PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Jan. 26, 2012– Blue magazine continues to successfully promote the Caribbean dive market internationally. The exclusive niche-market publication has grown considerably in popularity, constantly stunning readers with the visual impact of its underwater photography and gripping editorial.
“If tourism is the main economic driver of most Caribbean countries, then it’s about time, we start promoting what we have through a high-end, precise publication with the right expertise behind it,” says Editorial Director, Sandra Baksh. “The dive market is a highly lucrative one for tourism and deserves more aggressive, strategic marketing. Blue is helping to get the message out, while creating regional awareness and appreciation for our natural resources,” she continues.
Blue magazine’s most recent issue.
Blue has been creating much interest especially in the US and regionally, achieving what no Caribbean-based magazine has ever done before. After only one year in publication, Blue’s newest and current issue, will be in select areas of Barnes & Noble bookstores in the US from February.
Exquisite multipage spreads feature the amazing dive destinations of Saba, Grenada and the British Virgin Islands.
As if a US market penetration was not enough, Blue will also be available for print subscription through Canadian giant, ExpressMag, from its May–Aug issue, which will feature, St. Eustatius, Turks and Caicos Islands and Belize. A subsidiary of LMPI (a division of Hachette Distribution Services Canada and press distributor since 1968), ExpressMag now handles over 1,800 magazine titles in Canada and the United States and runs Website portals in English and French.
As a commitment to contributing to the growth of the tourism sector in Tobago, Blue has partnered with Tobago Dive Experience and the Department of Tourism/THA, to host world-renowned author/underwater photographer, Paul Humann, from July 3 to 10, 2012 for a unique diving event.
Divers and marine enthusiasts are welcome to come to Tobago and be in awe of some of the healthiest reefs in the Caribbean. There will also be afternoon educational sessions on species identification and fish behaviour, along with a chance to enroll in the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer and Reef Fish ID specialty courses.
Humann has published 15 books including the popular, user friendly, reference trilogy: Reef Fish Identification, Reef Creature Identification and Reef Coral Identification – Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas. The Second Edition of Reef Fish Identification received the publishing industry’s highest honour, the Benjamin Franklin Award for the best reference book published in 1994.
In 1988, Humann partnered with Ned DeLoach and formed New World Publications to publish marine life/diving subject books (www.fishid.com). Today, according to Amazon.com, New World sells more marine-life-oriented books than any other publishing house in the world.
Paul Humann with his famous Reef ID series of books.
Humann and DeLoach’s concern for the welfare of the marine environment led them to cofound the Reef Environmental Education Foundation in 1990 (www.REEF.org). REEF is an organization of active, sport scuba divers that conduct underwater surveys to provide a continual flow of data monitoring marine wildlife populations.
In 2006, Humann was one of DEMA’s (Diving Equipment & Marketing Association) Outreach Award recipients. In 2007 he was inducted into the International Diving Hall of Fame, and in 2010, was the recipient of the NOGI award from the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences for his efforts to preserve the underwater world.
Paul Humann’s visit is a historical one since he has not been to Tobago in more than a decade. This is the chance for many of his fans and fellow divers to be in close collaboration with him while experiencing some of the Tobago’s best dive sites.
Space is limited, so for reservations call: 1-866-486-2246 or e-mail: reservations@mantalodge.com. For more info: visit www.bluecaribbeanmag.com or e-mail: info@bluecaribbeanmag.com.
