Kingston, Jamaica – Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, on Tuesday, May 8, 2012, officially launched the Experience Jamaica 2012 campaign aimed at encouraging persons living and working in Jamaica to vacation at home rather than overseas.
The annual campaign, which has been organized by the Jamaica Tourist Board, JTB, was launched this year with a Travel Trade Show at the Wyndham Kingston Hotel, in which Jamaica’s culture was on display through music, dance and the spoken word. The Experience Jamaica campaign will run from May 1 to December 15 of this year. Speaking at the Launch, Minister McNeill described the Experience Jamaica Campaign as a very timely undertaking that offers special access to hotels, heritage sites and attractions that are some of the best in the world.
Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill
The Minister lamented the fact that not enough Jamaicans are experiencing what the country has to offer. He said “the fact of the matter is that we encourage visitors from overseas to come to our island to experience what many believe is the best product on offer. Yet our own people for the most part, while some may visit one or two attractions like Dunns River Falls, not enough are going to the other myriad of other attractions: and not enough are staying at our hotels and villas.“
The Minister went on to state that the Experience Jamaica Campaign was therefore a bridge meant to reconnect Jamaicans with their homeland. “This Experience Jamaica programme as the name implies is really about building awareness. Awareness of what Jamaica has to offer and facilitating a reconnection with Jamaica and Jamaicans,” the Minister expressed.
John Lynch
John Lynch, Director of Tourism said, “with Experience Jamaica, we have offered an incentive for Jamaican residents to discover why in 2011 alone, Jamaica was voted the World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination, Caribbean’s Leading Destination and the Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination. In addition, the programme offers an affordable opportunity for Jamaican residents to enrich themselves with a deeper awareness and appreciation of our island home.”
Some of the packages being offered by hotels, attractions, and other tourism partners under the Campaign are heavily discounted by as much as 50%. Minister McNeill is therefore urging Jamaicans, to take advantage of the offers, especially in this, the nation’s 50th anniversary. He said, “for me the discounts of up to 50% by the sector can be seen as a reward for 50 years of nation building. This our golden year of independence, is an appropriate time to treat ourselves to the multiple pleasures our island has to offer.”
Views expressed by patrons at the Trade Show indicate that the goal of the event was met as it was described as an “excellent promotion” and “a very educational and entertaining look at our country and tourism.” Forty-four of Jamaica’s tourism partners, representing the range of hotels, attractions and other tourism related entities from across the island, had booths at the launch event. A representative from one hotel, The Jewel Dunn’s River, expressed that “Experience Jamaica gave us the opportunity to showcase our products and services to the domestic market; and the overall feedback was great.”
