Nominations Invited for Tourism Service Excellence Awards

The Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment is inviting workers and stakeholders within the industry to submit nominations for the National Tourism Service Excellence Awards, which seek to recognise individuals and organisations in the sector that demonstrate best practices and offer excellent customer service.

Nominations for the tourism awards close on Friday, September 25 and are open to individuals and organisations serving the tourism sector across the island.

Speaking with JIS News, Director of Corporate Services at the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Paul BadreSingh, explained that the tourism awards aim to promote performance excellence and exceptional customer service delivery, which are integral to the continued growth of the tourism product.

            “The aim is really to make this a prestigious award that is sought after by just about anyone in this industry. It is to instil pride throughout the industry to lift customer service to a new high, not just among entities in Jamaica, but worldwide, because we bring in tourists from all over the globe into Jamaica,” Mr.  BadreSingh said.

Awardees will be selected based on a special set of criteria, including: exceptional initiative; compliance with all relevant tourism and other industry standards; continuous improvement in service delivery and attention to customer satisfaction; and proven contribution to the enhancement of Jamaica’s tourism by creating innovative or unique products and services.

On the matter of eligibility, the Director said that, “we try to make this as inclusive as possible, because the industry is all encompassing.”

“So, we look at categories such as accommodation, attractions and places of interest, ground transport and tour operators, craft markets and craft vendors, customs officers, redcap porters, airport staff…and there are also some special categories to include persons who are not employed or cannot be categorised in any of the above, but who contribute to tourism in a significant way,” he added.

Nominees will be announced on October 21 and the finals of the National Tourism Service Excellence Awards will be staged on Saturday, November 28.

Further details about the awards and guidelines regarding nomination may be accessed on the Ministry’s website at: www.mot.gov.jm.