Caribbean Officials Bring Together PR Agencies to Work Together to Promote Regional Initiatives

The Caribbean Tourism Development Company (CTDC), the new marketing arm jointly owned and operated by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA), recently held a Caribbean Public Relations Council meeting bringing together more than 40 public relations agencies representing 14 destinations and dozens of hotel companies along with National Tourist Office representatives from nine nations to discuss how they can work together to promote the region and the new CaribbeanTravel.com website that will be launched Feb. 28, 2013.

The Caribbean Public Relations Council, originally launched by Richard Kahn, president of KTCpr in 1999 to assist in regional marketing initiatives was active in promoting the region following economic downturns after Sept. 11, 2001 and again after the Iraq War started in 2003.  Kahn, once again headed up the effort to bring together these normally competitive professionals to work together for a common cause in promoting the Caribbean brand.

Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, previously Secretary General for CTO and former Minister of Tourism for the Bahamas, chaired the meeting as a consultant to CTDC.  Warren Binder, Creative Travel Consultants and a consultant to both CTDC and CHTA co-chaired the meeting.

Sylma Brown-Bramble, Director, CTO USA, Inc. spoke about upcoming CTO events and conferences and urged cooperation for both CTDC and CTO events.  Fernando Abreu, Deputy Director, CTO USA Inc., was also present and assisted with the presentations.  Richard Kahn, Public Relations Consultant to CTDC, served as moderator for the meeting.

Countries Represented by PR Agencies included: Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Bermuda, Belize, Bonaire, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Jamaica, Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Countries Represented by NTOs included: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Martinique, St. Maarten/St. Martin, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.  Others attending included: CTO, CHTA, Jamaica Hotel & Tourism Association and the  Nassau/Paradise Island Promotion Board.

Kahn explained how the PR Council has worked in the past showing that cooperation among the agencies representing the Caribbean countries and the hotels across the region have enabled the Caribbean to promote greater awareness for all participants and helped achieve a comeback for the region after both Sept. 11, 2001 and the downturn in the economy following the Iraq War.

The Caribbean Tourism Development Company (CTDC) recently held a Caribbean Public Relations Council meeting bringing together more than 40 public relations agencies along with National Tourist Office representatives to discuss how they can work together to promote the region and the new CaribbeanTravel.com website that will be launched Feb. 28, 2013.