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FCCA commits to multi-year Caribbean marketing strategy

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The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association is going to continue its 'Caribbean is Open'/'Caribbean for Everyone' campaign with new tiered levels so destinations and stakeholders can share their message while presenting a united front.

Increased cruise bookings

Begun in September 2017 to show the Caribbean was ready to receive tourists following a series of devastating hurricanes, the campaign has generated more than 5.77bn impressions and led to a measurable improvement in Caribbean cruise bookings.

'We could not be prouder of the campaign's results so far, especially knowing what they represent for tourism, the lifeblood of Caribbean destinations' economies,' FCCA president Michele Paige said. 'That is why we are so honored to not only commit to this initiative for a number of years, but also offer an opportunity to continue building the partnership that has further developed while displaying a united region.'

New initiatives determined through collaboration by the FCCA and its partners will continue to use the campaign's multifaceted approach to target travelers, stakeholders and media.

According to the FCCA, the campaign showed a measurable improvement in the numbers of people who said they would would not delay booking/taking a Caribbean cruise.

More than 12,000 media placements

The promotion has chalked up more than 12,000 media placements and 18,500 shares of news stories. It featured a satellite media tour with 22 television and three radio interviews, along with public service announcements by more than 30 celebrities.

Media conference calls took place last month and in October 2017 with Paige; Arnold Donald, president and CEO, Carnival Corp. & plc and chairman, Cruise Lines International Association; and Adam Goldstein, vice chairman, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and chairman, FCCA.

A digital advertising campaign targeted potential travelers in the US and UK through such channels as YouTube, Facebook, TripAdvisor, Cruise Critic and non-branded searches. Numerous media interviews were coordinated, including on-site news interviews in affected destinations to showcase recoveries.

The FCCA also coordinated with its member lines to run parallel marketing materials, and gained the support of and promotion by CLIA, the American Society of Travel Advisors and US Travel Association. It won a 2018 Gold SABRE Award for multi-market public relations.

The campaign partners and initiatives will be implemented in the FCCA's business-to-business focus through its media channels and publications, including the association's Travel & Cruise magazine; events, ranging from private member events to the FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show; and other operations, from monthly meetings of FCCA member lines to staff e-mail signatures.