Trinidad and Tobago has launched a new training and sales campaign offering top-selling agents the chance to join educationals and appear in its trade adverts.
To take part in the campaign, which has been pulled together under the name “Take Some Time Out” and uses agents making the sign of a “T” with their arms in its imagery, agents have to register by phone or online.
They will then be visited by a representative from the islands’ Tourism Development Company UK office and can start work on the training, answering questions on one section before moving to another.
Speaking at World Travel Market on Monday, TDC manager Nova Alexander said: “This year we have concentrated on raising awareness of the destination. Now we are being a lot more focused. We want to translate awareness into sales.”
Alexander said sales will be rewarded with gifts, while agents who sell 20 or more rooms will be invited on an educational at the end of 2007 and have the chance to appear in trade advertising for the Take Some Time Out campaign.
Alexander said the campaign, the island’s first big trade campaign in the UK, has been launched in anticipation of a tough year for the Caribbean next year.
She said: “This year has not been as good we’d have liked from the UK and next year will be difficult for the region.”
Tobago expects 39,000 UK visitors this year.
She added: “This year a lot of people stayed at home because of the World Cup and people have been put off the Caribbean by the hurricanes over the past two years. This year has been very quiet so hopefully people have regained confidence in the region.”
Meanwhile, the TDC is investing £400,000 on a consumer advertising campaign launching in December under the strapline “True Caribbean”.