Sandals & Jamaica Tourist Board get ready for a busy 2019

Canada’s cold winter weather is quickly coming, but that didn’t stop the Jamaica Tourist Board and Sandals from hosting a hot December party.

On Saturday, approximately 50 attendees – from company representatives, to travel agents and members of the media – showed up to Chubby’s Jamaican Kitchen in downtown Toronto to celebrate a long-time partnership between the island country and Sandals.

Afterwards they headed to the TIFF Bell Lightbox theatre to catch a screening of “Destiny”, a romantic comedy shot in Toronto and Jamaica that showcases the beauty and culture of the island country.

New Year's plans for the island

CJ Smith, the national BDM at Sandals, said this event was important, as Sandals is gearing up for next year. Sandals Resorts in Jamaica have many enhancements on the way, Smith said. The flagship resort in Montego Bay just got a complete overhaul and now the company is promoting over-the-water bungalows to the rest of the Caribbean.

“We have two resorts currently that have overwater bungalows,” Smith said. “We’re always trying to reinvent, stay ahead of the trend and create the trend.”

Agent incentive programs will be continuing in 2019, Smith said, as Sandals is showcasing its “Cash Splash” program. Multiple travel agents are awarded cash prizes every month, which includes C$500 for each booking in any room category, C$750 for each Club category booking, and C$1,000 for each Butler category booking.

The incentives come at a cost: travel agents must truly know the Sandals brand.

Smith said, “We just feel, ‘hey, you’ve been supporting us for 37 years, so this is what we’re doing.’”

Anticipating the holiday crowd

December is the fun travelling time of the year, said Donovan White, Director of Tourism for the Jamaica Tourist Board. 

“It’s the time of the year where most people want to come to the Caribbean, have a warm vacation and let their hair down," White said.

The Jamaica Tourist Board is expecting a good 2019, as it recently laid out its new digital strategy.

“We’ve unveiled our very new and very aggressive digital strategy, which basically means much of our advertising is being done in a direct and stealth manner,” said Philip Rose, regional director of Canada for The Jamaica Tourist Board. "The call to action remains to call your travel agent. We remain committed to ensuring that our travel partners work very closely with us.”

Starting to invest

New names are also showing interest in Jamaica and adding to room stock, says White. “We have large proposals and investors like Hard Rock, and the Playa Group that have invested heavily in the last year.”

According to White, Karisma Hotels & Resorts is looking to add an additional 1,000 rooms in Jamaica for the new year. Hard Rock is aiming for 1,100 rooms and Oyster Bay Beach Resort just opened a 350-room property.

White says he wants travel partners to know they have Jamaica Tourist Board’s full attention, and to make the Jamaican experience “safe, secure and seamless for their customers.”

“People love Jamaica,” he says. "That’s why we have a 42 per cent return rate of visitors.”