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Sailing
Tourist Board Helps Spring Regatta's Growth
By Dean Greenaway
Apr 8, 2008, 21:31

Members of the BVI Tourist Board's UK, Germany, Italy, Puerto Rico and BVI offices, with journalist covering the BVI Spring Regatta. Photo>Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway

TORTOLA—Sprinkled among bare boaters on the Cruising course during the weekend 37^th BVI Spring Regatta in the Sir Francis Drakes Channel, were BVI Tourist Board teams representing their offices in the UK, Germany, Italy and a combined BVI-Puerto Rico squad.

On each team were print and electronic media journalists covering the event with daily print and television reports and others for magazines. The journalists themselves were getting a first had experience of the product they are selling in their respective markets.

Spring Regatta Chairman Bob Phillips said it’s a very important program that the BVI Tourist Board does for them. “Most of our marketing is done with the Tourist Board. They help us out at boat shows and they go to trade shows that we wouldn’t even think of,” he explained. “We had a wonderful article in Fox and Hound four years ago—a magazine for fox hunters I did not even know existed. It was a 6-7 page full color article with lots of pictures. This is the type of coverage that the Tourist Board is so good at getting for us and the BVI.”

Lynette Harrigan, Caribbean and Latin American Manager who heads the Puerto Rico office, said the program involving the various branches began with the opening of the San Juan office in 2004. She said they work with the top journalists from magazines and news papers there and they have two repeat sports journalists including one from La Regatta Magazine.

Members of the BVI Tourist Board's UK, Germany, Italy, Puerto Rico and BVI offices, with journalist covering the BVI Spring Regatta. Photo>Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway

“This is an anticipated event and we get major coverage in Puerto Rico, before, during every single day of the event and after,” Harrigan explained. “There are other Puerto Rico teams competing and they are anxious to know what’s happening. But all our offices promote sailing around the world. This is one of the major promotions we do in promoting our beautiful waters.”

Victorene Creque, Marketing Executive at the Tortola office, said she along with Natasha Chalwell, coordinated ground activities for all the teams. They are also team members on the boat playing any needed role. “The journalists on our boat—Team BVI–Puerto Rico—they really enjoyed the races and being a part of it, and had great opportunities photo of the other boats in the fleet,” she noted. “It’s really good for the BVI—not just the Tourist Board but the Spring Regatta event. They do their part with great exposure.”

Germany’s Gabi Romberg, General Manager BVI tourist Board Germany, said they invited journalists from German sailing magazines and television to cover the event, get the experience and write about the event. “We want to have more guests coming, that’s our intention,” she said. “They have never been in this region before and they really love it. The winds were perfect, the sun was hot, it was perfect for sailing.”

Dora Paradies, a Marketing Development Officer from Italy, brought two journalists who attended the event for the first time. One is doing a 45 minute feature on the BVI with a focus on the regatta, while the other with write and produce photos for a large sailing magazine. “They really enjoyed the regatta and the BVI,” she said.