Travel and economic development PR powerhouse Development Counsellors International has been named North American PR agency of record for Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., the official tourism development agency for the eastern Caribbean island nation.

The retainer follows an RFP Barbados Tourism Marketing issued for a U.S. PR agency of record in November.

Barbados Tourism Marketing

As AOR, DCI will manage all tourism PR and marketing initiatives for Barbados throughout the United States and Canada in a bid to drive visitor growth. The agency in a statement said it will work to elevate Barbados’ profile as a leading Caribbean travel destination by differentiating the Lesser Antilles island destination from its sister islands and drawing attention to the destination’s travel options for jetsetters and families.

DCI also manages communications duties for the independent British Commonwealth's economic development agency, Invest Barbados.

DCI, which maintains offices in New York, Denver, Los Angeles and Toronto, took in more than $10 million in travel and tourism related net fees in 2016. Other destination clients include Chile Tourism, The Hangzhou Tourism Commission, the Japan National Tourism Office, Visit California, Visit Huntington Beach and Visit Scotland.