't have one favorite. It depends on your mood and what you're looking for. I just got back from St. Martin yesterday where I spent 10 days, so I have to say that at the moment St. Martin is my favorite destination, probably also because I used to live there. There are truly so many places around the world that I love to travel to.

Mike Putman: Other than the chartered flights that you operate in peak season, what is your favorite airline?

Rene Jongmans: Does it have to be a US airline? I have to go with a lot of the foreign airlines. I love Emirates, I love Qatar Airways, those are some of my favorites. Singapore Airlines as well. But I would have to say probably Qatar and Emirates are my favorite.

Mike Putman: Not to get you in trouble, but what is your favorite hotel or hotel chain?

Rene Jongmans: You are going to get me in trouble by asking that! Again, given that I have traveled so much, it depends on the mood you're in and who you're traveling with. If I travel with a lot of clients, certain hotels may be better than what I may personally choose.

Atelier Playa Mujeres is one of my favorites. I also absolutely loved Hotel Xcaret Arte, which has a lot of activities included and is more of a fun property. Going back to St. Martin, I actually switched between the Dutch side and the French side a couple of times. I absolutely loved my stay at La Playa on the French side. It's a small property, just fifty rooms, not a whole lot to do, but it's on the perfect beach and close to great restaurants.

Mike Putman: Last question. I know Vacation Express doesn't sell cruises, but I'm assuming you've been on a cruise. What is your favorite cruise line?

Rene Jongmans: I actually have to say that Viking became one of my favorites. I believe I've been on them two or three times. I used to do a lot of Silversea before that, but Viking is a great cruise product.

Resort Developments and Market Trends

Mike Putman: Let's switch back now to talk about your purview of the Caribbean market. I know that's where Vacation Express has most of its inventory. Do you have any news for us on any new resorts coming along?

Rene Jongmans: When you look at the Caribbean, Mexico, and Costa Rica, we've seen most of the newly built hotels in Mexico, particularly in Cancun and Riviera Maya. The growth there has been significant. We're mainly looking at some of the larger chains adding more resorts.

Blue Diamond Resorts, which happens to be one of our sister companies, is opening a very large new property in late December called Royalton Splash Riviera Maya. Then there are several new Riu properties opening up, which are adults-only in Cancun. Secrets, Dreams, and Breathless have opened properties as well.

In Punta Cana, there is a Temptation opening up at the end of the year. There is quite a bit going on, but primarily in those areas.

Mike Putman: I saw a news article this week that in Jamaica there was a Hard Rock being built and that it had gotten delayed. Did you have any information on that?

Rene Jongmans: Not as to when it may open. There are a lot of projects that were scheduled in the last couple of years and then got postponed or priorities changed. We don't have a specific opening date or even what year Hard Rock may open in Jamaica.

Mike Putman: I think there was some concern over a casino license, if I remember correctly, so maybe that was the bit that's holding them back.

Top Destinations and Hidden Gems

James Ferrara: Where is the action, Rene? Where do you find the hotspots for interest right now?

Rene Jongmans: Mexico is always the number one spot. Within Mexico, Cancun has continued to be super strong. They were one of the first that opened up after COVID and didn't have requirements. Hotel occupancy levels have gone up a lot, and so has pricing.

Cancun remains very popular. The area north of Cancun, Playa Mujeres and Costa Mujeres, has become very popular; the beaches there are beautiful. It certainly has become a hotspot. Punta Cana is also making a very good comeback. They had gone through some bad publicity in previous years but seem to have fully recovered. Jamaica remains very popular and strong as well.

I have to say we're seeing good growth in all of our destinations. A lot of people have been to the main destinations several times and are looking for something different, like Antigua, Aruba, Saint Lucia, Barbados, or St. Martin. Mexico definitely continues to be in the number one spot, though.

Exploring Off-the-Beaten-Path Travel

James Ferrara: We are definitely seeing that interest from our travelers to find something new and different. Sometimes it's a leftover from the pandemic to get away from the crowds a little. From a sustainability point of view, we want to help people discover less well-known destinations so that we spread out the wear and tear on the planet. What are the more off-the-beaten-path resorts or hidden gems in your experience?

Rene Jongmans: In general, the smaller islands are still not as well known. Even though everyone has heard of them, they haven't really traveled to them as much. Whether it is Aruba, Grenada, or Saint Lucia, there are so many great islands worth exploring.

I really didn't feel like a tourist in St. Martin. I would highly encourage people that when you go to an island that is not too large and is easy to get around, rent a car. Rent a car and just drive around and see all the hidden places. In most places I travel, I find people to be friendly.

If travelers have never been out of the country, then the more well-known places like Cancun or Punta Cana are easier. But for those who have traveled before and are willing to explore, venturing out and doing a little research is a great opportunity that more people should take.

James Ferrara: That's certainly the ethos of this podcast. I tend to hire a driver, partly because Mike doesn't like my driving, but also because a local driver can take you to more authentic and less touristy spots. I've had some of my best discoveries by asking a local driver to take me someplace beautiful that maybe the tourists don't go to.

Rene Jongmans: I think you're absolutely right. Just hiring a local driver, if that's what you're more comfortable with, is a great suggestion.

Dining and Geography in St. Martin

James Ferrara: When I think of St. Martin, I think of the food. Do you have a favorite restaurant or a really good restaurant on St. Martin you'd recommend?

Rene Jongmans: I was pleasantly surprised on the Dutch side, but I definitely favored the French side when it comes to food. Marigot used to be the top place, but it hasn't fully rebuilt since the 2017 hurricane.

The area just a little bit north, Grand Case, is a beautiful area right on the beach with lots of great restaurants. You have upscale restaurants but also some really fun local grills. I was there with a group of clients a couple of weeks ago and we just stopped at a local grill where they were grilling ribs, chicken, and lobster right on the ocean. You can have that, and then right next door you can have a very elegant, upscale restaurant.

Mike Putman: One of the interesting things about St. Martin is that half the island is Dutch and the other half is French. There's this imaginary line, or at least there used to be, this border between the two factions.

If you were to make a call from the Dutch side to the French side, which could literally be a hundred feet away from you, it became a long-distance call because the call would have to go to the Dutch telecom and then come back through the French telecom. These local calls could end up being two dollars a minute to call somebody across the street.

Strategies for Finding Travel Value

Rene, you spoke about high demand. As demand increases and supply stays the same, prices go up. How can our listeners find value in this market?

Rene Jongmans: I would always recommend searching online first. You can use Google Flights to see which days of the week are the least expensive. Some people say they want to go Saturday to Saturday, not realizing that airfare on peak days is the highest. It can be a difference of several hundred dollars.

If you are flexible with your travel dates, you can save a couple hundred dollars per person. For a family of four, you can save $1,000 easily. When it comes to the hotel portion, prices have gotten more expensive, but there are still great deals. Flexibility is important.

Also, don't wait until the last moment. If you can schedule six to nine months out, you're probably going to get the best deal. Most of what we sell is all-inclusive, but if you don't do that, you can limit your spending by not going to an expensive restaurant every night. Combining a bit of both helps generate good savings.

Mike Putman: That's really good advice. Someone asked me recently about going somewhere for five days, and the airfare was so much less expensive to stay seven nights that the family ended up getting a seven-night vacation for the same total cost.

Navigating Modern Travel Friction

One of the things we try to do here is help travelers have a better experience. Once we get them to these beautiful places, we first have to get them through the airport and the friction of travel. Any tips or tricks to make that portion go easier?

Rene Jongmans: At the beginning of the year, I told the tens of thousands of travel advisors who book with Vacation Express one word: patience. When we travel these days, we have to be patient. Every part of the travel industry has staff shortages.

We've seen complications with commercial airlines like cancellations and changes. We just have to accept that getting to a destination may simply be a little bit more challenging than it used to be. The vast majority of people still get to their destination as originally scheduled, but you need patience.

Interestingly, the number of complaints we get from people once they are in the destination is at an all-time low. I think people need the reward of travel so much that they perceive their experiences differently now.

James Ferrara: I agree with you, because getting there early gives you peace of mind. I showed up in an airport and at the last minute the country I was going to enacted a new rule that we had to get tested for COVID. If I hadn't been there three hours before, I might not have made the flight. Patience is an excellent piece of advice.

Rene Jongmans: In this industry, things can happen. Even in my company, we have some areas where staffing is still an issue. But at the end of the day, our business is to make people happy, and for the vast majority, they are having a wonderful vacation experience.

Mike Putman: Rene, you have been most gracious with your time. Thank you so much for joining us.

James Ferrara: Thank you, Rene.

Reflections on Guest Insights and Personal Experiences

Mike Putman: What a great experience having Rene Jongmans, the president of Vacation Express, with us. James, you've had a lot of experience with Rene on a professional level.

James Ferrara: I agree with you, Mike. We promised to bring experts and high-level executives, and we paid off that promise today with the president of one of the top vacation and tour companies.

Mike Putman: Just a little follow-up. Last week I was supposed to be on a cruise. Most cruise lines still require a COVID test a couple of days before departure. My family and I did the test, and unfortunately, my daughter and wife both had COVID. We didn't make the cruise, needless to say.

The cruise line, MSC, was fantastic. They told us to send a letter showing the positive test and they would refund a hundred percent of our money. I didn't even have cancellation insurance, but they were great.

However, I did have a not-so-positive experience with Allegiant Air. I had purchased tickets and bought a product called TripFlex, which implies on their site that you get your money back should something happen. I called them up, which is not an easy thing to do, and told them we had COVID.

The agent said I'd get my money back except for the PFC fees. These are passenger facility charges paid to the airport. I was pretty sure they were not able to keep fees that were to be paid to the government if they did not provide a service. After a few more minutes of explaining I've been in the business for thirty years, they did acquiesce and gave me a voucher for the full amount. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but I wanted to share that experience.

Economic Shifts and Global Travel Opportunities

James Ferrara: Sorry to hear about that, Mike, but in the end, it's a good story about how we can turn these situations into positives. Something else going on in the world we'd be remiss if we didn't comment on is the value of the Euro and the British Pound against the US dollar. Both have fallen precipitously.

The Euro is down essentially to parity. We haven't seen that since 2002. Your European vacation will include more purchasing power than you have had in 20 years.

Mike Putman: I'm planning to go to Scotland this weekend for a golfing holiday. The British Pound today is at 1.19 US dollars. I've been there when it was 1.75. Normally it runs between 1.40 and 1.50, so this is like saving twenty to twenty-five percent on everything you buy.

James Ferrara: It's a great opportunity to see Paris, Europe, or Italy. It's going to cost you less than it has in a long time.

Industry Trends and Job Satisfaction

Mike Putman: One other thing I wanted to bring to our listeners' attention is research from a company called Resume.io. They polled employees all around the world and asked how likely they were to leave their job to prove the relationship between job satisfaction and the employer.

The interesting thing is that out of the top ten companies in the world where people were least likely to leave, five of those were airlines. There's some correlation there about the fun industry that we work in and the benefits employees take advantage of.

Travel Deals and Promotions

Mike Putman: Now we have our next special guest, Jessica Deverson. She is a marketing travel guru with an extensive background in marketing travel directly to consumers and travel research. Welcome, Jessica.

Jessica Deverson: Great, thank you. Thanks for having me on and letting me share my travel deals.

James Ferrara: Tell us what's hot this week, Jessica.

Jessica Deverson: I did a mix of everything, highlighting the best deals. If you're looking for a quick, cheap way to get out of town, Carnival Cruise Line has some really great rates on close-in sailings with their 72-hour sale. We're talking $130 per person for an interior room and $250 for a balcony on a four-night September sailing.

Mike Putman: Jessica, that means it includes all your food, entertainment, and activities on board. You can't really do that on land.

Jessica Deverson: Plus, you'll be getting up to $50 onboard credit depending on the category. It's a really great deal, but you have to book right away because it ends on July 14th.

James Ferrara: Should I be embarrassed that I could spend that much on a dinner, never mind a cruise?

Jessica Deverson: Keeping with cruise, Princess Cruises has a really good deal for late summer Alaska. This is a balcony cabin on a five-night Princess Cruises sailing aboard Crown Princess. All in, including taxes and fees, it is $692 per person.

Mike Putman: Princess is a premium brand. The taxes are a significant part of that, so the cruise fare itself is probably around $499. What a deal.

Jessica Deverson: This departs Seattle in September and disembarks in Vancouver, stopping in Juneau and Ketchikan. I was researching comparable sailings with similar itineraries, and they were starting at at least $900.

James Ferrara: I have clients who wanted to book Alaska. To save money, they wanted an inside cabin, but I insisted they take an ocean view or balcony because what is the point of going to Alaska if you're not looking at the scenery? I remember even then, we were talking about over $1,000 for the cabin.

Jessica Deverson: If you're interested in this sailing, now is the time to book it.

Mike Putman: Vancouver is one of my favorite cities. To end your vacation there and maybe spend a day or two in addition would be a great way to top that cruise off.

Jessica Deverson: Next up is Norwegian Cruise Line. This is a great deal because they're giving you a discount on pretty much everything. For all categories and three nights or longer, you get five free offers: free premium beverage package, free specialty dining, free excursions credit, free Wi-Fi, and third and fourth guests sail free.

If you are looking at four nights or longer, they also will give you 70% off the second guest cruise fare plus free airfare for the second guest. That's nearly $3,000 in savings.

James Ferrara: What if people are not cruisers? Do you have anything to suggest?

Jessica Deverson: Absolutely. Vacation Express is a great land and resort brand. They have a deal for adults-only resorts that offers a break on air pricing. When you book an all-inclusive resort package with air, you'll receive a $300 air credit at La Casa de la Playa in Riviera Maya or a $250 air credit at Hotel Xcaret Arte in Playa del Carmen.

James Ferrara: I think I'm having a little meta-experience, Mike. We just had the president of Vacation Express on and he actually spoke about that hotel in Xcaret. Jessica had no idea he was going to be on. It's not a paid promotion; it just happens to be a great deal.

Mike Putman: We should mention Vacation Express is not available directly to customers. You have to go to a professional travel advisor.

Jessica Deverson: Especially with that offer, you definitely need to book through a travel advisor. All the prices I mentioned are based on double occupancy, but pricing and capacity can change at any time. Your advisor will always be able to get you the lowest rate and the best value possible.

James Ferrara: Jessica, what's your next trip?

Jessica Deverson: I am going to Egypt and Jordan in September. I am extremely excited. I had this trip planned before the pandemic and it got canceled, so I'm looking forward to it.

James Ferrara: Jordan is really beautiful. I know they're making some big changes in Egypt at the pyramids and the way tourists are allowed to access them. Now is a good time to get out there.

Mike Putman: Jessica is a vice president with a billion-dollar travel company and has a history of involvement in the industry. She is our travel deal expert.

Seeking the "Perfect Moment" in Travel

James Ferrara: One other weekly installment we have is our travel tip. James, take it away.

James Ferrara: Thank you, Mike. We like to leave our listeners with something profound. I want to share something related to a favorite performer of mine, a gentleman named Spalding Gray. In the eighties and nineties, he was a very popular monologuist who performed one-man shows.

He was also an actor in several big movies, including *The Killing Fields*. He wrote about his experience in Cambodia in a book called Swimming to Cambodia. He wrote about what he called "the perfect moment" when you're traveling.

Spalding said that it should be your goal to find this moment where everything comes together—the smell of the food, the music, the vista. They coalesce as a real sense of the place you are. Until you have that perfect moment, you shouldn't leave because your trip will feel unfulfilled.

I went to Norway and did a cruise of the Norwegian fjords. One of the ports of call is Bergen. We went on a guided tour to a lake district where wealthy people had their historic summer homes. We got into a boat, and on the other side of the lake, up on a hill, I could see a dacha—a Russian-style summer home from the nineteenth century.

They brought us into the music room, which was the former home of a very famous violinist named Ole Bull. We were seated and served champagne and strawberries, and then out walks a man with a violin. Ole Bull was a luthier who collected Stradivarius violins. This man was holding Ole Bull’s Stradivarius.

He walked to the front of the room, someone sat at the piano, and they began a concert of Ole Bull's music on his own Stradivarius. The music penetrated into me and I had my perfect moment of Norway. Mike, tell me about a perfect moment you've had.

Mike Putman: In the early 2000s, I had just finished a very stressful technology deal. As a treat, I took my family down to my favorite property, Half Moon in Jamaica. We rented a five or six-bedroom house right on the ocean.

I woke up early one morning to the smell of Blue Mountain coffee and bacon. I walked out on the back porch and sat there staring as the sun came up over the turquoise water. I thought, "You know what, I've kind of made it." I had completed a phase of my life and I had my family and friends with me.

Travel to me is not about buying the T-shirt or doing the touristy things. It's about the experience of sitting in a pub and talking to a local about things that matter to them. Getting to know that no matter what color their skin is or how much money they make, people are all human on the inside. Having experiences like that has made me feel like I've had a complete life.

James Ferrara: Amen to that, Mike. If people seek their perfect moment on a trip, it will cause you to go outside your comfort zone. I wish everyone their perfect moment on their next trip.

Mike Putman: What a perfect time to end this podcast. Thanks to all of our guests for being on. We look forward to coming back to you next week with more of No Tourists Allowed.

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