Tourism officials are going after the romance tourism market in a major way.

Roseann Myers, chairman of the National Tourism Marketing Committee, told a Press conference last Thursday at the recently concluded two-day tourism consultation at Hilton Barbados that this market was a major component of lifestyle tourism.

She said for more than three years tourism marketers had focused their attention on product launches that entailed niche marketing.

She pointed out that the romance tourism market was conceptualised from a product launch that dealt specifically with weddings and honeymoons.

"Obviously we see the research that says even when things are down, a lot of people still get married, people want a second honeymoon, and that market seems to be alive and kicking.

"That, as a major thrust, has continued and already we are seeing some successes in that market," she said. (JW)