Measuring Success

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We live in a world of sound bites and digital bytes. Contemporary audiences expect to grasp a concept or idea in three words or less.

As an example, although Twitter doubled its 140-character limit to 280 characters, merely 5 percent of tweets sent by users in a test group were longer than the traditional 140-character limit. 

Place and destination branding consultants are now under pressure to encapsulate  (in a tag line), promote (in a condensed line or two) and convert (to prove return on investment) in a nanosecond.

The core challenge of branding is to build relations with other countries and promote the country’s cultural and educational products and services.

How to make Less look like More is an important question.

If social media is any indication, competition in the marketplace is not for the faint of heart. Statistics from 2019 show that there are 3.2 billion social media users worldwide, and this number is only growing. That equates to about 42% of the current population. Translation: 

In the Caribbean, this speaks directly to the need for island nations to break away from the pack by differentiating their tourism product. In short, to avoid being a Me Too Destination that offers beautiful beaches. This is important with respect to being competitive with destinations that are able to replicate destinations through entertainment and additional attractions. 

A great example of this is Las Vegas, Nevada where mega hotels can afford to offset their expenses through games of risk and offer accommodation for as little as US$17/night. 

Caribbean states, individually and collectively, are a David facing their Goliath in the tourism industry.

It's often stated that the only thing organizations hate more than the way things are... is change. 

For government, change is expensive. Change is political and involves fiscal concerns. Change is slow. Whether confidants, comrades, constituents, change can also be painful for local communities. 

In the Caribbean, this is a sliding scale in direct proportion to anything from mitigation to zoning to policy development. There is simply not enough land mass to make a mistake, so the wheels of government turn cautiously, slowly and deliberately. In many respects, this is a good thing--particularly from a fiscal perspective.

Tourism zoning initiatives are often ticklish, particularly with regard to blue economy which is an undisputed staples of the Caribbean tourism diet.

As CARICOM states aspire to develop emerging markets in tourism, there is a need to bring national registries to the fore. A great example of this is health tourism. While there is a welcome mat at the door, so to speak, the absence of a national health registry effectively negates the 

efficacy of and investment in clarion calls and funding to support health tourism.