Government of Jamaica
In an effort to bring awareness to the impact of harassment on the tourism sector, the Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo) will be embarking on a three month campaign geared at improving the visitor experience by sensitizing stakeholders on the impact of harassment. The campaign, which launched on September 19th is an initiative of the Visitor Safety and Experience department of the organization which has as one of its objectives the identification of strategies to increase visitor safety and create a positive experience.
Over the three month period, with the assistance of the Communications Department of TPDCo, the campaign will utilize all channels necessary to generate exposure and potentially change perspectives, attitudes and behaviours of destination residents. The campaign will feature a television advertisement, a jingle, bumper stickers, a social media campaign, incorporation of the TPDCo created short film “Cum Yah” in sensitizations and trainings and placement of campaign information on the organization’s website.
Although previously implemented strategies and programmes such as the District Constable programme, contract carriage operators, sensitizations and tour guide training have allowed for improvement, the organization has identified that there is need for greater cultural sensitivity in dealing with visitors in order to eliminate any threat to the tourism sector.
According to Executive Director of TPDCo Dr Andrew Spencer “The campaign is therefore a means of highlighting how appropriate approaches can be mutually beneficial for all stakeholders, allowing for even more growth and development of the leading tourism sector. We must treat our visitors’ right in order to increase that 42 per cent repeat visitor arrivals that we currently enjoy.”
Information about the campaign will be available on social media (Facebook and Instagram) @tpdcoja, YouTube and the company’s website at www.tpdco.org