Greater Wilmington’s tourism bureau launch diversity program

WILMINGTON – Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau, the destination marketing organization for New Castle County, has launched a new Corporate Diversity Program to increase the number of small and minority-owned businesses eligible for Bureau membership benefits.

Amazon and Breakfast at Blume at 4304 North Market Street in Wilmington formed its first corporate partnership this spring. Amazon subsidizes Breakfast at Blume’s Bureau membership, granting the restaurant access to networking opportunities, marketing exposure, social media promotion, meetings and group tour leads, and travel writers.

Nery Burgos, the proprietor of Breakfast at Blume, stated, “As a modest business owner, I confront numerous obstacles. This partnership enables me to expand my business via marketing and media exposure. It will also help me expand my customer base among tourists, including first-time visitors to our area.”

The relationship is currently profitable. The Bureau assisted in securing media coverage for Breakfast at Blume in Southern Living magazine as one of its “unforgettable spots for breakfast or brunch” and in Prime Women, an online lifestyle magazine, for its “famous Banana Foster French Toast.”

Geoff Gellas, senior recruiting manager at Amazon Workforce recruiting, stated, “Chef Nery has created a space that reflects her passion for cuisine while also paying homage to her origins and the relationships that have influenced her as a person. We’re ecstatic to be a part of her voyage.”

The Corporate Diversity Program enables startups with strong marketing potential but limited budgets to take advantage of Bureau membership benefits. It also helps the Bureau raise awareness of Greater Wilmington’s many concealed treasures in areas outside of the traditional tourism districts. The Bureau intends to expand the program now that the initial partnership has been demonstrated successful.