LISBON, Portugal — Jamaica and Jamaican companies emerged the big winners at the just concluded World Travel Awards (WTA) Grand Final Gala Ceremony held in Lisbon, Portugal last night, by winning eight of the coveted awards.

Notably, Jamaica received the World’s Leading Beach Destination and World’s Leading Cruise Destination for 2018, a release from the tourism ministry disclosed.

In highlighting the significance of the awards, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett who along with Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), John Lynch were present at the Gala, said: “I am truly proud to have been able share in this moment which highlights that Jamaica’s tourism product is of the highest quality and remains top of mind for millions of visitors who come to our shore.

“Jamaica competed with the best of the best across the globe and has emerged a global winner acknowledged for the hard work and innovation being done in the sector.”

Delano Seiveright, senior advisor/strategist in the ministry noted that several Jamaican entities received the remaining awards, to include, “the World’s Leading Luxury Hotel Villa, 2018 – Fleming Villa at GoldenEye, Jamaica; World’s Leading Villa Resort 2018 – Round Hill Hotel & Villas, Jamaica; World’s Leading All-inclusive Company 2018- Sandals Resorts International; World’s Leading Family Resort Brand 2018 – Beaches Resorts; World’s Leading Caribbean Attraction Company 2018 – Island Routes Caribbean Adventures and World’s Leading Adventure Tour Operator 2018 – Chukka Caribbean Adventures.”

The ministry said the event marks the climax of the WTA Grand Tour 2018 — an annual search for the finest travel and tourism organisations in the world. Government and industry leaders, luminaries and international print and broadcast media from across the globe were in attendance.

The WTA was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.

“Jamaica is poised for exponential growth in tourism and with this growth we will seek to be more innovative and provide more to our discerning visitors who come to get a taste of all the things we have to offer,” Bartlett pointed out.

Bartlett will travel to Istanbul, Turkey to speak at the third UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture: For the Benefit of All, which will be hosted by the Government of Turkey, during the period December 3- 5, 2018.

Bartlett returns to the island on December 06.