ST JAMES, Jamaica- Several influential tourism organisations in the United States of America are commending the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) for the island’s record performance in visitor arrivals and tourism earnings post-COVID-19.

Among them lauding Jamaica’s resurgent tourism industry are Pat Mueller, managing director of the Wisconsin based-travel incentive house, P.M. Mueller and Associates; Kimberly Newman, event strategist at Maritz Selectand and Jill Burkett, vice president of the Wellness and Travel Group at Questex, based in New York.

They have independently given their assessment of Jamaica as a preferred destination; the JTB for their innovative marketing strategies, and its Groups and Conventions Department in successfully bringing hundreds of international buyers and suppliers to the island for the Jamaica experience.

Recently, Questex in collaboration with the JTB’s Groups and Conventions Department brought approximately 100 suppliers and incentive buyers from the Caribbean and North America to participate in the Caribbean and Mexico Incentive Travel Excellence (CMITE) conference held in the resort city of Montego Bay.

Mueller, Newman and Burkett were participants at that event.

“I see the JTB as a key critical partner and certainly one of the best in the Caribbean. I absolutely endorse the JTB for the proactive marketing strategies they undertook during the COVID period. They wanted to be part of being one of the first agencies to bring back the meetings and incentive groups business to the Caribbean. They were successful in achieving this goal. The JTB are ahead of the game and ahead of the competition,” Burkett asserted.

Newman added: “Jamaica impacts the world. The way I think it does, is through the arts, the music and the food. My business, which is the buyer product side of tourism, is just a celebration of all of the things that Jamaica celebrates.”

Said Muller: “We attend numerous tourism-related events and conventions across many markets and the JTB staff is always incredibly helpful.”

Manager of the JTB’s Groups and Conventions Department, John Woolcock, said it was welcoming news that these seasoned professionals had given the JTB excellent ratings. Woolcock has committed on behalf of the staff, to continue raising the bar to make Jamaica the destination of choice in the region.

Jamaica continues to be a top pick for tourists, specifically North America, among Caribbean destinations.

For 17 consecutive years, the country captured the Caribbean’s Leading Destination award at the World Travel Awards Caribbean and Americas Gala. In addition, this year, the JTB won the Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board award for the 15th year in a row.

Up to the end of September, the island welcomed 3.3 million visitors – a 30 per cent increase over the corresponding period in 2022- with estimated earnings of roughly US$3.1 billion, representing an increase of about 20 per cent over the same period last year.