“We are honoured”: JTB celebrates Ensemble partner award

As PAX first reported last week, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) was named Tourism Board Partner of the Year by Ensemble at the consortium’s Horizons conference in Las Vegas on Nov. 5.

“We have been shining the spotlight on luxury in Jamaica over the last year, and the JTB’s strategic partnership with Ensemble has played a significant role in our efforts to elevate the island’s high-end tourism products,” said Donovan White, director of tourism, JTB, in a statement. “We are honoured to receive this recognition from our partners at Ensemble and look forward to continuing this special collaboration in 2024.”

Destination Jamaica representatives accepted the award on stage during a Moulin Rouge-themed gala dinner and award show hosted at Paris Las Vegas.

The event was attended by more than 800 Ensemble travel agency owners, managers and advisors, along with tour operators, airline partners and other tourism industry stakeholders.

READ MORE: On Location - From “prove it” to doing it – travel pros sound off on the “new” Ensemble in Vegas

“We are honoured and delighted that Destination Jamaica has been voted Tourism Board Partner of the Year by Ensemble,” added Angella Bennett, regional director, Canada, JTB. “This incredible recognition is a testament to our strong partnership over the last year and the destination’s ongoing efforts to engage and empower travel advisors within the Ensemble community.”

Earlier this year, Jamaica teamed up with Ensemble to launch its “Come Back to Luxurious” campaign, a strategic promotional partnership to spotlight the island’s high-end tourism products.

Since the partnership officially commenced in September 2023, the JTB has worked with Ensemble to provide travel advisors with access to exclusive training programs and marketing materials on Jamaica’s various luxury offerings.

READ MORE: On Location - “People make travel better”: Ensemble tackles ChatGPT at conference in Las Vegas

The Jamaica Luxury Travel Specialist certification program will launch on Ensemble’s U of E online training platform in December and two curated FAM trips will be hosted in 2024 to give advisors an opportunity to explore Jamaica’s upscale hotels, attractions and concierge services.

Meanwhile, at the Horizons gala, Ensemble representatives also revealed that Half Moon Resort in Jamaica will host the consortium’s upcoming reward trip for top producing advisors. Ensemble’s annual Beyond recognition event will take place from June 17 to 21, 2024.

“We are so thrilled to recognize the Jamaica Tourist Board as our Partner of the Year/Tourist Board,” said Michael Johnson, president of Ensemble. “The exclusive strategic partnership we launched in September to spotlight Jamaica’s luxury tourism products within the North American retail market perfectly encapsulates the type of exclusive offerings we are focusing on. Our Beyond event for top performers at Half Moon Resort in June 2024 will allow our members to fully experience the destination and product that is a key component of this new alliance.”

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.