Kingston --- 4 Dec. 2006 --- More than 119,000 Canadians visited Jamaica between January and October 2006, compared with just 85,000 during the same time period last year.

Ms. Sandra Scott, the Jamaica Tourist Board's (JTB) Regional Manager for Canada, said the figure represents a "fantastic increase of 32 percent over last year."

She was addressing travel partners attending the JTB's 2006/2007 Winter Destination Product Launch held recently at the Delta Chelsea Hotel in Toronto.

"Ontario is of course the highest producing province, responsible for 71 per cent of the overall figures for this year," continued Ms. Scott.

The JTB team has embarked on a three-province tour, in Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia, to update their travel partners, which include travel agents, airline companies, tour operators and hotel representatives, on exciting things that are happening in Jamaica.

JTB Marketing representative June Chapman gave an update on some of the new initiatives taking place in the sector, including the building of new hotel rooms, the upgrading of the Donald Sangster international hotel and some of the new attractions and tours. She also detailed what is happening in each resort area - Montego Bay, "the Complete Resort"; Ocho Rios, "the Centrepiece of Jamaica"; Negril, "the Capital of Casual"; Port Antonio, "Naturally"; South Coast, "Off the Beaten Track" and Kingston, "the Heartbeat of Jamaica."

Recently, at the Word Travel Awards, where 167,000 travel professionals worldwide participated, Jamaica received four awards - the Caribbean's leading destination, the Caribbean's leading tourist and convention bureau, the world's leading cruise destination and the Caribbean's leading cruise destination.

Considered to be the most comprehensive travel awards, Ms. Scott said about 200 countries voted "to recognize excellence in travel destinations, airlines, hotels and cruise facilities from regions around the world."

At the same time, in the Travel Courier, a Canadian travel magazine, travel agents voted Ms. Scott and her team, which includes June Chapman, Dan Hamilton, Jackie Marshall and Stafford Henry, as their number one tourist board in Canada.

Source: jis.gov.jm