The lucky winners of the holiday giveaway, ‘Montserrat Villa Vacation’ which was awarded on the Steve Harvey Show, arrived on island on Thursday February 15, for their four-night vacation package. Adriane and Erick Adkins from Chicago, Illinois won the award in March 2017 during their appearance on the US based television programme.
The couple’s visit to the island is as a result of the Tourism Division’s efforts, through the US-based PR Agency, Cheryl Andrews Marketing, to source and secure a promotional trip giveaway opportunity. Product Development Officer at the Tourism Division, Rosetta West-Gerald explained, “Steve Harvey Producers were looking for a tropical giveaway for their St. Patrick’s Day episode in March 2017. They wanted an over-the-top experience for their winners and in recognizing this opportunity, The Tourism Division of the Office of the Premier, enlisted the PR Agency Cheryl Andrews Marketing to secure the promotional trip giveaway opportunity to enhance visibility and recognition of Montserrat in that Market place.”
The Tourism Division also partnered with a number of stakeholders to put the holiday package together. The Montserrat Villa Vacation package included a four (4) night stay at Wing Song villa, sponsored by Tradewinds Real Estate; Jet Blue sponsored return flights for the couple from Chicago to New York/ New York to Antigua.; dinner for the couple were also sponsored by Olveston House, Summer Breeze and Good Eats Restaurant, respectively. The Tourism Division also provided overnight hotel stay in New York; return flight between Montserrat and Antigua; an island tour; a boat tour, a snorkel trip; spa treatment and dinner for two.
Mr. and Mrs. Adkins said they never knew about Montserrat before the show and now that they have visited the island, they intend to return again. Adriane said they were happy and surprised when they won the trip to the island but also a bit worried because they had never heard of Montserrat. She admits that following her research and learning about the volcano, she was a bit hesitant, but is now happy they came because “it’s definitely been an amazing experience and something we definitely will share with others,” stated Adriane Adkins.
“The experience has been great, the people have been great, the food has been very good, the view of the island is amazing, the authenticity of the island is amazing, something I never expected,” stated Erick Adkins. While expressing his love for the island and desire to stay, Mr. Adkins stated that he has things to take care of back home before they can think of moving to Montserrat.
Mrs. West-Gerald said, “The show has certainly raised the visibility of the island and we know that Mr. and Mrs. Adkins will share their positive stories with others in the US. We hope that their experiences will inspire other persons to visit.” Mr. and Mrs. Adkins are expected to leave the island on February 20, 2018.
The Steve Harvey Show is a one-hour daytime show hosted by T.V. personality, comedian, radio show host and best-selling author – Steve Harvey. The show averages over 2.6 million viewers daily. He also has 4.5 million Facebook fans, 2 million Instagram followers and 343 million views on YouTube.
