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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Jamaica is number one for North American tourists</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Taneisha Davidson
Monday, August 21, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>American and Canadian travel agents say Jamaica is still the preferred choice for tourists compared with other countries in the Caribbean.<P class=StoryText align=justify>According to travel agents attending the recent Sandals/Beaches Ultra Convention in Toronto, Canada, Jamaica gets top billing among vacationers because of its people.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=330 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>This Honda Element motor car, painted over in Sandals/Beaches colours, was on display at the all-inclusive resort chain's recent travel convention in Atlantic City, USA. </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Joy Ellison, who has been a travel agent for more than 11 years, said Jamaica is her "number one selling destination", even though the upsurge in crime and violence in the island sometimes makes her job more difficult in terms of convincing her clients that Jamaica is still a safe destination.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"The minute you get off the plane you get this warm fuzzy feeling that you are welcome," said Ellison, who is the owner of Marlin Travel in New Market, Ontario. "One year I booked at least 100 trips for Sandals and 75 per cent were trips for Jamaica."<P class=StoryText align=justify>Anita Schoeplel, owner of Trade Winds Travel in Rochester, New York, said Jamaica is the easiest country to get tourist bookings for. "Some people might have their misconceptions, but once they get over that they realise that the people are warm and friendly in Jamaica," she said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I book over 100 people a year for trips to Jamaica."
Schoeplel said for her it was love at first sight when she first visited Jamaica. She has been to Jamaica more than six times already.
For Al Valente, who was the first Sandals certified specialist in the world, Jamaica is a popular honeymoon destination.
"One thing that sets Jamaica apart from the rest of the Caribbean islands is the people. They are like family to us," he said. "I have gone to Jamaica more than a dozen times and it is a great experience."<P class=StoryText align=justify>He agreed with Schoeplel that Jamaican destinations are easy to sell to his clients by far. "Jamaica is the number one island that is universally easy to sell," he said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Meantime, Ben Smith, head of Canada Vacations, said the demands for Jamaica have increased so much that Air Canada has, for the first time in the history of the airline, began to fly to Jamaica on a daily basis.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"We send at least 150 people to Jamaica on a daily basis," Smith told the Observer. "The number of tourists flying to Jamaica almost doubled when we started flying daily."
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Taneisha Davidson
Monday, August 21, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>American and Canadian travel agents say Jamaica is still the preferred choice for tourists compared with other countries in the Caribbean.<P class=StoryText align=justify>According to travel agents attending the recent Sandals/Beaches Ultra Convention in Toronto, Canada, Jamaica gets top billing among vacationers because of its people.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=330 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>This Honda Element motor car, painted over in Sandals/Beaches colours, was on display at the all-inclusive resort chain's recent travel convention in Atlantic City, USA. </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Joy Ellison, who has been a travel agent for more than 11 years, said Jamaica is her "number one selling destination", even though the upsurge in crime and violence in the island sometimes makes her job more difficult in terms of convincing her clients that Jamaica is still a safe destination.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"The minute you get off the plane you get this warm fuzzy feeling that you are welcome," said Ellison, who is the owner of Marlin Travel in New Market, Ontario. "One year I booked at least 100 trips for Sandals and 75 per cent were trips for Jamaica."<P class=StoryText align=justify>Anita Schoeplel, owner of Trade Winds Travel in Rochester, New York, said Jamaica is the easiest country to get tourist bookings for. "Some people might have their misconceptions, but once they get over that they realise that the people are warm and friendly in Jamaica," she said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I book over 100 people a year for trips to Jamaica."Schoeplel said for her it was love at first sight when she first visited Jamaica. She has been to Jamaica more than six times already.
For Al Valente, who was the first Sandals certified specialist in the world, Jamaica is a popular honeymoon destination.
"One thing that sets Jamaica apart from the rest of the Caribbean islands is the people. They are like family to us," he said. "I have gone to Jamaica more than a dozen times and it is a great experience."<P class=StoryText align=justify>He agreed with Schoeplel that Jamaican destinations are easy to sell to his clients by far. "Jamaica is the number one island that is universally easy to sell," he said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Meantime, Ben Smith, head of Canada Vacations, said the demands for Jamaica have increased so much that Air Canada has, for the first time in the history of the airline, began to fly to Jamaica on a daily basis.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"We send at least 150 people to Jamaica on a daily basis," Smith told the Observer. "The number of tourists flying to Jamaica almost doubled when we started flying daily."
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