The Saba Tourist Bureau had a successful attendance at the Vacation Fair (“Vakantiebeurs”) in Utrecht, the Netherlands last week. Saba had a combined booth with the St. Eustatius Tourist Office which was located in the popular Caribbean Village of the Vacation Fair.

After two years of absence, the Vacation Fair took place between January 12 and 15, and it provided good exposure for Saba, inspiring persons to book their next holiday. Many visitors of the Saba booth took the opportunity to participate in the Scan and Win campaign, offering them a chance to win a vacation to Saba, sponsored by Juliana’s Hotel and WINAIR.

Participants in the Scan and Win campaign came on a landing page, created in the Dutch language and featuring the destination and partners. Persons who signed up will continue to receive Saba information. In total, there were 395 entries in the Scan and Win campaign. The winner will be announced on January 20. A screen at the Saba booth promoted the partners and destination. ABC Travel promoted its packages which also offered combination packages that included Saba.

On January 11, during the business-to-business trade day, Saba and St. Eustatius organized a happy hour for the media, tour operators, and travel agents. In attendance were: ABC Travel, Caribbean Travel, Silverjet, DPG Media, Duiken in Beeld, Plus Magazine, various travel counsellors of travel agents and a travel blogger.

During the first quarter of 2023, a fam trip will be organized in which a selected group of trade partners will get to see and experience the two destinations. “The Netherlands is our second biggest source market and having presence in the market as a Dutch Caribbean Island is important. It creates awareness and also offers holiday seekers a different destination to consider when booking,” said Director of Tourism Malinda Hassell.

Personnel at the Saba booth consisted of Nicole Johnson and Sharuska Oleana. USP marketing firm did the booth and happy hour coordination. “We thank all partners for their collaboration. It was a successful Vakantiebeurs and we look forward to upcoming dedicated trade campaigns in the Dutch market this year,” said Hassell.

GIS.