LoveVoodoo.com, a leading adult dating and swingers’ community site, and one of the top Caribbean resorts, SuperClubs’ Hedonism II, have teamed-up to offer 4 unique themed events at the über all-inclusive in 2010. Could this partnership result in a new travel affiliate micro-niche?

The travel industry has long been renowned for providing the context for different vendors to work seamlessly together in an effort to meet the diverse needs of travelers from virtually any background.  Think about it…isn’t a package tour essentially a collaborative effort among several distinct suppliers to sell an integrated product that drives significant incremental value to each supplier?

At first blush, the partnership between LoveVodoo and Hedonism II, two of the leading firms in their respective niches, seems to be following this industry rubric, and in the process, perhaps setting the stage for travel affiliates to sell a product that normally bypasses the travel affiliate channel.

Hedonism II, often described as the resort that offers “the ultimate guilty pleasure, only without the guilt,” is arguably one of the most widely recognized ‘adults-only’ resorts in the world.   Although it has a somewhat ‘notorious’ standing within and outside of the travel trade, Hedonism II also has a well-deserved reputation for offering its customers an amenities program that includes unlimited meals and drinks and a host of activities (like including scuba diving, snorkeling, trapeze, windsailing and boat rides), and extensive on-resort entertainment.

These, together with the luscious tropical setting on Negril Beach, one of the finest Caribbean beaches, makes Hedonism II the preferred partner for LoveVoodoo’s four themed events in 2010:

  • LoveVoodoo Loco, a Latin-themed happening from May 1 to 9
  • Big on The Beach, a ‘plus-size’ event from June 12 to 19
  • Colorful Fantasies, designed for ‘people from different backgrounds’, July 10 to 17
  • LoveVoodooFest, a signature yearly happening from Nov. 14 to 21

However, from an affiliate marketing perspective, that’s where the partnership logic ‘breaks down’…for while Super Clubs properties do not sell through the affiliate channel, LoveVoodoo does.  The swingers site’s affiliate program rewards affiliates with a payout of 20% of the initial membership fee for each prospective member the affiliate sends and is subsequently converted on LoveVoodoo’s site, plus a 20% recurring commission for the life of the membership.

One would think that with the success LoveVoodoo has had using the affiliate channel, they’d sell their travel product through affiliates as well.  Indeed, LoveVoodoo makes the Hedonism II events available to travel agents (fully commissionable), but curiously, they’ve not done the same for travel affiliates.  We ask…why not?

TravelDividends thinks they should; this would not only open up a new affiliate channel travel ‘micro-niche’, but also indirectly help prove to resorts like Super Clubs that eschew the affiliate channel that travel affiliates should be an integral element of their distribution strategy.

Where do you stand on this notion?  We’re interested in hearing your views. Feel free to leave a comment or drop us an email…Thanks.