BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS — Ellison ‘Tommy’ Thompson, former Deputy Director General of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, has been appointed the new CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority.

In his new role, Thompson will lead international marketing efforts for the destination, with a focus on trade and airline relationships. He will priorities working closely with travel agents and tour operators, and will partner with airlines to increase passenger load and service. Thompson will also focus on leisure and cruise, two high-performing areas for St. Kitts tourism, and will prioritize the romance and MICE markets with the goal of increasing tourism’s economic benefits across the island.

He will assume the role on Jan. 10, 2022.

“Mr. Thompson brings more than three decades of Caribbean tourism sales and marketing experience, including a deep knowledge of marketing Bahamas’ outer islands,” said Nick Menon, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. “He has proven success increasing leisure travel, expanding key industry relationships and implementing creative global marketing campaigns. We are thrilled to have his expertise at the helm of the Tourism Authority.”

On his new role, Thompson said: “St. Kitts is an emerging destination with tremendous potential to excite travellers from around the world. I am looking forward to developing and implementing creative strategies that will increase St. Kitts’ visibility in our key source markets, put St. Kitts in the consideration set for travellers and ultimately drive bookings.”

While at The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Thompson developed global marketing strategies and led the sales teams in Canada, the United States and Europe, as well as Asia and Latin America. He has also held several other positions for both The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and The Bahamas Tourist Offices in the U.K., and has additional experience managing visitor relations, cruise development, product development and sales representation.