Is Jamaica’s tourism brand selling the right message online?

I needed a mini vacation badly, to disconnect from blogs, twitter, facebook, clients, business, my cell phone my laptop, from TV – the whole nine yards. It’s been a good year for me and I know 2010 is going to be amazing. So I know i needed to hop off the train for a bit and recharge in preparation.

I decided to head to the Coast, near water, beach, more trees…I went online to decide..Negril, Portland, Treasure Beach or Ocho Rios. I used google and visitjamaica.com chiefly to decide where to go. What I saw made me want to cry…Jamaica’s tourism image online SUCKS! Why are some of the Jamaican hotels, villas, attractions and restaurants surprised by their low occupancy levels? Well it starts with the fact that yes, Jamaica’s overall tourism product needs an overhaul, an upgrade to something beyond the sun, sand and dorm rooms by the sea like RIU.

Then it goes to the first face to face experience of brand Jamaica online via the websites geared to bring tourists to Jamaica. Oh my… what I saw for most part was that the websites for many of these properties, attractions really SUCK…I’m sorry I’m not in the business of gloss things over and grin like some government officials – there is no hiding the outdated photos, no site visitor interaction, not even an email address, no social media buttons, no sell in terms of website content all with site designs circa 19something.

What this search experience taught me…looking through the lens as a consumer – the majority of the tourism brand Jamaica online don’t care much about how they represent themselves online….and looking through the lens of an entrepreneur…there are amazing opportunities here.

When was the last time you came across a Jamaican tourism/travel website that impressed you?