“We appreciate our travel agent partners”: Q&A with JTB’s Angella Bennett
Q. This is a big calendar year for Jamaica, as it celebrates 60 years of independence. The JTB is marking the event with a booking incentive for its Canadian vacation advisor associates. Why was it crucial for the JTB to reward its journey agent companions as part of the 60th diamond jubilee celebrations?
Bennett: “Canadian journey advisors have generally been a significant section of Jamaica’s results and deserve to be identified for their tricky work and commitment. We particularly take pleasure in our agent associates for their loyalty during the pandemic and in this ongoing recovery interval, so required to current this exclusive Diamond Jubilee booking incentive as a way of stating thank you during this celebratory 12 months.”
Q. It is so great that journey has reopened from Canada, so travellers can finally vacation in a lot-liked destinations like Jamaica. What beneficial stats can you share about bookings and travel from Canada to Jamaica as vacation carries on to get well?
Bennett: “Jamaica is recovering nicely with the US sector coming in strongest followed by Canada. From January to June of this calendar year we have viewed 1.3 million arrivals to Jamaica as opposed to 2019 at 1.6 per cent – so we are just 13 p.c shy of 2019 figures. For the 2022 summer months interval, which runs from late June to the conclusion of August, the JTB is projecting that the island will welcome around 800,000 visitors with desired destination earnings exceeding US $1.1 billion.
“Right now the vacation sector is upbeat and momentum is fantastic with powerful product sales in the Caribbean. We’re also looking at an upswing in our extra high-class offerings and larger finish groups. There is surely a surge in vacation, the marketplace is resilient and recovering really effectively.”
Q. Any quick vacation resort news that agents need to know about?
Bennett: “Currently about 8,000 new hotel rooms are possibly in enhancement or really should start off design in months. A few of these jobs contain the 2,000 area Princess Vacation resort in Hanover, on the western end of the island in between Negril and Montego Bay, which is at present in construction and will turn out to be Jamaica’s most significant vacation resort. We’re also finishing just below 1,000 rooms by Sandals and Shorelines in St. Ann near Ocho Rios, and the new RIU Aquarelle in Trelawny has damaged floor and will boast 700 rooms. There will also be a enormous expansion of Bahia Principe by Grupo Pinero out of Spain, and we should have additional details on their designs soon.”
Q. The JTB was front and centre throughout the pandemic, with webinars and extra to continue to keep brokers engaged and in the loop with advertising Jamaica. Are you observing that pay out off now with an even further link in between the JTB and its agent partners, and are there any trade initiatives that the JTB commenced throughout the pandemic that it will maintain?
Bennett: “We are pretty proud of our thriving, on line Irie hour, which started out in the course of the onset of the pandemic and is still ongoing 2 times every month. Through our Irie Hour we have developed a committed neighborhood of vacation brokers that are remarkably educated and inspired in all matters Jamaica, together with promotions, new or altering protocols, flights and new developments. Our journey advisor Fb group has grown to in excess of 3,000 lively agent members and we continue to establish new information, incentives (like our latest 60 Days and 60 Nights promotion) to preserve matters new.”
