Top American television network, BET, Black Entertainment Television, considers itself a key stakeholder in the travel and tourism industry and wants to play a bigger role driving
business to the region.Speaking on the eve of CMExPress, the Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism one-day workshop, slated to open in Kingston on Friday, Cybelle Brown, Senior Director of Sales and Marketing of BET Digital Networks/BET Jazz, said her organisation currently drives a lot of business to the region through its programming, marketing expertise, and successful production of Jazz Festivals across the region, and they want to do more.

“BET Jazz will continue to support Caribbean Tourism and the initiatives of CMEx,” said Brown, a national of St. Lucia, home of the one world’s best jazz festivals. “We do this throughout the year through extensive promotion of many destinations on the BET Networks, annual sponsorships of events and through the development of Caribbean programming which we not only air on BET and BET Jazz, but also on our sister channels: VH1 and MTV Digital Networks.”

“BET is a phenomenal resource which enhances destinations by not only bringing the best international talent to the Caribbean it also stimulates local music,” noted Lelei LeLaulu of Counterpart International, producers of CMExPress. “With limited tourism dollars for marketing the Caribbean, it makes absolute business sense to team with television professionals whounderstand the Caribbean and US markets, who can negotiate cost effective cable airtime packages and deliver results to boot,” he said.
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