MONTEGO BAY — It was a week of fun in the sun for 19 Canadian travel agents who travelled to Jamaica last month for the ‘Irie Hour’ fam trip.

Taking place from Oct. 23-28 and hosted by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), the invite-only trip welcomed loyal attendees of JTB’s virtual Irie Hour, a weekly chill-and-chat show that launched in May 2020 as a way for Canadian agents to stay informed and in touch during the pandemic.

The 19 lucky agents were treated to a plethora of authentic Jamaican experiences, including a coffee and rum tasting at Chukka’s Island Village Outpost, river tubing and ziplining at Chukka’s Adrenaline Outpost at White River Valley, and a special gala evening at Moon Palace Jamaica. The group also had the chance to conduct site inspections at some of the country’s leading hotels and resorts, including Jewel Paradise Cove, RIU Ocho Rios and Sandals Ochi.

Above (left to right): Jamaica Tourist Board staff members Judy Nash, Office Manager; Emma Madsen, Business Development Manager, Western Canada; Daniel Stubbs, Business Development Officer, Eastern Canada; Racquel Queensborough, Business Development Manager, Ontario; Jerron Britton, Business Development Manager, Montego Bay; and Angella Bennett, Regional Director, Canada.

“For this very special Irie Hour fam trip, we chose agents who have demonstrated a strong dedication to Jamaica over the past year,” said Angella Bennett, Regional Director, Canada, Jamaica Tourist Board. “These loyal agents have shown up during many of our virtual Irie Hour sessions and they are committed to learning about Jamaica. This was an opportunity for us to thank these hardworking agents in person for their continued support of Jamaica and showcase some of the very best island experiences, hotels and attractions for them to share with their clients back in Canada.”

Agents who were unable to join the fam trip in person were able to tune in for a special live-on-location Irie Hour broadcast hosted at Bahia Principe Luxury Runaway Bay on Oct. 25.

For more information about Irie Hour and JTB’s various engagement programs for Canadian travel agents, go to visitjamaica.com/Canada.