Jamaica Tourist Board Receives Award From HSMAI

Even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Jamaica, last Tuesday (March 23), managed to cop a major international award for its tourism response to the worldwide pandemic.

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) was recognised by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) with a Best Practice Gold Adrian Award for public relations excellence in Crisis Communications/Management.

The focus of the 2020 HSMAI Adrian Award was on Best Practices, Innovation and Community, showcasing the industry’s most exceptional efforts that will drive hospitality and tourism recovery.

The Adrian Award also represents the largest and most prestigious global travel marketing competition.

It celebrates Jamaica’s comprehensive crisis response. Competition has always been a showcase and benchmark of best practices in hotel and travel marketing and media.

The JTB’s entry, titled ‘Communicating through a Crisis: A Model for Tourism Leadership’, focused on the destination’s thorough and thoughtful response to the pandemic, with an emphasis on innovative marketing and international communications.

“It is an honour to have our marketing and communication efforts lauded by an international entity at a time when we have worked so hard to show true tourism leadership globally,” Director of Tourism, Donovan White, said in a statement.

“A nimble and strategic approach to marketing will remain a top priority for the JTB as we continue working towards a strong recovery for the tourism industry,” he added.

At the heart of the JTB’s strategy was the debut of GEN-C, a generation born out of the shared experience of COVID-19 shutdowns.

Attributed to Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, this global positioning of a new group of travellers was the basis for an international thought leadership platform.

“We as an island and as part of the global travel and tourism industry need to adapt swiftly to the requirements of this new type of traveller post pandemic. GEN-C will be unsettled by the crisis they have lived through this year, they will need reassurance and evidence that their experience overseas will enhance their lives, not put their loved ones at risk,” Mr. Bartlett said at the time.

The award also celebrates Jamaica’s “exceptional efforts” to foster emotional connections, virtually, with Jamaican culture for people at home.

The digital Escape to Jamaica series highlighted cuisine, wellness, and music through cooking demos, fitness classes, and weekly DJ sessions.

The Adrian Award represents the largest and most prestigious global travel marketing competition.