CEO of TUI Deutschland, Dr Volker Bottcher (left), and Jamaica's director of tourism, John Lynch have a lot to be happy about, having agreed to sign a strategic partnership to market the country, during their meeting at Riu Ocho Rios last Wednesday. - Photo by Janet Silvera

WESTERN BUREAU:

AIMING TO bolster its presence in the German market, Jamaica is to sign a landmark marketing agreement with central Europe's largest tour operator, TUI Deutschland.

The deal is expected to be sealed over the next two months, Jamaica Tourist Board's chairman and director of tourism, John Lynch, told The Sunday Gleaner.

"This is a major breakthrough, as we haven't been growing as we should in the last six to seven years," Lynch said during a press conference at Riu Ocho Rios, hours after addressing the largest contingent of European media persons to ever visit the island.

The group of nearly 100 media personnel from Turkey, Spain and Germany were hosted at the Spanish resort, from last Tuesday to Friday.

According to the tourism director, Jamaica has been circling the wagon in Germany for a long time. "Now we are getting to the meat of the matter."

Lynch noted that Jamaica and the tour operators have been talking in earnest for about a year, with local officials having worked with them during the Berlin World Championships in Athletics in August.

deal still being negotiated

He said the deal is still being negotiated and will include joint marketing and joint advertising.

"TUI is talking about growth. In three years, they want to take the number of people coming though their agencies to 26,000, and once they do that the lesser players will follow suit," argued Lynch.

Between January and September 2009, Jamaica received more than 13,000 visitors from Germany. At least 9,000 of those visitors would have been brought here by TUI by the end of 2009.

The tour operator's head, Dr Volker Bottcher, is convinced that his company can repeat the success it now enjoys in the Dominican Republic and Cuba, its biggest Caribbean markets.

"The clear intention of this marketing deal is, to our company, the opportunity to make Jamaica a more dominant force in Germany," he noted, using Turkey as example of a country TUI worked with and the success achieved.

"We have done a lot with Turkey, the only growing area in the Mediterranean during the world economic crisis," he explained.

thrust for expansion

In Jamaica's case, the country falls in with the tour operators thrust for expansion, which consists of three strategic levers for growth; expansion of its product ranger and consolidation of sales activities and optimisation of the business model.

Already, the organisation has 26 Jamaican hotels in its portfolio, which covers all segments of the market.

And Jamaica is becoming more and more a favourite with German holiday makers, especially after Usain Bolt's sensational victory at the World Championships.

"The bookings received for the current winter season are more than satisfactory, with the percentage growth in double figures. From our point of view, Jamaica still has a lot of tourism potential," asserted Steffen Boehnke, TUI manager, product management, Long-Haul West.

He said that summer 2010 looks good, and German holidaymakers are keen on well-known quality brands, for example, the TUI hotel brand Riu, which has four properties on the island.

In addition, he said TUI's programme offers many typical Jamaican hotels with that special local style, such as the Mocking Bird Hill in Port Antonio.

He said about 20 per cent of the people booking want to go on road trips around the island. "They are shocked when they come to Jamaica and see the diversity that the country has to offer."

Janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com