Jun 2010 Financial News

Tourism campaign trail in high gear

Jun 23, 2010

Tourism minister Edmund Bartlett is pulling out all the stops to lure visitors to the island as he continues a whirlwind tour of the three countries which provide the majority of the visitors to Jamaica.

Bartlett has breezed through the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, trying damage control in the wake of Jamaica's massive negative publicity in the international media during last month's attempt by the security forces to capture west Kingston strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.

"Bookings for the winter season are down but we are pressing flesh and connecting with our international partners to spread the word that Jamaica is open for business," Bartlett told The Gleaner from Canada over the weekend.

"We are saying to our partners that our cultural heritage is still there, our warm and beautiful people are ready to welcome them and all our attractions are up and running," Bartlett said.

"What took place was an isolated incident in the inner-city area of metropolitan Kingston, far removed from the tourism centres where all the excitement and leisure activities are taking place," is the message Bartlett and his team have taken to New York, London and other major cities.

He told The Gleaner that there has been good reception from airlines, tour operators and the international media so far.

"We will shortly embark on a massive promotion campaign, but already there is a growing understanding of what the country is about and the fact that we have embarked on a campaign against crime," Bartlett said.

Little details

But so far, the tourism ministry has provided little details on how this campaign will be conducted.

One arm of that campaign is expected to involve the tourism ministry taking thousands of travel agents for familiarisation tours of the island, but it appears that the numbers will be much less than initially planned.

Bartlett and his team have already accepted that the reports in the international media during the west Kingston clashes lead to uncertainty, fear and feelings of insecurity, particularly by persons looking to Jamaica for family vacations.

"But I am satisfied that the measures we have implemented are working and I expect to see positive changes soon," added Bartlett.

The tourism minister had previously announced that there was a worrying number of cancellations of bookings in the immediate aftermath of the west Kingston violence.

At that time, Bartlett had indicated that the fallout was about 15 per cent.

The cancellations were also confirmed by Wayne Cummings, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), but he did not speculate on the numbers.

However, other major players in the industry expressed fear that the fallout could cost the country US$300 to US$350 million while putting paid to plans to achieve a six per cent increase in visitor arrivals this year.

The Government was quick to approve an additional US$11 million for additional promotion in an effort to minimise the negative effects.


Source:
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com
Jamaica Gleaner
Wednesday June 23, 2010

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