Castries, Saint Lucia  - Holidaying in the Caribbean this winter season has never been so cheap, said Hugh Riley, General Secretary of the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

Riley said internet bookings have proved some of the biggest bargains for holidaymakers.

It is also worth enquiring at hotels and airlines whether they are offering any discounts to their customers.

Holidaymakers from the United States are encountering savings of up to 50 per cent. "But European holidaymakers are also seeing some very inexpensive offers," says Riley.

German tour operators Meier's Weltreisen and TUI say the island of St. Lucia is just one of the Caribbean nations cutting prices for tourists.

However, European holidaymakers and tour operators are still encountering high charges when it comes to air travel to the Caribbean.

"Many airlines are in economic difficulties and are finding it hard to offer discounts," says Vincent Canderpool-Wallace, the Bahamas' Tourist Minister.

"We would be very happy to seem them passing on the fall in the price of fuel to their customers," said both the minister and Riley.

The Caribbean tourism industry is not yet experiencing the full force of the global economic downturn.

"I think there may be more problems in the summer," says Alec Sanguinetti, General Director of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.

Last year, 23.3 million people visited the Caribbean islands of - a visitor record and an increase of 2 per cent on 2007.

But visitor numbers have fallen from some European countries - only 400,000 tourists from Germany visited the Caribbean last year compared to 800,000 in 1998. (dpa)