MPE CARIBBEAN REPORT NEWSLETTER

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The MPE Caribbean Report Newsletter offers travel, tourism, Caribbean and global news weekly. To share stories, information or intelligence, contact us at info@marketplaceexcellence.com.

FEBRUARY 13, 2023

Happy Valentine’s Day!

USVI’s return to CTO recognized in Curaçao

The return of the U.S. Virgin Islands to the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) was marked with an official tie-pinning activity during the organization’s business meetings in Curaçao last week.

In the photograph, CTO’s Director of Membership Services Faye Gill affixes the CTO pin to USVI Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte. Looking on are Anguilla’s Minister of Tourism Haydn Hughes (left) and CTO Chairman Kenneth Bryan, who serves as the Minister of Tourism and Transport for the Cayman Islands.

The U.S. territory joins more than two dozen multicultural, multilingual country members as well as private sector allied members supporting the region’s tourism development agency.

Marketplace Mention

Ian Gooding-Edghill, Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Barbados

“The conceptualization of Caribbean Travel Marketplace is one to boast about. This event has been staged for over 40 years and has become the region’s most prestigious tourism marketing and sales event. I wish to applaud the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) for the tremendous work it has done throughout the years in marketing the Caribbean product and providing meaningful connections with regional and international tourism professionals in promoting the Caribbean as the most desirable place in the world to visit, live, work and conduct business.” – Ian Gooding-Edghill, Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Barbados

Culture clash?

Cruise ship passengers come from a wide variety of cultures, lifestyles, and backgrounds. Ensuring guest satisfaction includes being mindful of the cultural differences that may exist between guests and the locales they visit.

One reason people travel is a curiosity and desire to experience different cultures, so sharing local culture with cruise guests is appropriate and often welcomed. Front-line personnel should be prepared to explain any local terms, expressions, gestures or customs that are unique to the region. These exchanges should be conducted in a manner that is respectful and informative and that demonstrates an understanding of language barriers, should those exist. For example, a phrase may have a different meaning or connotation in another culture, so explaining those differences can be helpful for guests.

Everyone who interacts with guests should be attentive to these guidelines:

Understand that there is no right or wrong cultural practice; there are only differences
Attempt to dispel cultural misconceptions or myths
Demonstrate respect with words and actions
Respect personal space

Don’t

Patronize guests from any culture
Make negative generalizations
Act upon or spread cultural stereotypes
Make potentially offensive comments on race, ethnicity, religion, lifestyle, age, or an individual’s physical or mental disability
Promote one’s own beliefs

In an ideal world, destination representatives and the guests they welcome will demonstrate a mutual respect for cultural differences. Excellent service can go a long way toward encouraging visitors to be considerate of a destination’s natural resources and environment, to immerse themselves in the local culture, to sample local foods and beverages, and to support local vendors.

The role of tourism stakeholders is not to judge or stereotype others’ cultures, but to ensure that every visitor has an excellent experience, while helping to broaden guests’ understanding of and appreciation for the local culture.

To learn more, visit www.cruiseexcellence.com.

Digital Digest

Digital Syllabus for Marketers

In today’s digital age, managing a brand’s online presence is essential for success. Businesses now have multiple tools and platforms at their disposal to help market their brands and reach the desired target audiences.

Here are five essential skills to learn when starting digital media marketing:

Search engine optimization (SEO): This is essential for ensuring that your brand can be found online and with ease. You can improve the exposure of your brand and increase website traffic by optimizing your website and content for search engines.
Social media marketing: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are effective tools for brand awareness and engagement with potential customers. By learning how to use social media strategically, you can build brand awareness, engage with your customers, and drive more sales organically and through advertising.
Content marketing: To create great content that attracts and maintains your audience’s attention, you must produce engaging, educational, and useful content. By developing your content creation skills, you may increase website traffic and increase brand recognition.
Email marketing: This is still one of the best ways to connect with and interact with your target audiences en masse. By creating targeted and effective email campaigns, you can build relationships with your customers, promote your brand, and drive more sales.
Web and app analytics: Web analytics is the process of gathering data to examine and glean workable insights from your websites and applications. By learning analytics you can gain insights into how your audience is interacting with your properties, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions about your online marketing strategy.

Feel free to reach out to us if you are interested in learning the basics about digital and social media. We believe in sharing knowledge for the greater good.

Medical Moment

World Hearing Day 2023 will be observed on March 3.

It will highlight the importance of integrating ear and hearing care within primary care, as an essential component of universal health coverage.

The following are key messages:

Ear and hearing problems are among the most common problems encountered in the community.

More than 60 percent of these can be identified and addressed at the primary level of care.

Integration of ear and hearing care into primary care services is possible through training and capacity building at this level.

Such integration will benefit people and help countries move towards the goal of universal health coverage.

On World Hearing Day, the World Health Organization will launch the “Primary ear and hearing care training manual”.

MPE Caribbean Report

In this week’s MPE Caribbean Report, we report on a Caribbean destination that is thankful for tourism and grateful for life.

Marketplace Excellence Corporation (MPE) is a global public relations, marketing and media company.