JAMAICA – After months and months of planning, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) recognized the Top 50 travel sellers from the United States, Canada and the UK at the annual White Affair event December 13-16. Agents input their bookings with the One Love Rewards Program and the best of the best earn a free trip to Jamaica at the end of the year. Plus, if they can bring a companion with them if that person pays for the flight. Accommodations are taken care of by the host resort. Why does the JTB pay for this? It’s a no-brainer for Donnie Dawson, the Deputy Director, Sales USA for the Jamaica Tourist Board. “Travel agents are very important to Jamaica,” Dawson told TravelPulse. “They are an integral part of what we do.”MORE Travel Agent In its seventh year, the White Affair is all about celebrating the travel agent. It continues to show that agents are a strong force in the travel industry. The weekend began with a welcome cocktail reception and dinner followed by fun excursions around Jamaica before the big awards dinner on Saturday night. “You earned your way here,” Dawson told the agents at Thursday’s Welcome Reception held at Excellence Oyster Bay’s rooftop bar. The newest resort in Jamaica, Excellence Oyster Bay is simply stunning, and it’s easy to see why it was this year’s choice to be the host resort. Located on a private peninsula and home to 315 suites with 15 different categories (eight belonging to the exclusive Excellence Club), a world-class spa and wellness center as well as nine high-quality restaurants, 24-hour room service plus 10 bars and lounges, Excellence Oyster Bay is an all-inclusive resort that truly lives up to its name. The White Affair Reception and Awards Dinner took place Saturday night at the Falmouth Cruise Pier. All 50 agents were given awards, with a select few named “Most Improved” – a first for the White Affair. Even those who couldn’t make the trip had their name and agency recognized during the award ceremony. Key members of Jamaica’s travel industry were in attendance as well. Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett and Director of Tourism Donovan White both gave speeches, each taking the time to give their appreciation and thanks to agents for all their hard work. From left to right: Jamaica's Director of Tourism Donovan White Donovan White, Jamaica's Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica's Top Seller Anthony Tucker, Jamaica's Deputy Director, Sales USA Donnie Dawson and Business Development Manager Sean-Pierre Webster at the 2018 White Affair (photo by Eric Bowman) Bartlett also noted how tourism continues to rise and provide billions of dollars of revenue for Jamaica. Additionally, he announced nearly 89,000 new airline seats from the United States was added this winter and in the early months of 2019, Jamaica will break ground and begin work on adding 6,000 new rooms. Travel agents have played an essential role in the growth Jamaica is experiencing. More visitors are expected to travel here and more rooms being added equals more opportunities for agents to gain commission. From a numbers standpoint, the Top 50 agents booked 164,145 room nights for the year. Total room nights for the number 1 agent was 22,456 and the agent who came in 50th was 1,112. But to the JTB, every agent is significant. “The 50th person is as important as the number 1,” Dawson said. These agents are passionate about Jamaica, which helps lead to successful business for them and Jamaica. Being recognized by the JTB in this fashion is a major win for these agents. Mark Hennigan of Dreamers Travel in Maryland has been recognized in the Top 50 every year. Jamaica awarded their top 50 travel agents at the 2018 White Affair event (photo by Eric Bowman) “It’s a huge honor, just to know that people recognize that you’re partnering with them and the accomplishment of what we do to work day in and day out, sometimes 12, 15, 16-hours a day, Hennigan said. “The Jamaica Tourist Board is so supportive in everything that we do, and they really appreciate and value our business.”Lois Barbour of Travel Time TPI in Newfoundland, Canada commented on what this award means for her and her country. “Especially coming from a little place like I am in Newfoundland. But even in Canada, with 10 percent of the population of the U.S., for us to have multiple agents here that are in the Top 50, it’s a huge honor. It means that we represent Jamaica well and we certainly feel appreciated by the JTB.” The event itself is proof that Jamaica loves travel agents, but the hospitality shown by the JTB to the agents was truly remarkable. Travel agents are vital to the industry, and Jamaica makes it known how much they value their elite agents. Want to be a part of the event next year? It’s simple, master the travel specialist training with the One Love Rewards program and sell, sell, sell Jamaica.