Tourism Marketing Approaches Being Optimized

Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has outlined marketing and advertising initiatives geared at enhancing the country’s tourism product and increasing visitor arrivals.
Speaking at a media briefing at the Ministry’s offices yesterday (Jan. 14), he pointed out that intense advertising, marketing and promotion of the island overseas, is key, in presenting the island to the world. “We are fine-tuning our marketing approaches and making sure that we are on top of the market. We are advertising in a far more creative and cost effective way and getting more value for our money,” Minister Bartlett explained.
He informed that Brand Jamaica is being heavily advertised overseas especially in the United States and Canada, which are major markets.
“We started our new rounds of advertising on direct and cable television.we are on 40 channels in the U.S. and that round is going to coincide with one of the biggest events in the world – the inauguration of President Obama,” the Minister pointed out adding that, “so while that is going on, Jamaica is going to be there and our images are going to be on the network throughout the U.S. and elsewhere.”
Additionally, he noted that Brand Jamaica is being promoted on several radio stations in the United States and Canada. “Last week, we had a number of radio stations here (in Jamaica) and we were beaming from Jamaica to various destinations across North America,” Minister Bartlett informed, adding that for the next few weeks several other radio stations will be in Jamaica sending the message and “selling” the island to the world.
“We are going to be promoting.we are going to be hitting the streets, being visible in the cities with our messages all over U.S. and Canada,” Mr. Bartlett informed.
Local marketing is another key strategy that will be used to promote the sector. He noted that a domestic marketing programme will be developed where “we will be encouraging packages locally so that Jamaicans may also benefit from the special deals and packages that are now in the industry”.
He noted too, that familiarisation tours of hotels, attractions and popular locations will be planned for local and Diaspora journalists. “We are going to be giving them opportunities to spend a day or night in the hotels so that the local journalists understand a little bit more about tourism and about what is happening in the hotels, so as to better help us to transmit the message across to the wider world as to the efficiencies that we have here, the value of the destination and the quality of the service and offerings that we are presenting,” the Tourism Minister pointed out.
He explained that the overall aim this year is to continue on a path of market diversification with continued focus on existing and emerging markets. “In addition to our legacy markets of the U.S., Europe and Canada, we will be working through South America and also targeting emerging markets such as Brazil, Mexico and Argentina.”