By Bevan Springer, Marketplace Excellence Corporation

“There’s no reason why you can’t for instance fly into the DR (Dominican Republic) or fly into Turks and Caicos. Get married in the Turks and Caicos and fly to the DR for the honeymoon and enjoy it and fly back to Canada. There’s no reason why you can’t build in your schedule a stop in the Bahamas as part of a one vacation package. For us to work with various tourism boards, various islands, it requires us working with various travel agencies, wholesalers to help us conceptualize and package and resell it, and it requires us working with the various airlines to ensure the cost of travel is not prohibitive that you can actually get an incentive to do so. That in itself can happen but it requires all of us working together to make it happen. I’m committed to doing that.” – Dr. Rufus Ewing, Premier, Turks and Caicos Islands (TravelIndustryToday.com)

“You can set standards for a hotel operation, but the standards need to be carried out by a team that wholeheartedly embraces them and has the ambition to excel in everything they do. We not only want to meet guest expectations with our service – we also want to exceed them every step of the way. Our wonderful team not only shares this philosophy but they also walk the talk.” – Karolin Troubetzkoy, Executive Director, Marketing and Operations, Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet

“This latest marketing effort highlights Lucian Carnival as yet another reason for our Caribbean neighbors to choose St. Lucia as their summer getaway. We have also focused our attention on the French Market via Martinique where we see much interest in the French participating in our Carnival. Martinique, and by extension Guadeloupe, (boasts) a high percentage of repeat carnival visitors eager to play mas here on St. Lucia.” –  Tracey Warner-Arnold, Deputy Director of Tourism, St. Lucia (thebahamasweekly.com)

“(Visitor satisfaction) is to be constantly … surveying our visitors’ feedback. Not only do we want them to return we want them to recommend it to others. We are not taking visitor satisfaction lightly.” –  Hugh Riley, Secretary General, Caribbean Tourism Organization (TravelIndustryToday.com

“In Jamaica, cruisers can splurge on helicopter tours that give a bird’s eye view of the largest English-speaking Caribbean island and its breathtaking Blue Mountain range. Whichever port you pull into, customized private experiences are the most indulgent way to discover the destination. You’ll pay a premium, of course, but nothing beats having a dedicated expert guide and the chance to have a waterfall, white-sand islet or a perfect slice of the tropical jungle all to yourself.” – Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon, Journalist (USA TODAY)

“The BHTA (Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association) believes that having the rooms at Almond Beach Village back in operation will be positive for the industry and every effort should be made to ensure that this happens sooner rather than later.” – Patricia Affonso-Dass, President, BHTA (Barbados Nation)

“What is excellence at one level is mediocrity at the next.” – A.R. Bernard, Pastor, Christian Cultural Center

“Quotable Caribbean” is compiled by Marketplace Excellence Corporation, a full-service, integrated marketing agency committed to excellence in the fields of public relations, marketing and media coaching.

www.marketplaceexcellence.com