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The MPE Caribbean Report Newsletter is a newly launched product offering travel, tourism, Caribbean and global news in a newsletter format. To share stories, information or intelligence, contact us at info@marketplaceexcellence.com.
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Jamaica’s “Cooking with Gas” |
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Jamaica Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett |
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Jamaica tourism is “cooking with gas”, with its tourism sector now 70 percent back when compared with its performance in the 2019 banner year for the industry. Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett spoke with John Kirk of TravelPulse during a recent visit to Canada. Here are some of the highlights.
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Supply chain disruptions have negatively impacted the sector
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Attracting workers back to tourism is a challenge
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Retraining, redeveloping, repositioning, and resetting service levels are key
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Plugging tourism leakages, and promoting linkages are important
Watch here for the Minister’s take on resilience, crisis management and innovation across the tourism industry.
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Image by Abdul Wahid, Marketplace Excellence |
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As we close out Women’s History Month and through the creative lens of Marketplace Excellence’s Graphics/Multimedia Editor Abdul Wahid, we pay tribute to the first English-speaking Caribbean athlete to medal at the Olympics.
Named Jamaica’s Sportswoman of the Year on 15 occasions, Merlene Ottey first medaled (bronze) in the 200m at the Moscow Games in 1980. This achievement led to her being awarded Jamaica’s National Honor of Officer of the Order of the Nation, and the Order of Distinction.
Merlene is one of only two women to have competed at seven Olympic Games (six times representing Jamaica and once representing her adopted homeland of Slovenia). The Queen of the Track is the holder of nine Olympic medals and five world records, and still holds the women’s indoor 200m world record, which she set in 1993.
We salute Merlene Ottey, a Caribbean champion of excellence!
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New Tourism Chief for St. Lucia |
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Lorine Charles-St. Jules, CEO, Saint Lucia Tourism Authority |
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A member of the St. Lucian Diaspora is the new CEO of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA). Lorine Charles-St. Jules, a seasoned sales and marketing executive, takes the reins from Beverly Nicholson-Doty, former U.S. Virgin Islands Commissioner of Tourism who served as SLTA’s CEO for more than two years.
Charles-St. Jules, who is no stranger to St. Lucian tourism, having spearheaded its northeastern sales charge for a number of years, has hit the ground running. “Let Her Inspire You” in this interview with Matt Turner, the Caribbean Editor of Travel Agent.
Her agenda includes:
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Strengthening St. Lucia’s relationship with travel advisors
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Improving air connectivity, including the new and exciting market of Dallas, Texas as well as areas in Canada
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Welcoming the arrival of AMResorts, Courtyard Marriott and Hyatt brands to the island
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Intra-Caribbean Travel Comes into Focus |
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Many Caribbean countries and territories rely heavily on the intra-Caribbean travel market, which has taken a huge hit during the pandemic, prompting the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) to launch two upcoming sessions to bring this subject into focus. Some of the region’s leaders will engage in discussion on strategies to revive air capacity as well as travel demand.
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Travel within the region has only recovered to an estimated 30 percent of pre-pandemic levels
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Session participants will include: Governor Albert Bryan Jr. of the U.S. Virgin Islands; Nicola Madden-Greig, President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association; Neil Walters, Acting CEO and Secretary-General, Caribbean Tourism Organization; Alicia Cabrera, Executive Manager, Marketing & Loyalty Programs at Caribbean Airlines, among others
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Sessions will be held on Wednesday, April 6 and Thursday, April 7 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET
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There are numerous acronyms that are bandied about during hotel conferences and presentations, so we thought we would explain the meaning of some of them in this section. Ever wondered what is ADR?
Well, we are glad you asked. ADR = Average Daily Rate. In other words, the average daily rental rate paid per occupied room during a given time period. Total room revenue divided by the number of rooms sold will give your ADR for a particular period.
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Do you know the difference between a direct flight and nonstop flight? A nonstop flight operates from one destination or airport to another without making a stop, whereas a direct flight can make a stop(s) before continuing to its final destination - once the flight number remains the same.
For example, if a passenger travels from New York to Bahamas and the plane stops in Miami (before the same plane with the same flight number continues its onward journey), that flight is considered a direct flight to The Bahamas.
Bottom line: nonstop flights are all direct, but not all direct flights are nonstop.
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Preserving and Promoting Caribbean Culture and Heritage |
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Credit: U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Festivals |
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Kudos to the U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Festivals for putting the spotlight on the importance of marrying culture, heritage and tourism promotion.
According to St. Croix’s Frandelle Gerard of Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism (CHANT), “tourism is about the power of place, the power and ability to attract people, and sand and sun and sea is something that we share in common with many, many locations; what makes us unique is our culture and our heritage.”
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Barbados opens Embassy in the United Arab Emirates |
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Days before the close of Expo 2020 Dubai last month, Barbados officially established a diplomatic presence in the Middle Eastern city of Abu Dhabi.
In case you missed last week's edition of Caribbean Report, MPE’s Lelei LeLaulu weighed in on this new development and shared some highlights from the massive global gathering of nations.
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Marketplace Excellence Corporation (MPE) is a global public relations, marketing and media company.
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