By Michael Baginski/ With “passion, pride, and a whole heap of island magic,” the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) celebrated in true Jamaican fashion its 70th anniversary at a gala event in Toronto Monday night with 150 partners and “extended family” at a Harbourfront venue.
“Our island is all about connection,” explained Jamaican media personality and MC Michael Anthony Cuffe, further instructing guests to turn to the person next to them and declare, “You look fabulous!”
And everyone did on the evening as they sipped rum punch, nibbled Jamaican patties and danced into the night to a raucous reggae band that brought the Jamaican vibe to life.
On hand for the occasion was Jamaica’s Consul General in Canada Kurt Davis, who saluted “the entire JTB family” and assured that the Canadian team, led by regional director Angella Bennett, are “excellent partners, hard workers, and true ambassadors of Jamaica.”
Also attending the event was Jamaica’s director of tourism Donovan White – a familiar face in Canada – who recognized the JTB’s nearly 200 staff around the world (not counting non-payroll representatives), offering a toast: “Cheers to 70 years.”
Having been inaugurated on April 1, 1955, the JTB is the legacy of the Tourist Trade Development Board (which had been established in 1922) and indirectly dating to genesis of Jamaican tourism in the 1890s – when visitors had to travel to the island by boat, constituting a playground for the “rich and famous.”
At the time, Jamaica was welcoming about 100,000 visitors, White said, but now boasts over 4.3 million visitors annually, of which Canada contributed nearly 400,000 in 2024 (277,000 came from Ontario, 60,000 from Quebec).
As such White declared that the Jamaica has owed a great deal of its success over the decades to the “ever-expanding” Canadian market (a new flight will be launched from Quebec City next winter by Sunwing and year-over-year arrivals are up over 6%), which has consistently been among the island’s top three source markets.
“The relationship between Canada and Jamaica holds a very special significance in our tourism history; Canadians visitors have consistently been among the most loyal visitors to Jamaica… Canada’s importance to Jamaica’s tourism can’t be overstated,” he said.
And he added, “We are really proud of our 42% rate of return visitors to Jamaica. That means that in every two people that come to Jamaica, one of them has been here before.”
Canadian director Bennett concluded, “For seven decades we’ve been inviting the world to feel the rhythm of our beautiful island home. Our evolution (of the JTB) has been nothing short of remarkable. And Canada has always held a special place in this journey (and) relationships being built in this room tonight will shape the next chapter of the Jamaican tourism industry
“Let’s raise our glasses this evening to celebrate Jamaica 70th… and to many more years of welcoming Canadians to the heartbeat of the Caribbean.”
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