Four UDC attractions cop premiere travel awards

Four of Jamaica's attractions managed by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) have copped certificates of excellence from the world's largest travel site, TripAdvisor, for 2017 for excellence in hospitality and for continuously meeting the needs of their customers.

TripAdvisor, which boasts the world's largest travel community with some 390 million visitors monthly and 96 million members to its 49 sites in 28 languages, in September announced that the corporation's Ocho Rios Bay Beach, Dunn's River Falls and Park, Green Grotto Caves, and Reach Falls attractions had each been recognised with a 2017 Certificate of Excellence "based on the consistently great reviews earned on TripAdvisor".

The world-famous Dunn's River Falls and Park in St Ann is receiving the award for the third consecutive year, while Reach Falls is being recognised for the second time.

VOTE OF CONFIDENCE

The UDC, in acknowledging the awards, said that the testament by its customers was a clear indication that its contribution to the island's tourism product ranked among the best. It noted further that four attractions being highlighted in the same period for the first time was without question a vote of confidence in the UDC's work and a source of great pride for all Jamaicans.

In selecting Certificate of Excellence winners, TripAdvisor used analytical software to determine the honourees that take into account the quality, quantity and timeliness of reviews and opinions submitted by travellers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period. It also takes into account the attraction's tenure and ranking on the Popularity Index on the site. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews, and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.