Hoteliers, stakeholders undergo social media training

Local Hoteliers and other stakeholders involved in the hotel, tourism, and service industry this month received some much needed training in social media.

The one-day seminar, entitled “Social Media Simplified,” was organized by the St Vincent and the Grenadines Hotel and Tourism Association, and facilitated by Jamali Jack, Digital Marketing officer of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority.{{more}}

During the workshop, which took place at the Paradise Beach Hotel in Villa, participants looked at the ‘Who, What, Where, Why, When and How,’ as it relates to online social media, and how they can be used to capitalize on awareness to the products and services offered by their businesses.

Participants were given tips on how to choose the most suitable platform(s) for their business, and how they can be utilized to their maximum potential.

They were also provided with guidelines on personalizing their pages, scheduling posts, customer engagement and analytics associated with social media.

Jack reminded the participant that as ambassadors to the tourism industry, they were not only selling rooms and food to their guests, but they were also expected to sell an experience, hopefully positive, to visitors and local alike.

Jack pointed out social media is just one of the tools that can make this experience possible, and if used properly, social media can create a level playing field for the local tourism industry to play on.

He reiterated that St Vincent and the Grenadines has a phenomenal tourism product that can stand shoulder to shoulder with other countries, and that the stakeholders were vital to making this happen. (JJ)