Venture Deeper campaign a success in Canada
BOB MOWAT
It’s nice when hard work is rewarded with success and that is undeniably why St. Kitts is experiencing the kind of close attention that it is seeing in the Canadian market.
A little over a year ago, the St. Kitts Tourism Authority (SKTA) began encouraging people to Venture Deeper when they visited the island and clearly, the people they were encouraging – including Canadians – have listened.
In conversation with Travel Courier during a recent visit to Toronto, the SKTA’s CEO, Ellison ‘Tommy’ Thompson explained that: “The idea behind Venture Deeper was first to get our visitors out of their hotels and into the community so that they could explore all of the delights of St. Kitts. And I think from the record number of visitors we have coming into St. Kitts we have seen it be quite successful and it actually has resonated very, very well in the Canadian market.”
The fact that it has resonated with Canadian travellers has certainly paid benefits in terms of increased arrival numbers isn’t the only positive result of the campaign.
St. Kitts’ Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, International Transport, Employment and Labour, Urban Development, Marsha Tamika Henderson, agreed with Thompson, pointing out that: “Our brand has resonated in the markets just as we intended. We were able to position the destination as a soulful, meaningful, authentic type of destination and we’ve managed to see solid and consistent load factors since the launching of the brand.”
The upshot of all that is that it has also resonated with Air Canada, with the carrier increasing its seat capacity by 66% for the upcoming 2023-2024 winter season – and that is the most lift that St. Kitts has had out of the Canadian market.
With the season beginning Nov. 3, 2023 – with flights every Friday and Saturday – and running right through to April 2024, forward bookings are already trending ahead of last winter.
“We think the brand has attained its main objective which was to bring passengers to the destination and encourage them to Venture Deeper,” Minister Henderson told Travel Courier.
Asked whether it was a case of St. Kitts being in the right place at the right time, Minister Henderson observed that St. Kitts offers “what travellers are looking for today.”
She pointed out that: “Trends are showing that visitors are looking for a more immersive type of experience and our destination is positioned for that. We have a unique combination of relaxation and adventure.”
Once the home of many sugar plantations, the Minister noted that the sugar industry was closed down 20 years ago and as a result, she said that: “The destination remains untouched. It’s not overdeveloped and that is one of our selling points.”
Thompson agrees, explaining that a number of factors have come into play in terms of the success that St. Kitts is having.
Certainly, the pent-up demand that has been driving the market as the world emerges from the global pandemic is one, but Thompson also makes it clear that “the fact that St. Kitts has actually increased its awareness in the Canadian market” is also due to the fact that “we’ve done a lot of work with travel trade” in Canada.
One area that St. Kitts has been focussing on is the romance market with Thompson noting that it is all about increasing the awareness in Canada of the kinds of opportunities St. Kitts offers to this particular market segment.
He added that “with the additional lift, we also see the opportunity to attract multi-generational family groups, along with the leisure traveller who just wants to fly and flop.”
Minister Henderson pointed to culinary as another promising market segment, telling TC: “We intend to maximize our focus on that in the Canadian market because we know that Canadians are passionate food lovers and for us, culinary is a big thing – it’s part of our culture and part of our history. It tells our story. What we’re like as a people. Where we came from. And we offer a range of fine dining to local cuisines.”
As for Canada travel agents, Thompson made it clear that they are “extremely important to what we’re doing,” and as a result St. Kitts is maintaining a high profile at travel trade shows, doing webinars and in-person presentations, providing a range of support programs, including incentives and fam trips.
So, what are agents saying about St. Kitts? Thompson smiles at the question, telling TC that what they’re saying is ‘Why didn’t we know about St. Kitts before? Why didn’t we send our clients there before?’ The satisfaction levels are amazing.”
And for those wondering when’s the best time to visit St. Kitts, well, Minister Henderson comes straight to the point: “It’s any day and every day.”
For more on St. Kitts, check out its new website at www.visitstkitts.com.
In Toronto for an event in late September, from l to r are Ellison ‘Tommy’ Thompson — CEO, St. Kitts Tourism Authority; Marsha Tamika Henderson — Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, International Transport, Employment and Labour, Urban Development; and Melnecia Marshall — Deputy CEO, St. Kitts Tourism Authority
