A remarkable legacy: The Jamaica Tourist Board celebrates its 70th

For 70 years, the Jamaica Tourist Board has been showcasing the wonders of Jamaica to the world and last night, close to 150 members of the travel trade, the diaspora and other distinguished dignitaries gathered in Toronto to celebrate both the JTB’s longevity and its remarkable success.

In his role as MC, Michael Anthony Cuffe, well-known Jamaican media personality, 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 her audience that for seven decades the Jamaica Tourist Board has been “inviting the world to feel our rhythms.”

And 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.”

“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, told his audience.

“We always dare to be different,” White said and thank 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 welcome 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.
Cheers! Here’s to 70 more for the Jamaica Tourist Board …