Primed for Success Volume 3

airlines and tour companies. Since then, Carib World Travel has become a top seller for British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, US Airways and American Airlines. “Over time we invested in training on handling cruise passengers, and managing group travel. We also realised how desirable Antigua and Barbuda was as a destination, so this is where we saw the potential to get into the incoming market with a focus on incentives.” Pamela believes that incentives are a motivational tool that can enhance productivity, as they offer participants a chance to earn rewards such as trips and other destination-based activities. “We started out with a market in Miami and frmo there we hit the ground running. Then came the downturn in the economy and incentives got a lot of bad press at that point. The market eventually began to pick up and we wanted to return to incentives with a greater market advantage. This is where Caribbean Export played a tremendous role.” Carib World Travel first became aware of the Caribbean Export Development Agency in 2010 through a workshop for small hoteliers on the Direct Assistance Grant Scheme (DAGS), which was hosted by the Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority (ABIA). Two years later, the company applied for and was awarded a regular procedures grant to increase exports to international markets using an incentive travel scheme as a tourism-marketing tool. “When we found out that there was a potential to get some assistance, so we welcomed the opportunity to expand our revenue base, improve profitability and essentially grow as a company. Developing the company’s destination management capability in keeping with international standards was essential, especially since we were targeting tourism markets in Europe and North America.” In addition to pursuing international destination management accreditation, Carib World Travel used funds from the grant to increase and expand the company’s web presence, use of social media, and produce promotional material. “We used the newly developed marketing tools during our participation in two industry trade events: the Caribbean Meeting and Incentive Travel Exchange in Jamaica, and the Global Meetings and Events Exhibition in Barcelona, Spain.” As a result of the increased visibility, Caribbean World Travel was able to secure clients out of Taiwan, Russia, Brazil, and the United Kingdom for travel to Antigua and Barbuda.

“We are really appreciative of the assistance received from Caribbean Export for supporting the sector. I think that there is great potential for the travel industry, especially for those who take the right steps. I don’t think Carib World Travel has come full circle yet but there is room for growth.” In 2013, Carib World Travel celebrated 40 years of serving the tourism industry. Throughout this period, the company has received numerous awards and accolades

Primed for Success / Vol. 3 / 2014-2015

www.carib-export.com

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