JTB celebrates a “legacy built on passion, pride and island magic”

One of the things that Donovan White made an effort to point out during a recent Toronto event celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Jamaica Tourist Board was that by the time the JTB was created on April 1, 1955, Jamaica had already been in the business of tourism for close to 60 years. 

“Tourism in Jamaica started in 1896,” White, the Director of Tourism for the JTB, told the audience of travel trade executives, members of the diaspora and a host of distinguished dignitaries, explaining that at that time, “Jamaica was the playground of the rich and famous” who arrived on the island by boat. 

White observed that when the JTB was established 70 years ago, it began a journey to introduce the world to paradise because “if you’re going to paradise, you’re going to Jamaica.” 

Michael Anthony Cuffe, well-known Jamaican media personality and MC for the evening’s festivities, told the gathering that the Jamaica Tourist Board has “a legacy built on passion, pride and island magic.” 

“What a milestone,” observed Angella Bennett, the JTB’s Regional Director Canada, before telling the audience that for seven decades the Jamaica Tourist Board has been “inviting the world to feel our rhythms.” 

Bennett credited the travel trade – travel advisors, tour operators, hoteliers, airlines and others for “championing Jamaica” and celebrated the “strong bonds” that the trade, both in Canada and around the world, have formed with the JTB.

In fact, Bennett said that Canada has always had a special place and is currently ranked as Jamaica’s third most important visitor market and “moving up.”

“The relationships being built in this room tonight,” Bennett said, “will shape the next 70 years.”

And she added that: “In tandem with celebrating and recognizing our 70th anniversary, we are also looking to broaden the markets we serve, and our efforts in Quebec are resonating with the communities there.”

Said Bennett: “We have seen a very positive and encouraging response from Quebeckers, especially those from Quebec City, who are increasingly booking travel to Jamaica because of all that our country has to offer.”

“70 years ago, the Jamaica Tourist Board was established and the organization began its journey to introduce the world to the paradise of Jamaica,” Donovan White, Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board, said.

“We always dare to be different,” White said, thanking the JTB’s trade partners for their support and belief in Jamaica. 

He noted as well that Canadian visitors have been consistently loyal to Jamaica, with the island proudly celebrating the 42% repeat factor that the Canadian market delivers. 

In 2024, Jamaica welcomed more than 400,000 Canadians, which represented a 6.2% increase over the previous year. 

When the JTB was established on April 1, 1955, Jamaica welcomed in the neighbourhood of 100,000 visitors. In 2024, the island welcomed 4.3 million visitors who accounted for $4.3 billion in revenue, making tourism Jamaica’s number one industry. 

White emphasized that tourism is Jamaica’s number one industry and it has been the fastest growing industry in Jamaica for the last 33 years. 

And it’s pretty clear that White is intent on seeing that continue, telling the Toronto gathering that the goal now is to achieve 500,000 Canadian visitors by the end of 2026. 

And in raising his glass to toast the JTB’s anniversary, White also toasted the 196 members of the JTB team around the world, telling the crowd that without them, the JTB’s success would not have been possible. 

“We are immensely proud of how hard we have worked to turn Jamaica into a premier global vacation destination,” said White, and continued: “Achieving this was no easy feat – it took the dedication, perseverance and commitment of countless members of our unified team to whom we owe a deep sense of gratitude.”

Cheers! Here’s to 70 more for the Jamaica Tourism Board…