Appointed Director of Tourism November 1, 2006, Basil H. Smith, a Jamaican national, brings with him many years of tourism and marketing experience to this key leadership position.

 

Mr. Smith most recently served as senior director, communications, worldwide for The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and executive vice-president of the Bahamas Hotel Association from 2001-2003.  Before that he was managing director of the public relations agency Creative Projects Ltd. in Jamaica from 1997-1999. He earlier served as Deputy Director of Tourism for the JTB from 1995-1997, in which capacity he became well known in the local Jamaican tourism industry.

 

David L. Shields was appointed deputy director of tourism - marketing at the Jamaica Tourist Board in January, 2004. Known for his solid track record in designing and implementing creative marketing campaigns for the Caribbean region, Mr. Shields is responsible for marketing Jamaica's tourism product at a global level.

 

Previously, Shields served as director of market development with Air Jamaica Vacations, based in Florida, where he designed powerful communications plans and initiated the analysis of demographic and psychographic profiles of consumers in major U.S.-Caribbean gateways. Earlier, as assistant director of tourism with responsibility for marketing and promotions with the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, he managed the planning and execution of all activities relating to marketing and promoting that destination's tourism product at both local and global levels.

 

Elizabeth Fox has had more than 20 years of experience in tourism sales and marketing.  She specialises in hotel brand strategy; integrated marketing and hospitality management for corporate image building.

 

Clive Taffe is the JTB’s longest serving member of staff, having joined the JTB in 1965.  He has had an extremely rich and varied career with the Board serving in different capacities both in Jamaica and in the US.  He has the distinction of working with every Director of Tourism to date.

 

Having been with the Board for most of its history and working in so many areas, Mr. Taffe is often sought out as an historian.  He has worked as a Librarian, helping to establish what is now one of the most comprehensive specialist libraries; and as Public Relations Officer, contributing to the vast library of still images on Jamaica.   He has served in Sales, serving the Philadelphia, California and Mid-west markets in the US and returned to Jamaica to take up the post of Regional Director.