Marketing and Branding consultant Kim McCulley says Clarendon is ‘a wonderful (tourism) product’. According to the Canadian twenty-year tourism marketing expert ‘the product is here and all ready to go’ and it’s just a matter of ‘packaging it up’ for the market.
She was invited by the Caribbean Local Economic Development Project (CARILED) to assist local tourism interests with assessing the parish’s competitive advantage, brand and niche in the tourism industry.
During her five-day stay McCulley visited a number of natural, heritage and cultural sites including the Bull Head Mountains, Milk River Resort and Spa, the Alley Church and Alligator Hole. McCulley, who is well-travelled, confessed that she had looked her whole life for an experience like that which she had in Clarendon.
The tourism marketing consultant however expressed concern about locals ‘protecting what’s precious’. She explains that Clarendon’s foremost challenge will be to keep the local experience just the way it is. McCulley stressed the importance of handling Clarendon’s virtually undiscovered natural tourism product with the greatest sensitivity towards environmental protection.
She cautions against developing the local tourism product too much and advises that tourist attractions be kept within the realm of where we want them.
McCulley who was hosted by the Clarendon Parish Council during her one-week visit is expected to present a marketing and branding strategy plan to Council outlining her recommendations on packaging and selling the parish’s tourism product.