Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has publicly credited travel advisors across the Americas as essential to the destination’s tourism growth, emphasizing their role in shaping client perceptions and driving repeat visitation during a period of global market volatility.
Speaking at a reception in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, Bartlett told advisors that their influence extends beyond booking logistics. “You are often the first point of contact for visitors, shaping perceptions and creating that crucial ‘moment of truth,'” he said, according to a statement from the Jamaica Tourist Board. “Through your voices and your passion, Jamaica comes alive long before visitors arrive on our shores.”
The remarks underscore a strategic pivot by Jamaica’s tourism authority toward emphasizing the advisory community’s influence on destination branding—particularly as the island seeks to sustain momentum from eight years of significant growth. The destination has doubled visitor arrivals and tourism earnings during that period while expanding employment in tourism-related sectors, according to Bartlett’s office.
Bartlett attributed Jamaica’s 42% repeat visitor rate partly to advisor relationships and their ability to communicate the island’s cultural assets. “Travel advisors are among our most powerful ambassadors,” he said, singling out their capacity to convey “the warmth, culture, and authenticity of the Jamaican people.”
Donovan White, Director of Tourism, reinforced the message in a prepared statement, calling Jamaica “a powerful brand that is authentic and unique” and framing advisor advocacy as central to the destination’s market positioning.
The government also encouraged advisors to deepen outreach to Jamaica’s diaspora as a strategy for strengthening cultural connections and visitor loyalty.
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