Jamaica gets major boost in Canadian tourism market
Jamaica’s tourism industry got a massive push from Canadian media outlets during recent live broadcasts across 12 Canadian radio stations and popular Canadian morning television programme. Both events were hosted at Sandals South Coast, Westmoreland.
The two weeks of coverage, co-organised and funded by Sandals Resorts and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), kicked off with the ‘Password to Paradise’ radio remote that saw more than 1.5 million listeners tuning in daily to well-known disc jockeys from provinces such as Niagara, Peterborough, Ottawa, Halifax, and Kingston, among others.
While many listeners were up at the break of dawn to hear about the grand experiences on the island from the radio personalities, many also vied daily to win one of 30 trips to also experience Jamaica. As a well-liked travel destination, Sandals and the JTB aim to continue positioning Jamaica as the place to vacation and explore business ventures.
Additionally, Sandals South Coast hosted Canada’s longest-running morning TV show Breakfast Television (BT) to continue boosting Jamaica’s rich culture and the plethora of natural attractions to enjoy.
Principal of the Canadian public relations company Pembroke PR, Tracy McCann, who was in charge of the logistics for both broadcasts, shared that the coverage will be a major push for Jamaica’s tourism industry as
CityTV (the home station for Breakfast Television) reaches one million Torontonians weekly and 14.1 million Canadians monthly. .
General manager at Sandals South Coast O’Brian Heron shared that the recent radio remote and television broadcasts showcased parts of Jamaica that many tourists may not be familiar with.
“This has been a great opportunity to share our beautiful island with the Canadian community. While we hope that this will translate into new visitors for not just our resort and the Sandals brand, but the bigger picture is how our country and the Caribbean will benefit,” said Heron.
While enjoying their time on resort, both groups had a chance to explore the island on various excursions and also had the opportunity to partake in community outreach initiatives led by the Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts.