Tweet
Another piece of wondrous "journalism" from the Butch Stewart mouthpiece illegitimately named the Jamaica Observer..... more disgusting and patently self serving corruption of the press.This so called "journalist" named Al Edwards seems to be Stewart's personal hatchet man in whatever self promoting campaign he's focused on week by week .... I hope at least he is well compensated for his personal services to Butch.
Pathetic.
Hotel association asks Sandals to reconsider marketing St Lucia
Al Edwards
Friday, July 31, 2009
The president of the St Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association, Anthony Bowen, is asking the chairman of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), Gordon 'Butch' Stewart, to reconsider a marketing initiative proposed by St Lucia's tourism minister Allen Chastanet that would see Sandals participating in the television promotion of the island's tourism product.
Chairman of Sandals Resorts International, Gordon 'Butch' Stewart. Sandals has three hotels on the island.
Initially Sandals had reluctantly agreed to go ahead with its participation but decided against it. The incident has stirred up the St Lucian media which are claiming the country was not informed of Sandals' involvement.
In a letter sent to Stewart yesterday, Bowen wrote: "It is most unfortunate that the local press and hoteliers created a firestorm in the public arena before all the facts were known. I can fully understand your frustration and offence at the manner in which SRI was treated in the local media, and as a result your decision to decline participation in the television promotion.
"The exposure of St Lucia in the US market is of the utmost importance as we go towards a fall and winter with unprecedented airlift, in particular the new JetBlue service that can greatly assist St Lucia regaining and indeed increasing the number of arrivals from the US market.
"To this end, I am appealing to you to reconsider your decision, despite all of the negative press your group has received and to look towards the common good that will redound to all in the long run, even the naysayers who thrive on negativity and confrontation."
Chastanet has apparently accepted blame for the controversy as he neglected to inform other tourism stakeholders of this joint marketing initiative. The St Lucia Tourist Board, it appears, has no budget for the country's television advertising and Chastenet saw the joint initiative as a way to get the Caribbean island into the homes of North Americans.
Speaking with St Lucian media, Chastanet said: "The whole thing was made out like Sandals was asking for this when I made it very clear that I was the one who approached them."
