Ruder Finn has been retained once again by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) to represent the tourism agency in The Americas, it was announced today, by Basil Smith, the newly appointed director of tourism for the Jamaica Tourist Board.

The three-year contract began on February 1 and is headed by Gail Moaney, executive vice president and director of the Travel & Economic Development practice. The extensive program involves offices in the U.S., Canada and Latin America.

According to Richard Funess, president of Ruder Finn/Americas, "The
winning proposal, 'The Next Generation of Genius,' capitalizes upon the unique elements of Jamaica's culture that were incorporated into the original 'Genius of Jamaica' campaign, and is designed to elevate it to the next level. It is rooted in an "ambassador" program that will utilize Jamaicans who embody the essence of their chosen field, in order to effectively share the Jamaican experience."

Areas such as design, art, music, literature, natural beauty, cuisine, performing arts and sports will be profiled and woven into the execution of the program as Ruder Finn strives to tell the Jamaican story to the world. The plan will also employ Ruder Finn's Interactive department to push Jamaica to the forefront of the Internet travel domain.

Media relations, promotions, marketing partnerships, television and film outreach, special events and crisis communications were presented as part of an integrated campaign to bring "The Next Generation of Genius" to life. Ruder Finn singled out solutions to challenges such as the new passport requirements as well as opportunities to leverage new travel trends. The program will capitalize on the strengths of leaders and tourism partners in the Jamaican community, and drive every initiative towards the consumer, travel agents and partners.

"Representing Jamaica over the past several years has been an honor," said Gail Moaney. "Our goal is to not only maintain Jamaica's stature as one of the Caribbean's leading tourism destinations, but to help travelers around the world understand the fabric of Jamaica's culture and encourage them to visit the island to find out for themselves."

"Ruder Finn's interactive presentation and finely tuned program demonstrates that it is an agency of the highest caliber and has the ability to capitalize on the creativity, vision, resourcefulness and research that originally earned them the account in 2003," said Basil Smith. "The committee concluded that Ruder Finn was the most knowledgeable agency regarding Jamaica's needs, issues and obstacles, and showcased the highest level of innovation and creative thinking. The 'Next Generation of Genius' program is simply the next step in a progression towards expanding our reach around the world and helping potential visitors identify with Jamaica on a more personal level, which will ultimately increase tourism to our beautiful country."

About Jamaica Tourist Board
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica's national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. The Jamaica Tourist Board was declared the Caribbean's Leading Tourist and Convention Bureau by the World Travel Awards (WTA) for 2006, while Jamaica has earned the WTA's vote as the World's Leading Cruise Destination, the Caribbean's Leading Destination and the Caribbean's Leading Cruise Destination.

JTB offices are located in Kingston, Montego Bay, New York, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are located in Düsseldorf, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam and Tokyo. For more information please call the Jamaica Tourist Board toll-free at 1-800-233-4JTB or go to http://www.visitjamaica.com/.

About Ruder Finn
Ruder Finn is a leading independent communications, counseling and services Agency with more than 57 years of experience. The Ruder Finn Group maintains offices in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Washington, London, Paris, and Jerusalem. Asia Pacific offices include Sydney, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. The Agency also works with leading independent affiliates in major markets throughout the U.S., Europe and Latin America. Ruder Finn is ranked No.1 in New York in revenues and staff size by the PR trade newsletter, O'Dwyer's. The Agency serves the global and local communications needs of more than 250 corporations and nonprofit organizations. For additional information, visit: http://www.ruderfinn.com/