Jamaica House in London a Success – McNeill

Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, said that the Government's multi-ministerial marketing and promotional initiative in the United Kingdom (UK), 'Jamaica House' was "a spectacular success".

"We had considerable success during the actual event, with a significant portion of the benefits to be gained in the near future and continue for a considerable time,” he said on August 20, while addressing a press briefing at Jamaica House.

Established in the Millennium Dome (O2 Arena) in London, ‘Jamaica House’ was staged to promote brand Jamaica and capitalise on the success of the country’s athletes at the just concluded Olympic Games. 

Dr. McNeill said the key objective was to ensure that the attention and enthusiasm generated by Jamaica’s athletes was focused in a manner to enable the country to harness and maximise the benefits to the island.

As part of the promotional activities, the sector set out to target the Jamaican Diaspora and create within that demographic an "aspirational" desire to visit Jamaica; create a combined marketing initiative and facility that could be branded and used at the Olympics and subsequent major events worldwide; and deepen partnerships with business and industry by creating a unified front between the sectors of tourism, industry and sport.

In line with these objectives, Dr. McNeill informed that during the period of the Olympics, over 300 travel agents and tour operators were "brought in" during 'Jamaica House promotions'.

"The Jamaica Tourist Board actively engaged the media, as over 600 accredited media representatives were registered and filed stories from or about Jamaica House,” the Minister informed.

Additionally,  he noted that ‘Jamaica House’ facilitated face-to-face contact and interaction with some 18,000 visitors to the venue, which was oversubscribed from its online registration system, with attendance surpassing online registration by 30 per cent on average daily.

"Social media was also heavily utilised as we provided a designated room for bloggers and persons, who wanted to communicate via Twitter and Facebook in 'Jamaica House'. Among the facilities were a dedicated TV broadcast room, and live radio remote broadcasts," Dr. McNeill added.

Organised by Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and the Jamaica 50 Secretariat, Jamaica House was a collaborative effort among the Ministries of Tourism and Entertainment; Industry, Investment and Commerce; Sports; and the Office of the Prime Minister.