One of the staunchest supporters of travel affiliate marketing, Sandals Resorts, is set to launch a new luxury tour company, Island Routes.  Although details about the program are still under wraps, if past history is any indication, Sandals’ new tour operator could bring in a strong and steady income stream to those travel affiliates that sell all-inclusive vacations in the Caribbean.

According to an article in Travel Weekly, CEO Adam Stewart stated that beginning in June, the new strategic business unit will offer more than 80 land and water tours in Jamaica, with similar products and services rolled-out in Antigua, St. Lucia, Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas later this coming Fall.  Island Routes excursions will feature activities and regions across Jamaica, and will include special interest activities such as Blue Mountain bike tours, dolphin encounters and tours to Dunn’s Falls, one of the most popular tourist sites in Jamaica.  Moreover, these tours and excursions will be made available to any traveler vacationing in Jamaica (or the other islands), not just those who stay at any of the 12 couples-only Sandals Resorts in the Caribbean, or the 5 family-oriented resorts of its sister-company, Beaches Resorts.

In Travel Dividends’ opinion, Sandals has one of the best travel affiliate programs in the travel industry.  Aside from offering a base commission of 4% for completed stays at any of the Sandals and Beaches resorts (unlimited), they also pay extra commissions on ancillary resort activities (like candlelight dinners), have one of the highest EPCs in the travel affiliate industry (close to US $140 over 3 months), offer terrific incentives like travel affiliate fam trips to their various properties, as well as provide a library stocked with hundreds of banners that cover all of their resorts.

Once up and running, Island Routes will enable travel affiliates to sell additional products and services to many of their Caribbean-bound customers, thus adding incremental revenue at little added cost.

IslandRoutes.com is currently under construction; for more details as to how travel affiliates can take advantage of this new offering, check with your Sandals and Beaches Resorts Affiliate Manager, or with Commission Junction and buy.at, Sandals/Beaches preferred affiliate networks.