Winter Sun Properties Just Got Cheaper

It seems to those with an eye on the property markets that the Caribbean is firmly muscling its way onto the emerging markets playing field, this most colourful granddaddy of all holiday destinations now upgraded to an investment hotspot by those in the know.

If the region’s huge presence and the high levels of interest in it at the recent A Place In the Sun show at Birmingham’s NEC are anything to go by, the Caribbean real estate is going to be very big indeed as we head into 2008.

The recent introduction of new, incredibly cheap direct flights to the region by Gatwick-based charter carrier XL Airways, is only going to help. Last week, the carrier started serving St Lucia at ludicrously low prices of around £230 for an adult return ticket. This week, they have gone one better, offering return flights to the idyllic Caribbean winter sun hot spot of Grenada from just £199, subject to certain departure dates. XL Airways is also offering non stop flights direct from the UK to all the hottest Caribbean holiday spots, keen to jump on the Caribbean bandwagon that has seen this collection of some 3,000 islands and cays leap into the coveted position of ‘premier lifestyle investment choice’.

Traditionally synonymous with unaffordable luxury, famous for its pricey hotels and celebrity cache, the Caribbean has undergone something of a turnaround, with smaller, stunningly beautiful islands such as St Vincent and the Dominican Republic becoming powerful additions to investors’ property portfolios. Many islands in the Caribbean also offer tax-free living, an alluring prospect indeed for the savvy investor.