The Jamaica Tourist Board has appointed travel and tourism specialists McCluskey International to handle its public relations in the UK and Ireland, effective from 1st March.
The public relations strategy will address the general awareness of Jamaica among its consumer and trade audience, and communicate its diversity and potential to appeal to new, special interest markets, as well the traditional holiday visitor. Jamaica’s quality boutique and bed and breakfast accommodation, local culture, music, history and food have all been identified by McCluskey International as being of key importance in extending Jamaica’s reach beyond its core visitor.

McCluskey International has also identified a sub-strategy to capitalise on the enormous potential presented by the considerable Jamaican community based in the UK. The agency has drafted in ethnic specialist and Jamaican-born PR professional Michael Williams, who will work side by side with the McCluskey International account team on a ‘diaspora programme’ of activity to engender greater loyalty among the Jamaican community and persuade UK-born and based Jamaicans to choose their home country as a holiday destination.

JTB Director of Tourism Basil Smith said: “Jamaica is a complex destination to promote not least because of its extraordinary mix of people and product. We felt very strongly that it needed a destination specialist and the Board agreed that McCluskey International’s vast range of experience, especially in promoting island destinations, and their creative ideas, made them the ideal candidate for the task.”

The account team will be headed up by group account director Susie de Carteret, with support from account director Sarah Long, account manager Natalie Amos and account executive Beverley Russell. Agency principal Judy McCluskey will enjoy a hands-on, proactive role as she does for all the agency’s key accounts.

McCluskey said: “I have watched the progress of Jamaica’s tourism closely over the last few years, and I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to take it to the next level. The investment and increased air lift has opened up tremendous opportunities, and with greater numbers of people seeking ever more unique experiences, I believe that the UK consumer is ready to peel back the layers and discover what lies behind this stunning country’s proud exterior.”

The agency will work closely with the JTB’s UK based regional director Elizabeth Fox to ensure the implementation of an integrated consumer and trade programme, while reporting into the Kingston head office.
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