Jamaica Tourist Board prepares diplomats for major overseas tourism markets

Fifteen Jamaican Foreign Service officers set to begin overseas assignments this summer have been briefed by the Jamaica Tourist Board as part of preparations to help them promote the island in major international markets.

The session was held on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at the JTB’s headquarters on Knutsford Boulevard, following a request from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. The officers are being posted to locations across three continents, including New York, Washington, Miami, Toronto, London, Geneva, Brussels, Berlin, Mexico City, Tokyo, Havana and Port-of-Spain.

Director of Tourism Donovan White said the exercise reflects joined-up work between government ministries. “This is what it looks like when two ministries pull in the same direction for one Jamaica,” White said. “Foreign Affairs places our people in the world’s capitals, and Tourism gives them the story to tell when they get there. The country wins twice.”

The briefing addressed the JTB’s strategic responsibilities, Jamaica’s tourism brand, consumer trends, priority audiences, partnership opportunities, commercial diplomacy, and issues tied to crisis and risk response. The aim was to ensure the officers can speak accurately about the destination and give credible answers when questions are raised overseas.

Tourism remains a major pillar of Jamaica’s economy, generating foreign exchange and supporting livelihoods across several linked industries, including agriculture, craft, transportation and accommodation.

“Every officer we brief becomes a frontline ambassador for Destination Jamaica, whether or not it appears in their job description,” White said. “A confident answer in a consulate in New York or a trade mission in Tokyo can become a booking, an investment, or an advocate for life.”

The JTB said the engagement supports the sector’s 5x8x10 target, which seeks to attract eight million visitors and generate US$10 billion by 2030.

“We will not reach US$10 billion from Jamaica alone,” White said. “We reach it in the rooms where decisions are made. These include the embassies, the trade missions, and the consulates where our officers sit every day. Diplomacy and tourism are partners, and this is that partnership in action.”

The briefing is part of an established arrangement in which the Foreign Affairs Ministry invites the JTB to meet with officers before new posting cycles. White summed up the partnership by saying: “Diplomacy opens doors. Tourism walks through them.”