Bridgetown -- Dec. 18, 2009 -- The recent successful launch of the new global Home Dining Network (HDN) in Barbados concept offers Caribbean governments an immediate and cost-effective solution to boost the promotion of our culture, food,lifestyle and tourism in the local and international markets. This opportunity comes at a critical time when the tourism sectors of the Caribbean economies are feeling the full impact of the global recession, and desperately need alternative marketing strategies, which must be affordable, viable and have long-term sustainability.

BENEFITS TO CARIBBEAN TOURISM ECONOMIES

HDN offers a number of significant benefits to the tourism sector of each Caribbean country.
1. It adds considerable value to the tourism product.
2. It increases the spending of tourists, particularly in areas where it did not exist before.
3. Through social networking and cultural exchanges Caribbean nationals in the overseas markets
encourage and boost travel to the Caribbean.
4. Home Dining events in the Caribbean boost repeat visits to the respective destinations through the
fostering of friendships between tourists and locals.
5. HDN contributes to the generation of foreign exchange.
6. HDN provides an effective solution for the further development of community tourism.
7. Host Partners earn money from each Home Dining event. HDN therefore creates a revenue stream for
the widest cross-section of the Caribbean communities locally and abroad.
8. Caribbean persons who participate all over the world as Host Partners automatically become cultural and
tourism ambassadors for their countries. Each time they host a Home Dining event, and entertain other
members from other countries, they promote the culture, food, lifestyle and tourism of their country.
9. On the other hand, every Caribbean person who signs up as a Home Diner and enjoys the Home Dining
Experience in the homes of members from other countries, they also get the opportunity to promote our
culture, food, lifestyle and tourism.

THE HDN CONCEPT

HDN is a Home Dining, Social Networking and Travel Club. We are a worldwide members club of people who travel often and visit each other’s homes for Brunch, Lunch or Dinner parties, where meeting new friends, exchanging cultures, socializing and business networking are the key ingredients.

The Home Dining Club is aimed at the hundreds of millions of people around the world in the following categories:-

· People who love to meet other people from other countries and cultures
· People who enjoy social and business networking
·
People who enjoy travelling
· People who occasionally prefer the Home Dining Experience to going to restaurants.
· People who enjoy eating great home-cooked food

MEMBERSHIP

Host Partners - Members who have great culinary, social and hospitality skills are invited to become Host Partners. They get to demonstrate their culinary talents by preparing their favourite dishes and entertaining other members in their homes for Brunch, Lunch or Dinner parties.

Home Diners – Members who enjoy travelling, great food, socializing and business networking are invited to the homes of Host Partners to enjoy the Home Dining Experience. Home Diners must pay an all inclusive fee for the Home Dining Experience. For more information, please visit our website at www.homediningnetwork.com

Uniting and mobilizing Caribbean people all over the world under the Home Dining Network umbrella is one of the most creative and viable strategies to promote Caribbean destinations in the local and international markets. Its viability and sustainability come from the fact that Home Dining is an activity members enjoy doing on a regular basis and can make money from at the same time.

PARTNERSHIPS WITH TOURISM AUTHORITIES
The management of HDN is therefore proposing to establish partnerships with the tourism authorities of each Caribbean country to launch an international promotions campaign to invite all Caribbean nationals residing in their homeland and overseas to join the Home Dining Club as Home Diners and Host Partners.
This can be done effectively with the assistance and cooperation of the local and overseas tourist offices, high commissions and consulates.

To achieve their objective, the management of HDN proposes the cooperation and assistance from each Caribbean government in the follow ways:-

1. Endorsement of the HDN concept.
2. Assistance in further developing the strategy to market HDN within their respective Caribbean communities and the tourist markets.
3. Promotional assistance from all tourist offices, high commissions and consulates.
4. A budget to promote HDN to nationals residing at home and overseas. These funds go directly towards pre-approved advertising and promotions strategies.
5. Assistance in negotiation with key retail/wholesale travel suppliers to incorporate HDN in their packages.
6. Assistance in hosting seminars to promote HDN to Caribbean nationals locally and abroad and to educate them on the importance of adopting a nationalistic approach to participating in the Home Dining Club and to the role they play as ambassadors for their country, under the HDN umbrella.
7. Airline tickets and hotel accommodation to be used as prizes in our regular membership incentive promotions.
8. Access and use of the Country’s promotional booth at travel shows in the overseas markets.