JTB awards Jamaica travel specialist
Published:Tuesday | December 12, 2017 | 12:00 AMJanet Silvera
WESTERN BUREAU:
For the seventh year, the Jamaica Tourist Board rewarded the 50 top travel specialists who specialise in the destination and promote it as their first choice.
The 50, from various cities in the United States, Canada and the UK, were fÍted last week at the Moon Palace Jamaica, in Ocho Rios, St Ann for three days, culminating with the annual ultimate 'All-White' party and awards ceremony on Saturday night.
A number of travel agents got the opportunity to visit areas that they don't normally get to see - Port Antonio; the home of the original jerk pork, Boston; Rio Grande; Culture Yard, in Trench Town; and historic Port Royal, once known as the 'Wickedest city on Earth'.
Hosted by Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, chairman of the board, John Lynch, interim director of tourism, Donnie Dawson, regional directors and several business development officers, whose responsibility it is to market Jamaica, the agents also met and got upfront and personal with Miss Universe Jamaica, Davina Bennett.
Tagged under the theme of 'One Love', 30,000 travel agents have graduated under this programme, Dawson told the audience, adding that the bar had risen every year for participants to get to the top 50.
The leaders of the pack this year included Lindsey Johnson of Tropics Travel Agency LLC, who outpaced her peers as the top agent. The others were Donna Daniels (Fox Travel American Express), Michelle Wiseman (Toms Tours), Anthony Tucker (All Inclusive Outlet), Sharon Little (Wedding and Honeymoon Travel Group), Darlene Rhoden (The Travel Net Inc.), Marlene Johnson (MJ Travel Group), David Parker (All The way Travel), Kimberly Felix (Honeymoons Inc.), Mark Henngan (Dreamer's Travel) and William 'Bill' Munroe (Barrhead Travel).