Taxis sporting advertising stickers

Images of several places of interest around the country are now being displayed on some local taxis.{{more}}

The advertising campaign, part of a pilot project which has been in development for approximately one year, was launched by the Ministry of Tourism last Friday.

Describing the campaign as a “win-win situation,” Minister of Tourism Cecil McKie noted that his ministry is provided with an excellent opportunity to market the various sites, beauty and culture of St Vincent and the Grenadines, while the taxi operators enhance the look of their vehicles and are able to market the services that they offer as well.

In brief remarks, McKie declared that tourism is everybody’s business and by carrying the advertising stickers on their vehicles, the members of the taxi association are demonstrating that they are ambassadors for this country.

“These images not only reflect places of interest where tourism is concerned, but [they] also depict different emblems and symbols of our national pride and also the cultural aspects of St Vincent and the Grenadines,” he said.

“Tourism is everybody’s business. We have to live it, we have to love it and we have to embrace it and what we are seeing here today is a clear statement from the taxi association that they see themselves as ambassadors for and of St Vincent and the Grenadines and as such they are prepared to use their vehicles to further promote tourism product.”

Although the pilot project will see only 13 taxi operators carrying the advertising stickers on their vehicles, it has been expressed that the ministry hopes to expand the campaign in the future.

“The more images we can have out throughout the taxi operators here, I think … the greater our marketing opportunities will be. We will discuss not only these types of images, but other products we can use to enhance the image, of St Vincent and the Grenadines through these various displays,” McKie said.

The minister also acknowledged that many Vincentians reside in the diaspora. He also said that the number of visitors coming to St Vincent will increase, once the international airport is completed.

McKie therefore said he hoped that these images will be displayed not only locally, but on a regional and international scale as well.

He thanked the various stakeholders that are a part of the project, including Multigraphics, who produced the stickers and Calvert Jones and Edson Reece, who provided the images that are being displayed, free of cost.

President of the Taxi Association Winston Morgan commended the Ministry of Tourism for their effort on the promotion campaign and obserrved that it will not only engage the tourists that come to the island, but locals as well.

“It’s very good for the travelling public, because a lot of people in St Vincent are not aware of what we have to offer. Some people live here and they don’t go anywhere and they don’t know much about their country. So, it’s good to sensitize the persons living in St Vincent and good for the visitors that come here by the cruise ships, because they meet us first, so it is good advertisement for the country and for us as well,” Morgan said.