PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten marketing representatives from around the world reported a very active year in 2013 as well as new plans for increased promotions for 2014, all within the confines of the current budgets allotted to the Tourist Bureau. Among the findings released at the recent Annual Tourism Marketing Conference were:
Tambourine, the island's North American advertising and marketing firm, reported that advertising budgets were focused on generating visits to the VacationStMaarten.com website which resulted in an increase in visitors to the destination.
Tambourine's goals and objectives in 2013 have been designed to put St. Maarten in the consideration set for any traveler seeking a Caribbean experience. The company, which created the very successful VacationStMaarten website, has used Paid Search (PPC) as the cornerstone of its digital marketing budget.
Tambourine's digital advertising campaign generated millions of impressions across a wide spectrum of Google sites in various countries as well as The New York Times' website.
Before Tambourine began advertising in March there were 5,145 Fans on the destination's Facebook page and today there are 91,706 Fans (a 1,682% Increase since March). St. Maarten went from being #26 in the region for Facebook fans to #7.
Tambourine is planning a co-operative on-island food festival promotion to attract top editors, critics and consumers. It would include a year-round promotion in print, online and social media featuring St. Maarten and its culinary scene.
KTCpr, the marketing and public relations firm for North America, noted that public relations in the U.S. and Canada were focused on generating articles by mainstream media as well as promotions on national television and local radio shows in key market areas.
KTCpr reported that there were more than 50 separate press releases averaging about one per week going out directly to U.S. and Canada trade and consumer publications as well as distribution via public relations efforts in Europe, South America and Puerto Rico by the other marketing agencies in those areas. The releases promote events taking place throughout the year, individual hotel packages and island-wide promotions as well as the cruise port and airport.
A number of press trips were conducted with major press attending from the bridal markets, family travel magazines, culinary trades, sailing publications and individual writers from major consumer magazines and newspapers.
Promotions included local and national television such as the Dr. Oz show and the Ellen Degeneres show as well as major multi-day coverage on the WPIX Morning Show in the New York tri-state area following on-location filming in St. Maarten by one of the Morning Show's personalities.
Upcoming promotions will include some nationally syndicated network and cable television shows with an emphasis on filming on location in St. Maarten. A radio come-along is being discussed in Canada with a major Toronto radio show in which the host will bring his show and a plane load of vacationers to St. Maarten to broadcast live from the island.
The other agencies representing St. Maarten were equally active in their particular markets including:
Interamerican Network, based in Brazil, increased its efforts across South America and reported that Copa Airlines signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch or increase service from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Panama, Columbia, Paraguay and Uruguay. Brazil was up 40% this year and Columbia and Argentina were up 23%. They are working with Copa as well as Avianca to increase air service out of South America where interest is up for vacations, especially in the slower summer season.
Interamerican started an aggressive social media campaign in 2013 launching a Facebook Fan page for Spanish-speaking countries and another for those who speak Portuguese. Partnering with Ecuadorian tour operator Dream Travel, Interamerican promoted seven charter flights from Quito to SXM. Interamerican also intends to take small groups of journalists to St. Maarten as well as a celebrity to be a "St. Maarten Ambassador."
InterReps in Holland increased structured marketing online which resulted in a gain in bookings to St. Maarten. They are focusing on the wedding and honeymoon market as well as culinary and also launched an online promotion with a weather channel generating 3.5 million impressions and more than 10,000 visits to the website. They also are working diligently to help add air service from Scandinavia where there is interest from vacationers to visit St. Maarten.
Paradigm Associates out of Puerto Rico has increased its joint promotions with JetBlue and has also launched a major year-round, island-wide promotion in movie theaters in which St. Maarten is featured in the theater and movie trailers with vacation prizes for movie goers. They have also been working closely with JetBlue on increasing frequencies of air service between Puerto Rico and St. Maarten. Paradigm has launched a number of major shopping mall promotions at high traffic sites including Plaza las Americas, the largest shopping center in Puerto Rico, which has generated broad interest in St. Maarten.
Sales activities in North America have been enhanced by the addition of Jaunt Marketing headed up by Catherine Pentiricci, a veteran sales rep who previously worked on the St. Maarten account 10 years ago. She returns with her own company and numerous connections to the travel industry trade. She will be representing the destination as the St. Maarten Tourist Office in Canada, attending key trade shows on behalf of St. Maarten and bringing top tier travel agents to visit the destination on fam trips. She also is working closely with KTCpr in New York to assist with promotions in Canada.
Also working closely with KTCpr in New York is Cyndi Miller Aird, a veteran sales rep who has represented the destination for more than 25 years. She continues to seek out relevant travel agent and consumer trade shows and coordinates with the hoteliers on St. Maarten to attend these shows. Cyndi also sets up and conducts training sessions for both travel agents and tour operators and in her spare time visits 30 to 40 individual travel agents each month to educate them and update them on the latest hotels, restaurants and activities on island. She also works closely with the tour operators and airlines to ensure that they promote and sell the destination.
