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Jamaica is PATWA destination of the year

Published:Thursday | March 7, 2019 | 12:00 AM
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett (left) and Director of Tourism Donovan White with the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) International Travel Award for Destination of the Year in Berlin, Germany.

Jamaica has been named the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) destination of the year.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and Director of Tourism Donovan White accepted during the International Travel Award ceremony in Berlin, Germany earlier today.

"Jamaica is truly honoured to once again receive a prestigious award from the internationally recognised PATWA organisation," Bartlett said.

PATWA, a professional organisation of travel writers was founded in 1998.

Its awards recognise individuals and organisations who have excelled in the promotion of tourism.

"Destination Jamaica has been performing exceptionally well. I am very proud to say that each year we continue to see an increase in the number of visitors to our shores – most of which have been to our island at least once before,” White said.

Visitor arrivals 

2016
3,837,243

2017
4,276,189.

2018
4,318,600 visitors.

Bartlett said preliminary figures for airport arrivals for the period of January 1 to February 17, 2019 show Montego Bay recording 275,902 and Kingston 44,400 for a total of 320,602. 

That is 31,172 or a 10.2 per cent increase over the corresponding period of 2018.

The International Travel Award is the largest tourism trade show in the world.

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