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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.

JULY 11, 2022

David Rudder, Sir Viv receive CARICOM Order

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Calypso revolutionary David Michael Rudder of Trinidad & Tobago (pictured left) and former West Indies captain and batting sensation Sir Vivian Richards of Antigua and Barbuda were among four recipients of the prestigious Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC) at the opening ceremony of the 43rd Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, in Paramaribo, Suriname last week.

Recipients also included former CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque of Dominica, and former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Barbados Dame Billie Miller. They join a cadre of distinguished persons who have been honored with the award.

First conferred in 1992, the award is given to “Caribbean nationals whose legacy in the economic, political, social and cultural metamorphoses of Caribbean society is phenomenal.”

The first awardees were Dr. William Demas, former CARICOM Secretary-General; Sir Shridath Ramphal, former Chief Negotiator of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chairman of the West Indian Commission, and former Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI); and St. Lucia’s Derek Walcott, internationally acclaimed poet and playwright and 1992 Nobel Laureate in literature.

St. Kitts Tourism welcomes Mia Lange as CMO

Mia Lange has joined the St. Kitts Tourism Authority.

Following the recent appointment of Ellison “Tommy” Thompson as CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, communications specialist Mia Lange has been named Chief Marketing Officer. In the newly created role, Lange will manage and market the destination’s growing tourism sector by strengthening its presence in key international source markets. 

Lange will oversee the strategic direction and implementation of all global marketing and branding efforts and will manage St. Kitts’ various international agencies. She will also lead the onshore public relations and marketing team in St. Kitts to ensure the seamless promotion of the island to citizens and residents.

Among several former roles with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Lange most recently served as Executive Director of Global Communications.

Thompson previously served as the Deputy Director General of Tourism with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.

Bonaire launches new tourism campaign

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The Tourism Corporation Bonaire has launched a new campaign: “It’s in our nature”.

Addressing followers on social media, Miles Mercera, CEO of the tourism corporation, revealed that the new brand speaks to Bonaire’s appreciation for all that the land provides, the warmth of its people and the way a vacation makes travelers feel.

He described the campaign as capturing the magic of Bonaire’s nature and people.

The eye-catching production and strategic storytelling communicate why Bonaire is a top destination for eco-minded travelers.

“We look forward to warmly saying ‘Bon Bini!’ to both new and returning

visitors excited to experience our culture, support our people, and protect our land.” – Miles Mercera

Former USVI Governor Charles Turnbull remembered

The late U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Charles Turnbull (left) with current USVI Governor Albert Bryan Jr.

Former U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Charles W. Turnbull, who passed away a week ago at age 87, is being remembered for his leadership of the Territory over two terms (1999 to 2007) and his commitment to strengthening education and creating opportunities for Virgin Islanders.

Governor Albert Bryan Jr. declared a 30-day period of mourning, ordering U.S. Virgin Islands flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Tuesday, August 2.

“Governor Turnbull was a true pillar in our community. Outside his legacy as our sixth-elected Governor, he was a historian, culture-bearer, and educator. No words can overstate the significance of his contributions to our territory. He was a giant, not only in stature, but in what he gave through his life’s work to our people’s educational and political advancement. I am blessed to have stood on his shoulders and received his encouragement and tutelage.” - Governor Albert Bryan Jr.

Digital Digest

Tips for implementing a winning Instagram strategy

This popular video and picture sharing application, owned by Facebook, is the go-to platform for capturing a highly engaged audience and a target market with a high aesthetic value. Here’s how you can leverage its content generation capabilities and reach.

• Strategy: Instagram requires special attention to the aesthetics and engagement message with the target audience. Since the audience is highly engaged and responds well to hashtag communication, it is always beneficial to use Instagram for campaigns that target a specific group or audience.
• Publishing: Instagram profiles are not created, they are curated. Utilize Instagram’s original post size, update stories, and create profile highlights. Publishing frequency can be the same as Facebook for the profile feature, but stories should be updated regularly based on the nature of your brand. Use captions for tagging relevant audiences and capitalize on trending hashtags.
• Creative: Templating might not be an option for Instagram. The platform offers multiple tools and famous filters to light up the posts. Focus on aesthetic value, choosing a clear subject, and the appropriate framing functionality. Text is secondary but should be used tastefully. 
• Audience: Instagram is one of the most evenly balanced platforms with almost equal male and female audiences. The 18-34 age group makes up 61% of the platform audience. It provides a great opportunity to create an ideal audience base that’s engaged and responds positively to content. 
• Advertising: Use Instagram to divert traffic to your website or microsite or to encourage app downloads. The advertising platform is the same as Facebook and provides similar functionality, but Instagram is a content-focused platform. Therefore, ads should be specially created and skillfully targeted.

Medical Moment

“Do one thing - to prevent drowning” is the theme for World Drowning Prevention Day 2022.

Drowning is one of the world’s most preventable and pressing public health issues.

World Drowning Prevention Day is held annually on July 25.

Children, males, and individuals with increased access to water are most at risk of drowning, which is among the 10 leading causes of death for children and youth aged 1 to 24 years.

Measures that can be used to prevent drowning include: 

• Installing barriers controlling access to water
• Providing safe places away from water such as crèches for preschool children with capable child care
• Teaching swimming, water safety and safe rescue skills
• Training bystanders in safe rescue and resuscitation
• Setting and enforcing safe boating, shipping and ferry regulations
• Improving flood risk management

MPE Caribbean Report

How will the Caribbean weather future threats to the region, including those that can potentially retard the growth of the region’s economy? MPE’s Lelei LeLaulu spoke with two prominent Jamaican leaders during his recent visit to Montego Bay for the World Free Zones Organization’s Annual International Conference & Exhibition.



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