KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) walked away with two awards during the recent Flight Centre USA Partner Conference in New Jersey. Flight Centre USA was formed in early 2008 when Flight Centre Ltd. acquired retail-based travel agency Liberty Travel (comprising 160 store locations and over 700 travel consultants) and its sister company, travel wholesaler GOGO Worldwide Vacations, making Flight Centre Ltd. one of the world’s largest and most successful travel groups.
The awards, which were based on the results of a survey of the more than 1,000 travel agents in Flight Centre’s network, recognized the JTB with Best Customer Service for a Tourist Board and Best Marketing Campaign. JTB Regional Director, Airline & Tour Operator Anthony King was on hand to accept the awards.
Partnership and celebration was the theme of the inaugural conference, where over 130 of Flight Centre’s key suppliers gathered to participate. The partner conference included a series of workshops and seminars as well as presentations by the company’s senior business leaders. Presentations were made by Dean Smith, president of Flight Centre USA; Michelle Kish, president of GOGO Vacations; Billy McDonough, president of Liberty Travel; and John Beauvais, president of FCm Travel Solutions.
“The Jamaica Tourist Board’s sales team has been doing a great job in keeping the destination top of mind for potential travelers,” said Director of Tourism John Lynch. “Being honored by the travel agent community underscores the agent’s confidence in the value of our tourism product. We appreciate the ongoing support and commitment to Jamaica.”
Anthony King, Regional Director, Airline & Tour Operator, JTB (center), accepts the awards on behalf of the JTB for Best Customer Service for a Tourist Board and Best Marketing Campaign. Sharing the occasion were: from left to right, Mark Benson, Go Go’s vice president of Global Product, and Dean Smith, president of Flight Center USA.
In addition to the two destination awards, two other Jamaican brands were recognized. Sandals Resorts received five awards, while Secrets Wild Orchid was voted Best New Resort.
“It was important that these awards were voted on by our frontline selling agents, since it truly recognizes our partners’ efforts in working with our agents in training, customer service and the quality of their brands,” remarked Dean Smith, president of Flight Centre USA.
