The Department of Tourism plans to spend more than $2 million over the next three months on marketing to ensure the territory is a top of mind choice for travelers to the Caribbean during the fall and the upcoming 2016-17 winter season, according to Government House.
Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty reported that both on-island and stateside national and international public relations, marketing and advertising teams have combined efforts to promote the territory’s offerings.
More than $1.5 million will be spent for advertising, with national television, print and digital media, targeting market niches such as travel, food, marine activities, the military, cruise passengers, filmmaking, and meetings and conferences.
More than $200,000 is earmarked for print and digital advertising to promote the destination’s Centennial. Print ads are directed at Scandinavian communities within the United States who have the propensity to visit the USVI during the Centennial year in 2017 and digital media will be directed worldwide.
There is also a family reunion promotion, designed to encourage Virgin Islanders living outside the territory to return home to reunite with their loved ones.
The department will host events in Orlando and Maryland during the next three months. In addition to promoting the territory to members of the media, department officials plan to meet with travel agents and meeting planners, as well as USVI Tourism Ambassadors in those markets.
The department will host journalists from national, regional and multicultural publications to generate feature stories that showcase various facets of the destination. Plans are in the works to host a group of media from leading culinary, travel and lifestyle media for the upcoming Dine V.I., which will take place on all three islands from Oct. 27 to Nov. 12.
September’s schedule includes hosting tour operators and journalists from Denmark, visits to Detroit, Ohio and Toronto, as well as participation in the Apple Vacations annual trade show and product launch in Chicago, Delta Vacations’ trade show in Atlanta, and the AAA bridal show in Burlington, Mass.
