The MPE Caribbean Report Newsletter offers travel, tourism, Caribbean and global news weekly. To share stories, information or intelligence, contact us at [email protected].

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

God Bless Bim on Independence Day!

The MPE team wishes Barbadians at home and abroad a Happy 56^thIndependence Day on Wednesday, November 30. We also salute the small island state this week on its one-year anniversary of becoming a republic. Happy Birthday, Bim!

Cruise leaders look to future

Speaking during a recent webinar, three industry leaders shared insights about the history of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA)and where the cruise sector sits right now. 

Hosted by FCCA President Adam Ceserano, the discussion featured FCCA CEO Michele Paige and Micky Arison, chairman of the world’s largest cruise ship operator, Carnival Corporation & plc, and long-time chair of the FCCA Executive Committee. 

With decades of experience in the industry, Paige and Arison reflected on their early days with the FCCA, back when cruising was mostly Europe-centric, with U.S. hubs in New York and California. Today, the sector is more global, and the Florida-Caribbean region receives wide cruise coverage.

The COVID-19 pandemic shook the sector, but Arison spoke of how industry players are rising to the occasion. “The whole industry is kind of going through a bit of a metamorphosis,” he said. “There are challenges but there are opportunities, and hopefully we can meet the challenges.”

The speakers also analyzed the current economic landscape, noting that the cruise sector offers exceptional value for money and, if positioned correctly, should be able to weather future storms. Other necessary strengths for cruise lines and partners will be maintaining good communication and ensuring that staff are well trained to consistently deliver a quality cruise product.

Here are some key takeaways:

• FCCA has come a long way since its inception.
• FCCA played a key role in bringing cruises back to Caribbean destinations amid pandemic protocols, unifying destinations on policies.
• Some lines (e.g., P&O Cruises), are basing ships in the Caribbean to reduce their carbon footprint. Destinations that are further afield from Florida (e.g., Barbados) should take note.
• The industry has dealt with setbacks before. If the value proposition of cruising is well positioned, the sector should be able to come through future economic challenges.
• Communication is key across the sector.
• The human factor is crucial to providing a quality vacation experience. Training team members must be a priority for all cruise partners.

Remembering Flavia Sanguinetti

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) and its members are mourning the passing of Flavia Sanguinetti, wife of veteran tourism stalwart and former CHTA CEO and Director General Alec Sanguinetti, who both hail from Jamaica.

According to Vanessa Ledesma, CHTA’s current chief executive, Flavia will always be remembered for her “joyful spirit” as well as her unconditional support to her husband and the CHTA team. 

“We’ll always remember her commitment and assistance during our major events and activities where she always volunteered to lend a hand. She was also a trailblazer in the industry holding major leadership positions at Air Canada at a time when female leaders had a difficult time stepping up the ladder,” said Ledesma.

Getting your story “write”

The ABCs of writing for the media (Part 4 of 4)

D: Demographics 

With the fourth installment of this series, we’re taking a look at demographics and the importance of finding your audience.

Some of your audience demographics may be obvious, for example if you’re representing a client with a designer clothing line, you may target fashion magazines for ad placements or feature articles. But there are also fashion blogs, Instagram influencers of all walks of life, podcasts and YouTube channels that may be great places to broaden your reach. 

What we’re getting at is that demographics can be wide and varied – you just have to be open to seeing opportunities to grow your audience. 

Surveys, polls and other research can help, and so can thinking outside the box. Where did your client grow up? Where did they go to school? What’s their ethnic background? What hobbies and recreational activities do they enjoy? In addition to the groups to whom your client’s products or services may typically appeal, there may also be opportunities to promote your client’s work among groups with which they have a connection. 

Don’t be afraid to explore untapped markets which are frequently overlooked by traditional advertising and media. There is a whole world of potential out there.

Digital Digest

Powerhouse in a pocket

The mobile phone is the go-to user choice from everything from simple numerical calculation to creating content and it is powerful enough to cater to multiple needs. The affordability, compatibility and sheer power of a mobile device make it an absolute powerhouse. With usage times increasing every day, here are some tips to take care of your device.

Updates: Just like a desktop or any hardware that interacts with software, the mobile phone also requires a comprehensive update of the operating system [Android or iOS] along with all applications to give you the best experience.

Security: Apart from performance, updates are also vital to increase the security of your data. Check and update all security credentials on your phone for passwords, biometric locks and face locks.

Application Access: Mobile devices can extract an array of information based on what the user allows. Keep a strict check on data access for applications. The usual suspects are gallery [pictures], location [in the background], microphone [in the background], and passwords. 

Time Off: This is more of a personal choice but consider doing this at least once a week for yourself and also for your device. Do a complete disconnect from the internet and switch off the mobile for a while. Technically, it closes apps working in the background, clears the cache, and increases battery life. On the personal side, the benefits of disconnecting can be immeasurable!

Medical Moment

World AIDS Day 2022 takes place on December 1, 2022.

HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system and has been established as the underlying cause of AIDS. 

AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and describes the collection of symptoms and infections associated with acquired deficiency of the immune system. 

Four decades after the initial response to the HIV pandemic, inequalities still exist for basic services like testing, treatment and condoms.

During the past two years of COVID-19 and other global crises, progress against the HIV pandemic has slowed, resources have diminished, and millions of lives have been affected. 

UNAIDS this year is encouraging the world to address the inequalities which are holding back progress in ending AIDS. These include:



• Increase the availability, quality and suitability of services for HIV treatment, testing and prevention so that everyone is well served. 
• Reform of laws, policies, and practices to tackle the stigma and exclusion faced by people living with HIV, and by key and marginalized populations so that everyone is shown respect and is welcomed. 
• Ensure the sharing of technology to enable equal access to the best HIV science between communities, and between the Global South and North. 

MPE Caribbean Report

Marketplace Excellence Corporation (MPE) is a global public relations, marketing and media company.