From left: Nicole Catherine Linton, Julie Fletcher, Alice Bigland, Lesley Gosling, Grace Fryer, Tiagan Dealey, Hannah Young, Cara Meikle, Leanne Schembri, Jenna Hurst, Suzanne Wright, Ewa Katarzyna Zachmac and Shenika Ramsay. Photo courtesy Jamaica Tourist Board.
KINGSTON, Jamaica--Twenty TUI UK travel agents from around the Manchester and Birmingham catchment area have recently completed a familiarisation trip to Jamaica.
They experienced fourteen different attractions on the island as part of an investment in the destination, which will include training throughout the organisation and increased airlift for 2022, according to a press release from the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).
During their trip, agents visited attractions including Rick’s Café in Negril, the iconic Bob Marley Museum in the capital city Kingston, Mystic Mountains in Ocho Rios and one of Jamaica’s most celebrated historic landmarks, the Devon House Mansion. These form part of Jamaica’s many offerings, with over 170 attractions to be experienced across the island – more than anywhere else in the Caribbean, the release states. The trip acted as a way for the agents to experience Jamaica in a unique and authentic way. The immersive experience helped them to become Jamaica experts, ready to lead Jamaica-specific training for their TUI regional colleagues in the UK.
Donovan White, Director of Tourism at the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) said: “TUI is and has been the leading tour operator for Jamaica for many years and it was an absolute pleasure meeting so many agents during their trip to Jamaica and for them to have experienced the real Jamaica first hand. We are proud of our strong partnership with the TUI group and we very much look forward to building and strengthening our relationship.”
JTB District Sales Manager, Torrance Lewis said: “This trip formed part of our 60 for 60 incentive programme, which we introduced earlier this year as part of our 60th Anniversary of Independence celebrations. TUI agents experienced the wide range of activities, experiences and attractions that can be found across the island and the trip has also acted as an educational training programme for the future. We are delighted that TUI has seen such strong demand this year that it has increased its flight programme by 10,000 seats this summer.”
Simon Sharpe, TUI Musement Regional Retail Sales Manager for TUI Northern Region, who joined the trip said: “This is the first familiarisation trip that our TUI UK&I retail team has had to the Caribbean since the beginning of the pandemic, and it’s been wonderful being back in sunny Jamaica. Our most recent research shows that customers who book an experience alongside their holiday demonstrated higher levels of satisfaction. Jamaica’s wide range of attractions and experiences provide a strong opportunity for us to add that extra level of customer service to our guests, which is fantastic. Nonetheless, Jamaica suits every traveller type and age group – from soft adventure travellers to luxury seekers, food lovers and honeymooners.
“We are all coming home from our visit, talking about the incredible friendliness and hospitality of everyone we met in Jamaica, not to mention the quality of the hotels we stayed [in – Ed.], which have been amazing. Our bookings for tours and attractions in Jamaica are strong and we continue to see our overall sales number continue to grow. We look forward to continuing to build our relationship with Jamaica and the Jamaica Tourist Board even further in the seasons and years ahead.”
