Tourism Analytics is a consulting firm which specializes in providing information, data, analysis, advice and recommendations about the tourism industry of Aruba, the Caribbean and the sector in general.
The firm was created in 2018 by James Hepple who has more than 45 years of experience in the tourism industry.
Tourism Analytics is a member the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association
The firm was created in 2018 by James Hepple who has more than 45 years of experience in the tourism industry.
Tourism Analytics is a member the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association
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2018 to date
Managing Director, Tourism Analytics, Oranjestad Aruba.
2018 to date
Assistant Professor, University of Aruba, Oranjestad, Aruba.
2009 - 2018
President & CEO, Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association: Oranjestad, Aruba.
2007 - 2009
Consultant to the Board. Saint Lucia Tourist Board: Castries, Saint Lucia.
2005 - 2007
President & Director of Tourism, Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Development Company Limited: Port of Spain, Trinidad.
2001 - 2005
Executive Director, Curacao Tourist Board: Willemstad, Curacao.
1995 - 2001
Deputy Director General, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism: Nassau, Bahamas.
1993 - 1995
Director Planning & Information Management, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism: Nassau, Bahamas.
1991 - 1993
Consultant, Bahamas Agricultural & Industrial Corporation: Nassau, Bahamas.
1990 - 1991
Director of Marketing - North America: Trusthouse Forte Hotels: New York, USA.
1989 - 1990
Director of Sales & Marketing ‑ Caribbean & Bermuda: Trusthouse Forte Hotels: Nassau, Bahamas.
1983 - 1989
Planning and Research Consultant, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism: Nassau, Bahamas.
1979 - 1983
Senior Consultant, Thorne Stevenson & Kellogg: Ottawa, Canada.
1976 - 1979
Consultant, Pannell Kerr Forster: Toronto, Canada.
1975 - 1976
Research and Development Officer, East Midlands Tourist Board: Lincoln, England.
1973 - 1974
Executive Trainee, English Tourist Board: London, England.
EDUCATION:
1970 - 1975 PhD Economic Geography: University of Hull, England.
1967 - 1970 First Class Honours BA Geography: University of Hull, England.
2020 CHE Certified Hospitality Educator.
James Hepple began his career in tourism 1973 as a management trainee with the English Tourist Board in London, England and subsequently was appointed Research and Development Officer with the East Midlands Tourist Board in Lincoln, England.
He moved to Canada in 1976 and joined the Toronto office of Pannell Kerr Forster as a consultant working on many hotel related studies.
In 1979 he joined the Ottawa office of Thorne Stevenson & Kellogg, one of Canada's largest management consulting firms, as Senior Consultant where he was responsible for numerous tourism marketing and feasibility assignments.
In 1983 he was appointed Planning and Research Consultant to The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Nassau, The Bahamas and for six years was responsible for all marketing research, analysis and planning for that organization.
Between 1989 and 1991 he was with Trusthouse Forte Hotels, the UK based international hotel group, first as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Caribbean and Bermuda, and then as Director of Marketing - North America, based in New York, USA.
On his return to Nassau in 1991 Dr. Hepple acted as marketing consultant to The Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation, the investment promotion arm of the Government of The Bahamas, until early 1993.
He rejoined The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism in 1993 as Director of Planning and Information Management.
In 1995 he was appointed Deputy Director General responsible for among other things all management information systems. Between 1995 and 2001 he was directly responsible for the Ministry’s website www.bahamas.com which was completely redesigned and re-launched in March 2000.
In May 2001 he was appointed Executive Director of the Curaçao Tourist Board, based in Willemstad, Curaçao where he was directly responsible for all elements of marketing the island of Curaçao as a tourist destination and for the day to day management of the Tourist Board. Between 2000 and 2005 Curaçao saw a 17% increase in the number of stopover visitors at a time when travel to the Caribbean saw little growth whatsoever.
In August 2005 Mr. Hepple was appointed Director of Tourism for the Tourism Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago, based in Port of Spain Trinidad and in October 2005 was made President of the company whilst retaining the title of Director of Tourism. He was responsible for all elements of marketing Trinidad and Tobago as a tourist destination as well as for many product development projects.
In November 2007 he was appointed as Marketing Consultant to the Chairman and Board of Directors of the Saint Lucia Tourist Board, based in Castries, Saint Lucia. He was responsible for advising the Board on marketing and related matters, and spent a considerable amount of time on airlift development strategies and programs.
During the period 2002 through 2009 Mr. Hepple was heavily involved with Caribbean Tourism Organization activities and was chairman of the Caribbean Directors of Tourism Association for a number of years.
Between November 2009 and June 2018 he was President and CEO of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association (AHATA) based in Oranjestad, Aruba. He was responsible for the day to day activities of the hotel and tourism association and served on the Board of Directors of the Aruba Tourism Authority between 2011 and 2016.
Between June 2018 and May 2021 he was Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies at the University of Aruba where he taught both at the graduate and undergraduate level and was also responsible for the coordination of the Faculty's MBA program. He continues to teach on a part time basis. Dr. Hepple is a Certified Hospitality Educator.
He served on the Board of Directors of the Aruba Trade and Industry Association between 2010 and 2018 and was Chairman of the Aruba Hospitality and Security Foundation between 2012 and 2018. He also provided extensive support to the Aruba Casino Association.
In 2012 he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association and currently serves as the Association’s Treasurer. He also served as a Director on the Board of the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives. He was awarded Caribbean Hotel Association Executive of the Year for 2016 by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.
He has extensive experience and knowledge of online marketing, hotel marketing, hotel development, airline route development and minimum revenue guarantees, destination marketing, product development, strategic planning, cruise industry relations, hotel operations, trade association management, and government relations.
Although he is a Canadian citizen he was born in Hexham, England and holds a PhD in Economic Geography and a First Class Honours BA degree in Geography, both from the University of Hull, Yorkshire, England and is a Certified Hospitality Educator.