KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has once again been honored as the International Tourism Board Providing the Best Travel Advisor Support at the TravelAge West WAVE Awards, presented June 4 at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey, California. The recognition marks the 14th time Jamaica has claimed the title across the 21-year history of the WAVE Awards. This is an unmatched run that affirms the destination’s enduring partnership with the professionals who sell Jamaica to American travelers.
Photo caption: Ken Shapiro (center), Senior Vice President and Content Director, TravelAge West, presents Dian Holland, District Sales Manager, West/Southwest USA at the Jamaica Tourist Board and her colleague Ray Lee, Business Development Officer for the Western U.S. with the award for International Tourism Board Providing the Best Travel Advisor Support at the recent TravelAge West WAVE Awards, held at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey, California.The WAVE Awards are decided by the votes of travel advisors across the United States, together with the readership of TravelAge West, honoring the industry’s leading suppliers and destinations across more than 70 categories. Winning the advisor-support category, judged by the very agents who recommend Jamaica day in and day out, speaks directly to the strength of JTB’s training, responsiveness and on-the-ground support for the trade.
“For the fourteenth time, the travel advisors of the United States have placed their trust in Jamaica, and we receive that vote of confidence with deep gratitude,” shared Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism. “Behind every booking is an advisor who has chosen to put our island forward to their clients. This award belongs as much to them as it does to us. It signals to the world that when travelers seek an unforgettable Caribbean experience, the professionals they rely on think of Jamaica first.”
Director of Tourism, Donovan White, noted that the distinction carries particular weight because it is conferred by the advisor community itself. “This category is decided by the people who know our product best, so the recognition is one we value above almost any other,” White explained. “It reflects the work our sales and marketing teams do every day. The training, the prompt service, and the genuine partnership to ensure advisors have everything they need to sell destination Jamaica with confidence. As we continue to expand our airlift and deepen our presence across the U.S. market, that close relationship with the trade remains central to our strategy.”
The United States remains Jamaica’s largest source market, and the travel advisor community continues to be a cornerstone of the destination’s reach into it. The latest WAVE honor adds to a strong run of industry recognition for Jamaica, reinforcing its position as one of the Caribbean’s most trusted and sought-after destinations.
