Barbados Tourism Facebook Ready   Barbados has reinvigorated its presence on the worldwide web with the recent unveiling of the Barbados Tourism Authority’s (BTA) Facebook profile and the Visit Barbados group, spearheaded by the BTA. According to the profile and group administrator, Damani Hamblin, Network Administrator (Ag.), BTA, the profile and group, which were launched in unison with the recently held Prime Minister’s Reception for Loyal Visitors to Barbados, will seek to capitalize on Facebook’s multimedia facilities to promote all local events on a more diverse scale. The purpose behind the initiative, according to corporate communications consultant, Chay Davis, BTA, is “to form a part of the BTA’s marketing communications mix, which would reinforce Barbados’ image as an iconic quality destination by targeting online prospective visitors and repeat visitors to the destination.” Both the profile and the group will utilize Facebook’s photo, video clip and events invitation features while promoting interaction with patrons via the discussion board, wall and private message features. Originally known as The Facebook, Facebook is a social-networking website founded in 2004 by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg and co-founders Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Eduardo Saverin. At present, Facebook  has more than 175 million active users who spend more than 3 billion minutes (worldwide) on the site on a daily basis. Internationally, the site is available in 35 different translations with more than 60 new versions in development. For more information please contact Damani Hamblin on (246) 467-3655 or visit www.facebook.com and search for the Barbados Tourism Authority profile or the Visit Barbados group.   BTA LAUNCHES BARBADOS GOURMET CARD The Barbados Tourism Authority’s (BTA) official ‘Year of the Gourmet 2009’ is nearing its marketing climax with the launch the Barbados Gourmet Card: an initiative promoting the island’s world-class and diverse culinary offerings to prospective and returning visitors from all major source markets. According to Product Integration Manager at the BTA, Andrea Franklin (right), the response to the programme so far has been very positive. “So far we have 21 restaurants on board and over 800 persons registered online in the marketplace.  The more restaurants we have on board, the more attractive the programme, so we invite all interested restaurateurs to contact BTA as soon as possible.  Some of the newer restaurants have come on board to take advantage of this initiative, which is a great marketing tool for them to get the much needed international exposure.” Franklin explained that the programme, which was launched on January 11, 2009, is a part of the BTA’s reinvigorated integrated marketing strategy in the face of the present challenging global economic climate. “Essentially, the programme is being offered amidst the slow season, and it is anticipated there will be an even softer summer this year, so this is one of the initiatives that we came up with to encourage visitors to continually support the participating restaurants.  The key to the programme is that the 25 per cent discount applies to food only, which gives the restaurants the opportunity to up sell on their beverages, while maximizing the opportunities for revenue earning once the people get in the door. Patrons can then go back and tell their friends about their experience.” The concept for the programme was pitched to the local restaurant sector in recognition of the fact that the primary ingredient for its success was full collaboration from the said sector, which would be the main beneficiary. “We had meetings with the restaurateurs and they suggested that we should not focus only on the traditional May – June tough period, but also apply it across the board, so there was consultation before it was developed.”  Beyond the Barbadosgourmetcard.com website, the programme is also being supported by PR in Barbados’ major source markets, e.g. through a facebook group and strategically placed advertisements that feature the participating restaurants, for example, in various gourmet magazines. Endorsed by restaurant critic, film maker and columnist, Michael Winner, the Barbados Gourmet Card is available to all visitors traveling to Barbados, who may apply for the card by visiting the barbadosgourmetcard.com website. The website is complete with general information on participating eateries, monthly restaurant features, recipes for signature dishes, mini biographies on the Chef of the featured restaurant and other general information about the island and its cuisine. Restaurants offering the 25 per cent discount include, on Barbados’ south coast, the Aqua Restaurant & Lounge, Josef’s, Luigi’s, Apsara & Tamnak Thai, Simply GiGi and the uniquely Polynesian, Wytukai; while on the platinum west coast are Daphne’s Barbados, Spago, Elbow Room, Scarlet, Mangoes by the Sea and Il Tempio, favoured by the late Luciano Pavarotti. Wispers on the Bay, Brown Sugar, and the Lighthouse and the Grille at the Hilton are the current options in and around Bridgetown. Other participants include David’s Place, Marketfive by John Hazzard, Fusion, Spago, Waterfront Café and Bonfire Restaurant. The gourmet card is a key element in the BTA’s marketing strategy for the culinary niche market.  Other elements of this strategy include the Zagat Survey,  which continues to position the island as the culinary capital of the Caribbean, by collating into an indispensable guide the many types of fine food available including Italian, French, Chinese, Indian and, of course, Bajan. To further strengthen its reputation for superlative culinary offerings, each October, Barbados also hosts its own Taste of Barbados Food Festival, where local, regional and international Chefs share their skills and offer cooking demonstrations and delicious samplings over a week-long period, featuring the very best in food and drink.   In addition, in 2009 a special Rum Shop Trail around the island will also be launched, further deepening the gastronomic offerings of the island. For further information on the Barbados Gourmet Card, please visit Barbadosgourmetcard.com or contact Andrea Franklin, Product Integration Manager at the BTA at (246) 467-3600.   re-DISCOVER the Caribbean in 2009   The sixth annual re-DISCOVER the Caribbean Show will take place on Friday April 24 and Saturday April 25, 2009 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Conference Centre in Barbados. Over 100 exhibitors representing 20 Caribbean destinations, including representatives from Belize for the first time, will be taking part for the first time. Participants will include national tourism offices and associations, individual and group hotels, attractions, activities, villa rental agencies, car rental companies, dive operators, yacht charters, travel agents and tour operators. The show will be officially opened at 3:00 p.m. on Friday April 24 by Barbados’ Minster of Tourism, the Hon. Richard Sealy. During the week beginning Monday April 20, the popular Mornin’ Barbados programme, which airs from 6 – 8 a.m. daily will be transformed into the re-DISCOVER the Caribbean Show Week.   There are also two options via which to view the show: on CBC TV8 or via the Internet by visiting www.re-discover.com and then clicking on the Mornin’ Barbados logo.   Show entrance is free and opening times are 3 – 9 p.m. on Friday April 24 and 10 – 7 p.m. on Saturday April 25. For further information, interested persons are asked to contact Mr. Adrian Loveridge at (246) 428 2129 or via email at re-discover@caribsurf.com.     BARBADOS BRIDAL SUITE The Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) proudly partnered with renowned department store Saks Fifth Avenue and Modern Bride magazine to create the Barbados Bridal Suite, an-invitation-only, one-stop-event for brides at the Fifth Avenue flagship store on Thursday, February 19, 2009. Brides-to-be were invited to plan their dream honeymoon, destination wedding or even a pre-wedding bachelorette celebration on the sun-drenched, romance island of Barbados.  Elite New York City travel agency, Valerie Wilson Travel, Inc., a member of the exclusive Virtuoso network, was also site to help plan the perfect honeymoon or destination wedding. At the Barbados Bridal Suite, brides were given an opportunity to learn about exclusive value-added destination weddings, honeymoons and pre-moon vacation offers.  They also perused high-end vendors as they planned different aspects of their wedding, while sipping on a Mount Gay Bajan Rum Punch.  From choosing the perfect scent with Vera Wang Fragrance, to selecting the dream shoe with Stuart Weitzman, having a make-over with Bobbi Brown cosmetics or visiting La Perla and Le Mystere for bridal lingerie, brides-to-be can view, sample and experience all the makings of a perfect wedding.  A highlight of the event was a series of prize drawings including: a four-night trip to the prestigious The Crane Resort on the east coast of Barbados; a bridal gown from A-list designer Melissa Sweet; a headpiece by Tia Mazza Veils; plus other fabulous on-the-spot-prizes. In addition, Saks Fifth Avenue Bridal Salon staged a fashion show presenting attendees with the latest in bridal couture, including Vera Wang, Melissa Sweet, Oscar de la Renta and other top designers. Additional vendors at the Barbados Bridal Suite included SK-II skin care; Saks Fifth Avenue Salon and Spa; Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Made-To-Measure and Ready to Wear collections; resort wear from Tory Burch; and Adriana Orsini Jewellery. Kimberly Wilson Wetty, co-president of Valerie Wilson Travel, Inc. said prior to the event, “Valerie Wilson Travel is very excited to be partnering with the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) at this event.  Together, we offer brides-to-be an exotic and romantic venue, coupled with uncompromising service and attention to detail in travel and wedding planning.  It all adds up to create the most memorable moments in a bride’s life… the perfect destination wedding or honeymoon.” Richard Williams (left), Vice President Sales & Marketing, North America, BTA, responded saying that “Barbados is delighted to partner with Saks Fifth Avenue, Valerie Wilson Travel, Inc. and Modern Bride for its first Barbados Bridal Suite. We have worked to create a laid-back island vibe at our event so that brides can have fun in planning their big day in a truly unique setting. “Brides will continue to get married, regardless of the economy; however Barbados believes they are looking for special ways to enjoy added value experiences.  Barbados offers the bride-to-be a truly memorable experience at a truly affordable price. ” By combining a destination wedding and honeymoon location, couples can save on airfare and other expenses.  From historic sugar mills, tropical gardens, immaculately restored plantation houses, isolated beaches and boutique hotels, Barbados has an abundance of unique locations in which to say I do. For more information on Barbados weddings and honeymoon product offerings visit www.idobarbados.com.       BARBADOS’ PM WELCOMES HOME REPEAT VISITORS   Close to 150 loyal visitors to Barbados were warmly welcomed by the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Hon. David Thompson, M.P., along with his wife, Mrs. Mara Thompson, at his official residence at Ilaro Court, Two Mile Hill, St. Michael on Wednesday February 18, 2009. The cocktail reception evening took place from 7 - 9 p.m., and was organized by the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) in honour of friends of Barbados and repeats visitors, who have returned to the destination more than five times.  Visitors were serenaded by the St. Paul’s Primary School choir, and steel pan music.    Two more visitor receptions will be hosted at Illaro Court on March 2 and during the earlier part of April 2009. According to the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), Barbados is the most revisited destination in the Caribbean. Close to 40 per cent of all visitors return to Barbados for their holidays, the majority of whom originate from Canadian. For further information contact the Barbados Tourism Authority at (246) 467-3626.     Barbados leading the way for medical tourism   The term ‘medical tourism’ is now being widely used for people who travel to another country for medical treatment. Barbados has long been established as a tourist destination, but now is also on the map for providing exceptional medical treatment as well, all thanks to Barbados Fertility Centre. Since 2002, the medical team at Barbados Fertility Centre have been helping infertile couples from around the world achieve their dream of having a child. The population of Barbados is not big enough to warrant a full time infertility unit, however head clinician, Dr. Juliet Skinner (left), saw the bigger picture and being Barbadian knew that her island home offered the peace and tranquillity that infertile couples from around the world needed when undergoing IVF treatment. From the outset Dr. Skinner and her highly trained team aimed to provide world-class fertility treatment at a reasonable cost in a state of the art clinic. And that is exactly what they are doing; they have established themselves as a centre of excellence for fertility with success rates for pregnancy increasing year on year. Their success rates surpass the national averages for both the USA and the UK. They have also been given the gold seal of approval by JCI International the US health accreditation body. This means that patients can rest assured of their high quality operating procedures and patient safety standards. Dr. Skinner said, “The beauty of getting couples to travel to Barbados is that they are forced to unwind when they soak up the natural beauty of the island. Stress is a major factor in infertility and by taking that away our couples are at their optimum to receive treatment. We combine traditional medicine with a holistic approach offering our couples massage, reflexology, acupuncture and sessions with a trained counsellor on the negative impact of fertility treatment.” Barbados Fertility Centre sees patients coming from the neighbouring Caribbean islands, who previously had to travel to the US or Europe for treatment, this was costly for travel and treatment costs were high. With costs being prohibitive many couples in the Caribbean region were unable to ever fulfil their dream of having a family. Now with treatment being readily available in Barbados, and costs being a third of the UK or US for a full IVF cycle, many more Caribbean couples can afford treatment.  Barbados Fertility Centre is now expanding its operations with new offices opening in March 2009 in Trinidad and Antigua, meaning couples can start treatment in their home country and then only have to travel to Barbados if a full IVF cycle is required. The centre also sees patients coming from the UK where waiting lists for IVF can be as long as three years decreasing a couples chance of success. Couples from the UK can fly to Barbados for a 2-week holiday, and undergo treatment for less that just treatment alone in the UK. In today’s economic climate, couples from the US are now finding that they are under insured for such treatment or due to job losses may not have any medical cover at all, therefore these couples who may only be able to afford one shot at IVF treatment are giving themselves the best chance of success by travelling to Barbados for the treatment. The state-of-the-art clinic at Seaston House comprises of an on site laboratory, theatre, recovery room and consulting rooms and the clinic is using the latest cutting edge methods to help infertile couples.     One such technique is called ‘Vitrification’, which uses liquid nitrogen to fast freeze embryos. This technique is not available in the US and the first UK baby born from the technique was in July 2008. Barbados Fertility Centre has actually been using this method with great success since January 2007. For further information about Barbados Fertility Centre please go to www.barbadosivf.org.     Planning Continues for Caribbean Week’s Return to NY Preparations continue for the return of the popular Caribbean Week celebration in New York, June 8 – 12, organized by the Caribbean Tourism Development Company (CTDC). Sponsorship opportunities are available for a number of events and highlights include: special Caribbean chef promotional activities June 8 – 9; meeting of the Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism and Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) officials; as well as a Caribbean Fair on June 10. On June 11, there will be workshops for travel agents and the Caribbean Diaspora, a media marketplace and awards luncheon, as well as an exciting "Caribbean Treats—Food, Rum & Rhythm" celebration at NY City's famed Roseland.  This will be followed by a Caribbean Marketing Conference, Caribbean Meeting and Incentive Travel Showcase, Allied Awards Luncheon, and closing press conference on June 12, culminating with the highly anticipated Governments of the Caribbean State Ball to be held at The Plaza. Immediately preceding Caribbean Week in New York, delegates from the region will travel to Washington, D.C. for the second annual Caribbean Tourism Summit (ACTS), June 8 – 10, 2009. This event will be business-focused and will include meetings on Capitol Hill, as well as internal meetings with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and CHTA officials. For more information on Caribbean Week New York or ACTS, call the CTO’s NY office at 212-635-9530 or log on to www.onecaribbean.org.   © 2009 Barbados Tourism Authority