Business Model Development for Community Tourism Network, Chiapas, Mexico

Project Partner: Chemonics International and USAID

Project Description: Evaluated the current status of community organization and developed a 12-month business plan. Assisted the organization in designing a technical assistance program to improve services among its members. (September 2006)

Promotional Strategy Development, Panama

Project Partner: Chemonics International and USAID

Project Description: Developed a branding campaign and a Destination Management Company to help promote and sell small/micro businesses and community tourism associations in the Panama Canal Watershed. Developed a website, brochure, and an Internet marketing and public relations campaign. Provided technical assistance to a local marketing agency and local tour operator to operate the destination management company and provide marketing and consulting services to small tourism businesses. (May – August 2006)

Marketing Program Development, Guatemala

Project Partner: Counterpart International and USAID

Project Description: Developed a community tourism marketing program for archeological sites in the jungles of the Northern Peten, Guatemala. Produced 3 print ads for local Guatemalan tourism publications, full color brochure/map guide, and a community tourism website portal. (January – March 2005)

Tourism Assessment, Yungas Valley, Bolivia

Project Partner: Chemonics International and USAID

Project Description: Performed an assessment of the development potential for North and South Yungas provinces in Bolivia. Project goal was to define targeted opportunities for project development and assistance to create economic alternatives for coca farmers in the region. Wrote series of 15 action plans to be reviewed by USAID and the Government of Bolivia for implementation.

Tourism Planning, Panama

Project Partner: The Government of Panama and the Inter-American Development Bank.

Project Description: Completed a detailed product development and marketing and promotion strategy for the country. Produced a detailed analysis of Panama’s product offering. Conducted more than 800 consumer and travel trade interviews in the U.S. and Western Europe. Developed detailed demographic profiles of travelers to Panama and competing destinations. Created a short and long term marketing strategy and marketing and promotion action plan.

Sustainable Tourism Development, Inaguas Islands, Bahamas

Project Partner: Government of the Bahamas and the Inter-American Development Bank

Project Description: Assessed the development potential of the Inaguas for sustainable tourism. Developed a series of 25 action plans being reviewed for implementation. Managing a sustainable tourism development project. Developing a destination management organization and company. Creating marketing collateral including a destination website, printed brochure, and tourism map management of promotions. Launching international marketing campaign targeting specialty travel segments. Producing business plans for 20+ local tourism businesses. (July 2006 – present)

Destination Marketing Program, Port Antonio, Jamaica

Project Partner: PA Consulting and USAID

Project Description: Recruited local stakeholders to participate in the program and obtained financial buy-in. Managed a professional media team on three separate shoots to capture still photography, video, and virtual tours of the destination. Managed the development of a destination website portal and production of a Digital Travel Planner. Conducted travel agency seminars about the destination. Represented the destination at International Tradeshows. Designed and implemented an online marketing strategy. (January – July 2005)

Unique Jamaica Marketing Video & Tradeshow Representation

Project Objective:  Conducted an island wide media shoot to create a media bank of digital images and video footage. Produced a promotional DVD с Digital Travel Planner of the Unique Jamaica program educating the traveler on the unknown areas and attractions of Jamaica.   Also represented the program at two Adventure Travel Tradeshows in NY and DC.

Port Antonio Destination Management and Marketing Program

Project Partner: JHTA - Portland Chapter

Project Objective: Implementing a marketing and sales campaign for the Port Antonio destination and tourism providers. Program includes website development, Internet Marketing, digital travel production, trade outreach, and consumer promotions with Red Stripe and Alize.  Building a website for a local destination management company (http://www.attractionslink.com/) based in Port Antonio and providing technical assistance to access new markets. 

Tourism Cluster Marketing Program, Jamaica

Project Partner: Unique Jamaica and DFID

Project Description: Developed a cluster marketing program for 60 small tourism businesses in Jamaica. Professional media shoot of the Island and Unique Jamaica Association members. Production of a video project describing the program and various undiscovered areas and attractions of Jamaica. Developed a media bank of over 4000 high quality digital photographs of Jamaica and members of the association. Represented the program in two adventure travel expos. Developed a customer management database for the organization. Developed a 12 month marketing strategy for the program. (January 2005 – February 2006)

Community Tourism Association

Project Partners:   Sustainable Communities Foundation, Country Style Community Tourism Network, International Institute for Peace through Tourism

Project Overview: Working with partners in Jamaica to develop a community tourism association that will provide technical assistance, micro-financing, marketing, and reservations to community based tourism programs.

Bluefields Beach Park

Project Partner: Bluefields Villas, Bluefields Environmental Protection Associations & Bluefields People's Community Association
Project Overview: Working with project partners to design a project proposal to the UDC and funding agencies to develop a sustainable community beach park that will protect one of the few remaining public beaches in Jamaica while educating the community on the importance of environmental conservation.

Hotel Development and Investment Promotion Program, Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)

Project Partner: The Eastern Caribbean Investment Promotion Service and the Organization of American States (OAS)

Project Description: Completed a nine-month program to promote new hotel development in the nine-island Eastern Caribbean region. Identified 15 hotel development opportunities in the OECS. Provided in-depth technical assistance to local project sponsors, including market and financial feasibility studies, assistance in preparing business plans, and targeting and working with foreign partners.Developed an investor database, a financial model for evaluating project potential, a project development workshop, and an international investment promotion conference.

Tourism Investment Promotion Strategy, St. Kitts and Nevis

Project Partner: The Organization of American States (OAS)

Project Description: Performed diagnostic evaluation of St. Kitts and Nevis Government programs aimed at promoting foreign direct investment in the tourism sector. Identified primary obstacles to new investment and a series of proscriptive solutions. Developed and implemented revised investment promotion strategy and implementation program, resulting in initiation of two new hotel projects representing investment of more than US$70 million, and advancing of two additional projects, with an estimated value of more than $100 million. Analyzed economic impact of these projects on the St. Kitts and Nevis economy, and evaluated the cost government incentives provided to project developers relative to the benefits to be derived in terms of foreign exchange earnings, employment, and government revenues.

Strategic Planning, St. Lucia

Project Partner: The Organization of American States (OAS)

Project Description: Completed a nine-month assignment focused on the development of a 5-year tourism development strategy for the island of St. Lucia. Prepared detailed recommendations and an action program for creating greater linkages between the tourism industry and other sectors of the economy. Presented marketing and promotion strategies for North American and European markets. Developed plan to stimulate increased levels of private investment. Created an attractive environment for the establishment and on-going operation of tourism-related enterprises.