Nevis delegation seeks more PR exposure at the World Travel Market

Leader of the Nevis delegation, Mr John Yearwood, Tourism Advisor in the Nevis Island Administration.

Excel London (November 8, 2011) — A six-person public and private sector delegation from the island of Nevis at the World Travel Market in London is taking opportunity of the world largest tourism trade fair not only to make new contacts, but to strengthen the old ones as the island competes for its share of the travel trade cake in these hard economic times.

“The show (World Travel Market) is about making and maintaining contacts,” said Tourism Advisor in the Nevis Island Administration, Mr Alastair Yearwood, when the show opened on Monday November 7 at the Excel Exhibition Centre. “So from a private sector standpoint the hotels will be representing and trying to improve their relationship with tour operators, and travel agents.”

Five persons from Nevis, Mr John Hanley, the Nevis Tourism Authority (NTA) CEO, Ms Julie Claxton, NTA’s Marketing Officer for UK, Mr Jamie Holmes, Nisbet Plantation Beach Club’s General Manager, Mr Richard Lupinacci, owner of the Hermitage Plantation Inn, and Mr Alastair Yearwood, were joined in London by Tourism Consultant Ms Helen Kidd.

Selling Nevis at the World Travel Market: NTA’s CEO Mr John Hanley (2nd right) and Ms Helen Kidd (in the foreground) with a client. On the left is Mr Richard Lupinachi with a client.

Ms Helen Kidd who was the first CEO of the Nevis Tourism Authority has vast knowledge of the tourism trade will be doing PR for Nevis throughout the show and follow-up after the show, noted Mr Yearwood. The fact that she knows both the UK and Nevis markets it was felt that she is the best person to represent Nevis. Members of the Nevis delegation would be having meetings with all the stakeholders and the media, with the aim of improving Nevis’ image through public relations.

The delegation learned from a CTO seminar held on Sunday (November 6) that the most important side of marketing today, which is also endorsed by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, is public relations. “This means working with the press. Rather than paid advertising, get actual content advertising, articles, stories and so on,” observed Mr Yearwood. “One of the things both the private sector and NTA representatives will be doing is meeting the press and persuading them to come and do stories on Nevis.”

Apart from the charms of the unspoilt island in the Caribbean and its friendly people, which have been a strong selling point for Nevis through the press, the largest international appeal event the island of Nevis will have in 2012 is the 2nd Tristar Triathlon. “We are definitely featuring that and that event in itself is much larger than people in Nevis fully understand,” said the tourism advisor. “It is the first Tristar Triathlon to be held outside of Europe.

General Manager of the Nisbet Plantation Beach Club, Mr Jamie Holmes with a client at the St. Kitts and Nevis booth.

In the first event we had the world champion, and there was the number one or number two ranked world female tri-athlete. “It is a big deal in cycling and triathlon publications. Ms Kidd has arranged meetings with the writers who specifically specialise in sports. Hopefully we will be meeting with a member of BBC Sport, to speak specifically about that. There are other sporting events but from a tourism standpoint, that triathlon is huge and Nevis has a great feather in its cap – so that is going to be a feature for us.” Nevis is sharing a booth at the World Travel Market with sister island St. Kitts.

Leading the St. Kitts Delegation is the Federation’s Minister of Tourism the Hon Richard ‘Ricky’ Skerritt, who is also the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s chairman of Council of Ministers and Commissioners. Also in the St. Kitts delegation is the chairman of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority Mr Alphonso O’Garro and advisor in tourism, Mr Cedric Liburd. The booth is being managed by officials from the London-based St. Kitts Tourism Authority’s office.