Napoleon, a Zulu army leader and a great PR brief

Uninhabited when the Portuguese discovered it in 1502, St Helena became an important stopover in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean for ships sailing to Europe from Asia and South Africa. The British exiled Napoleon from 1815 till his death six years later. It became a prisoner-of-war camp housing Zulu army leader Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo for seven years from 1890 and more than 5,000 Boers during the Second Boer War.

Now part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, its heritage is the key economic driver in the development of an island-wide sustainable tourism offering.

Open for business
In 2005 the UK government announced plans to construct an airport in Saint Helena, to boost economic development and help the island become more self-sufficient.

Overcoming geographic and climatic obstacles the first plane landed in September 2015 with the first regular commercial flight, carrying 78 passengers, arriving in October 2017. Prior to the airport opening the island was only accessible by sea – and Royal Mail’s St Helena voyages of between five days and nearly two months from Cape Town, Ascension Island and the UK, among others.

The island is now only a six-hour SA Airlink flight away from Johannesburg. The airport is expected to kick-start the tourism industry, with up to 30,000 visitors predicted annually.

Enterprise St Helena (ESH) is a statutory body at arm’s length from the St Helena government and is responsible for making the most of the opportunities now opening up in St Helena. And the ESH is after a PR agency to help tell St Helena’s past story – and write its future.

Here’s your St Helena brief
ESH is after expressions of interest from public relations agencies with a dedicated base in the UK. The preferred agency will support the organisation in the international promotion of St Helena as both a tourism and investment destination.

The agency should have a wide range of PR experience, with specific expertise within tourism. It is essential that the agency has…  

… working knowledge/understanding of St Helena Island

… five years or more experience as a PR agency

… understanding of the challenges of small islands as well as experience in developing small islands to reach a larger profile audience

… ability to communicate and relate to a wide range of contacts using a variety of communication methods, including awareness of new media and innovative digital initiatives

… able to demonstrate a working relationship with current influential international media

… have relevant international contacts that can drive benefits for the promotion of St Helena

… is flexible, adaptable and results focused