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St. Kitts appoints Bahamas veteran 'Tommy' Thompson to lead tourism authority

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Ellison 'Tommy' Thompson most recently served as deputy director general of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
Ellison 'Tommy' Thompson is joining the St. Kitts Tourism Authority as CEO, and will lead international marketing with a focus on leisure and cruise, two key markets for the destination.

He most recently served as deputy director general of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.

'St. Kitts is an emerging destination with tremendous potential to excite travelers from around the world,' Thompson said. 'I am looking forward to developing and implementing creative strategies that will increase St. Kitts’ visibility in our key source markets, put St. Kitts into the consideration set for travelers and, ultimately, drive bookings.'

Three decades of Caribbean marketing experience

Thompson brings more than three decades of Caribbean tourism sales and marketing experience, including a deep knowledge of marketing the Bahamas’ outer islands, said Nick Menon, chairman of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. 'He has proven success increasing leisure travel, expanding key industry relationships and implementing creative global marketing campaigns,' Menon added.

Said Lindsay F.P. Grant, minister of tourism, transport and ports: 'We are confident that under his leadership, we will continue driving high demand for the destination among air and cruise passengers as part of tourism’s continuous rebound.'

Data-driven approach

Thompson will use a data-driven approach to assess St. Kitts’ primary audiences and their behaviors. His initial intentions also include working closely with travel agents and tour operators, and partnering with airlines to increase passenger load and service.

In his prior Bahamas role, Thompson spearheaded global marketing strategies with a focus on the Family Islands, Grand Bahama Island and niche market promotions. He also led the sales teams in the US, Canada and Europe as well as Asia and Latin America, and oversaw campaigns targeting consumers, tour operators and wholesalers, travel agents and airlines.