Cruise Lines Recognised for Contribution to Tourist Industry

Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Lines were presented with the Blue Mountain Awards on Tuesday (March 14), for their contribution to Jamaica’s tourist industry.
The awards were presented at the 22nd annual Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention, currently in session in Miami.
This is the first time that the Blue Mountain Awards have been presented to cruise operators since the inception of the awards in 1983.
Deputy Regional Director of the Jamaica Tourist Board in the United States (US), Donnie Dawson presented the awards to cruise operators, Brendan Corrigan, Senior Vice President of Carnival Cruise and Michael Ronan, Regional Vice President of Royal Caribbean.
Last November, several other US tour operators were also recipients of the Blue Mountain Awards. They included Liberty/GoGo Travel in Ramsey, New Jersey; Apple Vacations in Philadelphia; Mark Travel Corporation, Wisconsin; MLT Vacations in Edina, Minnesota; Travel Impressions in Farmingdale, New York, and Travelocity in Orlando and Air Jamaica Vacations in Miami.
The Blue Mountain Awards were created in 1983 to recognize the outstanding contribution and support of loyal partners to the continued growth and development in the island’s tourist industry.
The presentation ceremony was also part of the activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the Jamaica Tourist Board.
Also participating in the awards ceremony were: Jamaica’s Consul General, Ricardo Allicock and Vice President of the Port Authority of Jamaica, William Tatham. More than 1,000 cruise industry leaders, tour operators and industry-related personnel are participating in the three-day Seatrade Convention, which began on Tuesday and ends today.
A number of panel discussions and wide-ranging discussions formed the three-day agenda covering topics such as the state and direction of the cruise industry; technical, environmental and safety operations; industry overview; the age of the megaship and fuel economy, as well as an insight into the travel industry beyond the cruise business.
Large crowds were drawn to the Jamaican display, featuring major tourist attractions on Jamaica’s north coast. The exhibits mounted by the Jamaica Tourist Board formed part of the major exhibits at the annual convention.
Several craft vendors were also in attendance showcasing their exotic and unique productions.