University students on a mission to promote Jamaica
JAMAICA IS known the world over for its mesmerising landscapes, scenic spots, warm hospitality, agreeable weather and enchanting resorts. The birthplace of Marcus Garvey, Bob Marley and Usain Bolt is promoted through traditional and new-age marketing strategies, and now, two young university students are playing their part in getting the word out.
Through Jamaica Incredibles, Jumonie Mairs and his assistant, Romario Blackwood, are telling the world about Jamaica’s amazing scenery, people, food and culture. The intention, of course, is to get more tourists to visit, they told Hospitality Jamaica recently.
Yet, they are not enrolled in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Technology, which they attend. They are engineering students. So, what is the connection?
“We started out in engineering, but we have other interests. We are just interested in promoting Jamaica. Jamaica has a lot of potential. It’s on the right path. We want to be a part of that,” Blackwood said.
From Mairs’ perspective, “Jamaica is our home. It means everything to us. We want to be an asset to Jamaica, so we want to uplift Jamaica in the best way we can. So we promote Jamaica. We sell Jamaica, that’s our mission.”
To accomplish their mission, they have turned to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Their next step is to develop their own website with their own content so that they can “best serve those who want to come to Jamaica to learn more and see more of Jamaica”.
Upon graduating, the dynamic duo still plan to continue to promote Jamaica as a tourist destination. Engineering might just be a part-time job. It is the love that they say they have for Jamaica that has them in this strange marriage between engineering and tourism.