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 7, 2022

Happy National Gratitude Month

Even though its benefits are immeasurable, an attitude of gratitude is probably one of the most overlooked methods of self-care despite being so simple and easy to activate. 

Several studies have shown gratitude makes you healthier, happier, more successful and a better person, not to mention the positivity generated by the beneficiaries of your thanks. 

As well as generating joy, serenity and optimism, practicing gratitude boosts self-esteem, which leads to higher life satisfaction and greater resilience. 

In everything, we give thanks!

Jamaica’s public-private tourism leaders connect

The newly elected president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), hotelier Robin Russell (center) has hit the ground running and is keeping critical issues alive since taking up the post recently.

During a courtesy call to Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett(right), the tourism sector leaders discussed challenges facing the local tourism sector, including labor supply, driving growth, and security measures. 



Joining the discussion was Senior Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright. 

The courtesy call took place recently at the Ministry of Tourism’s New Kingston offices. 

During the meeting, Minister Bartlett praised the JHTA for being a critical partner in the post-COVID-19 tourism recovery process and said he looked forward to continuing the excellent cooperation between the two entities in building a sector that is more sustainable, resilient and inclusive. 

Hats off to “Vanny”!

President of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) Nicola Madden-Greig recently paid tribute to long-serving CHTA executive leader Vanessa Ledesma for her outstanding dedication and service to Caribbean Hospitality. 

At top, Madden-Greig presents a plaque to Ledesma, CHTA’s Acting CEO and Director General, during the recent Caribbean Travel Marketplace event in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

At bottom, the CHTA president presides over the recent board of directors meeting while Ledesma, who has served the association for close to 25 years, looks on.

Getting your story “write”

The ABCs of writing for the media (Part 2 of 4)

B: Build Relationships 

As a public relations and marketing professional, your relationship with the media is, ideally, going to be a long one.

Public relations and the media have a symbiotic connection: you need them, and they need you. 

So how do you nurture this relationship and keep it healthy over time?

Step 1: Be Authentic. As we noted in our first edition of this series, authenticity is key to getting your clients’ stories told. But it is also key to creating long-term, meaningful relationships with members of the media. While, yes, the relationship between a public relations professional and a journalist or broadcaster could be seen as purely transactional (“I bring you a story, you give my client coverage”) it can be much more. Consider the human behind the job title, and make genuine connections with the people you work with. People respond to authenticity more than sales pitches.

Step 2: Make the First Move. Don’t be afraid to reach out to journalists, TV producers, editors, etc. Invite them on coffee dates, your treat, to discuss what kind of stories they’re looking for. Follow up each meeting with a thank-you note and then begin building relationships with the ones you click with and see a potential future of working together.

Step 3: Keep Notes. Remember the media professionals you’ve worked with and some key details about them. Do they cover human interest, tourism or politics? Do they want entertainment stories with a cultural angle? Do they like when you prepare talking points for an interview or do they prefer to do it all themselves? Do they have children, pets or hobbies you can discuss in your next conversation? Get to know the person, remember who they are. You’re building a relationship. 

Step 4: Say Thank You. Gratitude should be a given, but many people are too busy or distracted to express it. Thank members of the media for meeting with you, even if nothing comes of it. Thank them for giving your client coverage in their publication or on their radio segment. Bring coffee and pastries to a 5 a.m. TV taping for the whole bleary-eyed crew. People appreciate the little things, and they’ll remember how you made them feel. A little genuine gratitude will go a long way.

Digital Digest

Taking care of ‘the ultimate tool’

While many would consider mobile to be ‘the ultimate tool’, we are focusing this week on your main driver or computer device. Whether it is a laptop or desktop, here are some tips to take care of your daily driver:

Updates, Updates and More Updates: To get the optimal performance from your machine (PC or Mac) always make sure they are running the latest version of Windows or macOS, antivirus and system drivers. Another important update is for the browser, which makes browsing the internet safe and easy.

Backup Data: Invest in good cloud storage and configure it to automatically backup your data to the cloud. There are multiple ways to create the backup; our suggestion is to always have data saved on the cloud, and core data on one physical drive.

Declutter: Remove old files that are not used anymore and also search for redundant files. A good way to start the search is to sort data by date and then search for unwanted data. Video files and old program installation files should also be deleted.

Uninstall Programs: Always check your add/remove programs on Windows or launchpad on Mac to see the list of programs installed. Delete unwanted programs to save system resources and avoid sharing unnecessary data.

Medical Moment

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2022 takes place from November 18 to 24. This year’s theme is “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together”. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.  As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat.  According to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), AMR is one of the global threats that the general public, health workers, and policymakers can help to minimize through the appropriate and responsible use of antimicrobials. A global action plan to tackle the growing problem of resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines was endorsed at the 68th World Health Assembly in May 2015.  One of the plan’s key objectives is to improve awareness and understanding of AMR through effective communication, education and training.

MPE Caribbean Report

In this week’s MPE Caribbean Report, we feature the perspective of Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett on reimagining the future of Caribbean tourism.

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