By Roy Sanford, Freelance Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
A NUMBER of journalists from prominent European magazines will be visiting Jamaica as part of the Jamaica Tourist Board's (JTB) effort to expand and advertise the island's tourism product in the European market.
The visits come sharp on the heels of a visit to the island by a crew from the Netherlands Lottery Station Nederlandse Staastsloterij to film some of the island's favourite tourist spots. Nederlandse Staastloterij is offering a trip to Jamaica as a prize to one of its lucky lottery winners.
"It looks as if we will have another Dutch TV programme going down (to Jamaica) as well as journalists from the Allgemeen Dagblad, Residence Magazine and Elegance Magazine," David Barber, JTB's Deputy Director of Tourism Worldwide told The Gleaner.
The journalists are being brought to the island courtesy of JTB and they are expected to write about the island in their respective magazines.
The visits are part of a strategy by JTB to gain a solid foothold in the European market.
"Jamaica suffered when British Airways terminated the Montego Bay flight as many continental European patronised this service," Barber said. "Because Jamaica had under-funded and all but ignored the European market for so many decades, much of the airlifts disappeared. We have spent the last five years fighting to get the investment back into Europe and then approaching the airlines with a view of re-starting service."
The exposure created by the journalists on the European market is expected to create a great impact on small hotels on the island.
"The British market is now totally all-inclusive and the market share of the smaller hotels has gone," Barber noted. "The Dutch, Germans and the Swiss have always favoured smaller properties from where they can venture out and explore."
Meanwhile, Barber said that the JTB has received a commitment from Martinair, the new flight from The Netherlands, of 100 seats per flight. He said that Martinair has also informed him that between November and April 2002-2003, 2,700 seats have already been booked from Austria, Germany and Switzer-land. "This is tremendous news," he stated.
