May Hinds Consulting and TCI Research establish partnership

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, April 11-- May Hinds Consulting, a Barbados-based regional consulting organization specializing in tourism development, has signed a partnership agreement with TCI Research, a Brussels-based market research company specializing in tourism competitiveness.

The mission of TCI Research, which has received international recognition through an award from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), is to help public and private tourism players around the world to improve their competitiveness through a better understanding and measurement of travellers’ opinion and demand.

Under the agreement, May Hinds Consulting will serve as the local representative of TCI Research in the Caribbean and bring destination management organizations (DMOs) in the region advanced consulting based on the TRAVELSAT© Survey Suite.

The TRAVELSAT© Survey Suite comprises a large range of unique, reliable, comparable and independent data and insights combining advantages of traditional surveys and Big Data that captures international travelers' perception and experience, destination reputation and quality management, competition mapping, branding and marketing efficiency.

“We are delighted to welcome May Hinds Consulting as part of our regional representative network for helping Caribbean destinations measure their competitiveness and attractiveness as international competition for “sun & beach” destinations is more intense than ever,” said TCI Research CEO Olivier Henry-Biabau.

He added: “Today, one (1) out of four (4) international visitors in the Caribbean consider non- Caribbean destinations an alternative... Research can greatly help the Caribbean to attract more visitors than the competition, and May Hinds’ knowledge of the tourism market in the region will bring a fantastic value to our data for destinations who will use them.”

“This strategic partnership with a recognized global leader like TCI Research enhances the capacity of May Hinds Consulting to expand our delivery of exceptional value-added services to our clients around the region and position them for greater success, considering the critical importance of relevant data to effective decision-making in tourism today,” said May Hinds Consulting CEO, May Hinds.

Based on its global benchmarking survey TRAVELSAT©, TCI Research and May Hinds Consulting report that only 4% of first time visitors to Caribbean destinations make their choice on the basis of the region’s geographical proximity. For average destinations worldwide, the figure was 16%. To bridge this gap, Caribbean destinations rely heavily in their promotion on special discounts (with the risk of ‘brand’ erosion) or travel agencies recommendations (13% for Caribbean visitors, nearly twice as much as the global norm.

TRAVELSAT© research also found that Caribbean destinations mainly rely on word-of-mouth, with 4 visitors out of 10 saying they have chosen their island because of friends and relatives recommendations.

Commenting on the findings, Henry-Biabaud said: “Just like for all destinations worldwide, optimizing the brand desire and experience is a must for Caribbean destinations as post-experience feedback and positive word-of-mouth remain the most efficient way to recruit visitors. Caribbean destinations, even more than their competitors, have to counterbalance the perceived lack of competitive advantage provided by geographical proximity by playing all their attractiveness levers together: targeted promotion with special offers/packages, communication on appropriate and unique drivers, web presence and engagement with stakeholders and partners. This statement implies an efficient marketing strategy but also requires an accurate picture of the strengths and weaknesses of each of the various Caribbean destinations in a global competitive context to maximize the return on investment of strategies employed to address the issue of competition.

Contact: May Hinds, CEO, May Hinds Consulting
Tel: +1-246-438-5056
Email: mhinds@caribsurf.com
www.mayhindsconsulting.com

Olivier Henry-Biabaud, CEO, TCI Research,
Tel: +32 476 70 11 25
olivier.henry-biabaud@tci-research.com
www.tci-research.com