Carnival stakeholders plan international market push
Kamal Bankay, chairman of the Sports and Entertainment Network (SEN), said the recent launch of Carnival in Jamaica should lead to an increase in the number of tourists who turn up carnival events.
"We are targeting as many as possible," said Bankay when asked how many tourists were being targetted for this year's carnival season.
Masqueraders have been toning and oiling their bodies ahead of the Road March, which takes place next Sunday in Kingston. This follows weeks of parties and warm-up events.
Bankay appears convinced that with Carnival in Jamaica being positioned as the umbrella brand for all carnival activities, the country will be able to offer a product to foreigners.
"This is ground zero, so what we are going to do is use this opportunity to collect the data necessary for use going forward," he said.
A carnival committee, which consists of more than 30 persons, including band leaders, event promoters, and costume designers, has been meeting to plan a coordinated approach to Carnival in Jamaica.
"Once the parades are wrapped, we're gonna look at all the marketing plans, collaborate with different entities and contemplate how to promote to the international market, and piggyback on other existing platforms within the tourism market. Just from a marketing standpoint, now that we have intellectual property, branding, and dates, we can push into the international markets. We are thankful that people see the vision and agree with what we're trying to do," Bankay said.
The Jamaica Tourist Board has said that it would provide marketing support, which includes the development of a landing page on the JTB website, where people can go for a listing of all Carnival-in-Jamaica events provided by carnival stakeholders. The SEN is also working closely with the Norman Manley International Airport and VIP Attractions to curate a Carnival in Jamaica display inside the arrivals hall to increase visitor interest in carnival upon arrival at the NMIA and Sangster International airports.