09 May 2013
The Jamaica Tourist Board treated a group of nine, lucky travel agents to some much needed sunshine and warm Jamaican hospitality on a five-night tour of Jamaica, the Caribbean's most popular island destination, from 26 April - 2 May 2013.
According to one of the agents, Stephen Yates from Kuoni, the trip was an extraordinary experience and provided the ideal opportunity to learn more about what Jamaica has to offer visitors. Showcasing some of the key tourism resorts including Negril, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, the trip was part of an ongoing campaign to educate the UK travel trade on Jamaica's world-famous tourism product through a series of tailored fam trips. The group was made up of agents from travel companies including Kuoni, Thomas Cook and Travel Counsellors, who were picked for the trip after successfully completing the Jamaica Tourist Board's online training programme, Jamaica Travel Specialist.
Stephen Yates of Kuoni said: "Before this trip, I had never visited Jamaica and I was excited to see the real side to the island. Half Moon was out of this world and swimming with the dolphins at Dolphin Cove was an amazing experience, and one I'll never forget. The trip really brought to life everything I've learnt through the Jamaica Travel Specialist training programme."
After flying to Montego Bay with Virgin Atlantic, the agents were offered first-hand experience of Jamaica's diverse hotel portfolio with accommodation at a range of properties. These included the family-friendly Beaches Negril Resort & Spa on the famous Seven Mile Beach, the luxurious Half Moon in Montego Bay and the adults-only Jewel Dunn's River Beach Resort & Spa. The group was also able to further increase their hotel product knowledge with site inspections of other leading hotels including Secrets Resorts, Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa and Grand Bahia Principe.
Jamaica offers a wealth of attractions suitable for all types of holidaymakers and the agents enjoyed a taster of some of the key tourist hotspots including the world-famous Dunn's River Falls in Ocho Rios and even a camel ride at the new Dolphin Cove resort in Sandy Bay.
Since November 2012, the Jamaica Tourist Board has also hosted two luxury fam trips to Jamaica and has further fam trips planned for 2013.
To register on the Jamaica Travel Specialist online training programme, visit www.jamaicatravelspecialist.co.uk. For more information on Jamaica, visit www.VisitJamaica.com.
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Notes to Editors
Photo Caption (from left to right): Richard Airey, (Thomas Cook), Antoinette O'Connor (Travel Counsellors), George Papandreou (Steamond Travel), Jessica Sutton (Thomas Cook), Charlotte Bush (Thomson), Donovan Donaldson (Marketing Representative for the Jamaica Tourist Board), Stephen Yates (Kuoni), Claire Bottone (Travel Counsellors), Jeff Paulett (Westgate Travel) and Wendy Slack (Global Travel) at Half Moon, a RockResort.
Media Enquiries
McCluskey International
Sarah Salord / Kathy Rowsome
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About the Jamaica Tourist Board
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica's national tourism agency, based in the capital city of Kingston. JTB offices are located in Kingston, Montego Bay, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are located in Düsseldorf, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam and Tokyo.
Jamaica was named "Favourite Worldwide Destination" by the readers of British Travel Awards' Check-In magazine at the publication's new Readers' Choice Awards 2012. Jamaica was also voted the 2010 World's Leading Beach Destination (Montego Bay) by the World Travel Awards.
For details on upcoming special events, attractions and accommodation in Jamaica visit the JTB website at www.visitjamaica.com, or call the JTB on 020 7225 9090.
