Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo)

Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) is the central agency mandated

by the Government of Jamaica to facilitate the maintenance, development and
enhancement of the tourism product.

TPDCo has been in operation since April 5, 1996, and is registered as a

private company under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Tourism &
Entertainment. A Board of Directors oversees the company's policies and strategic
plans. The Executive Director reports to the Chairman of the Board and has a
functional relationship with the Minister of Tourism & Entertainment, the
Permanent Secretary and the Director General in the Ministry of Tourism &
Entertainment.

The company is designed to support government and quasi-government agencies

in the development of the tourism industry, particularly by coordinating and
facilitating prompt action between public and private sector interests.

Members of TPDCO's Board are drawn from both the public and private sectors,
and include representatives of the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association (JHTA),
JAVA and each resort area. TPDCo's Chairman is appointed by the Government.

Its mission is to facilitate the diversification, development and improvement of

the tourism product utilizing an experienced and qualified staff to enhance visitor
experience by building consensus and strategic alliances with industry
stakeholders in order to engender socio-economic growth.
Jamaica Hotel and Tourism Association (JHTA)

Established in 1961, the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association is the organization,
which represents Jamaican hotels, other visitor accommodations as well as most
suppliers of goods and services to the tourism industry. The main aim of the JHTA
is to promote the development of Jamaica’s hospitality industry and to represent
the interests of its members in all fora, locally, regionally and internationally.

JHTA promotes the interests of its members with government and its agencies,
with other elements of the private sector and with international organizations.
Through its association and representation on the Boards of Directors of the
Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and the Tourism Product Development Company
(TPDCo) it ensures a strong voice for its membership in the development and
marketing of Jamaica’s tourism. The JHTA is a major member of the Private Sector
Organization of Jamaica. Its participation ensures a leading role for the private
sector’s interests in the policies and programmes of the PSOJ.

Internationally, JHTA is affiliated with the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association.
This valuable liaison provides the JHTA with the opportunity to secure critical
information and exposure for its members.
Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB)

The Jamaica Tourist Board is charged with a mission of marketing the tourism
product so that Jamaica remains the premier Caribbean tourism destination. To
this end, we are positioning Jamaica as the most complete, unique and diverse
warm weather destination in the world, which offers the best vacation value
available. We operate in a fiercely competitive environment, arising from a
growing appreciation by governments worldwide that they can create a high
standard of living for their people by making tourism a priority for economic
development. Attempts to organize a Bureau responsible for marketing Jamaica
resulted in the formation of the Jamaica Tourist Association in 1910 whose
primary purpose was to enhance the claims of the colony as a health and pleasure
resort. They were also responsible for giving reliable information to both
prospective visitors and those already holidaying in the island. In 1922 the
government started its direct intervention in the promotion of the industry and
enacted laws which saw the establishment of the Tourist Trade Development
Board. This entity and the Jamaica Tourist Association were amalgamated in 1926.
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to keep Jamaica’s profile as a tourism and travel destination, prominent in the
international marketplace. To facilitate product improvement by working with the
public and private sectors to improve and enhance those facilities which support
Jamaica’s image as a tourism and travel destination. Its goal is to become the best
tourism and travel destination as measured by the international marketplace.
Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)

The Caribbean Tourism Organization's main objective is the development of

sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefit of Caribbean people. The
CTO provides to and through its public and private sector members, the services
and information to accomplish this goal.

The CTO, with headquarters in Barbados, comprises 32 member countries,

including English, French, Spanish and Dutch countries and territories, as well as
private sector allied members. These include the Caribbean Hotel Association,
companies, organizations and persons providing products and services to the
Caribbean tourism industry. CTO's offices are located in the USA, UK, Canada and
Barbados. CTO Chapters are located in France, Germany, the Netherlands, across
the U.S. and in the Caribbean.

CTO was established in 1989 with the merger of the Caribbean Tourism
Association (founded in 1951) and the Caribbean Tourism Research and
Development Center (founded in 1974)
Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)

Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) mission is to facilitate the full
potential of the Caribbean hotel & tourism industry by serving member needs and
building partnerships in a socially responsible and sustainable manner.

CHTA first began in 1959 as a committee of the Caribbean Tourist Association - a

public/private sector organization created to promote and market the region - in
response to a specific hotel lobby. In 1962, CHTA became an autonomous body as
a not-for-profit limited liability corporation registered in the Cayman Islands.
CHTA was very much market-focused during its genesis - airlines controlled
access, wholesalers controlled traffic and payments, and hotel reps controlled
communications with travel agents, while the hotels themselves were not
protected. Our main concern back them was for the hotel sector to regain some
measure of control and address these issues as one.

CHTA is headquartered in Miami, Florida, Finance Office in San Juan, Puerto Rico
and a project office in Barbados. The Association is governed by a board of
directors elected by the member national hotel associations, according to their
size. Two directors are elected to represent airlines, five to represent other allied
members, one to represent chain hotels, and one each to represent the
Caribbean Society of Association Executives (CSHAE), the Caribbean Association of
Industry and Commerce (CAIC), the Caribbean Council (CC), and the Caribbean-
Central American Action (C-CAA). The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)
appoints three representatives to the CHTA board.
World Tourism Organization (WTO)

The World Tourism Organization promotes and studies international tourism.

Headquartered in Madrid, Spain, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is a
specialized agency of the United Nations. More than 900 million times a year,
someone travels to another country. Travelers visit beaches, mountains, national
parks, historic sites, festivals, museums, worship centers, and countless other
attractions. Tourism is one of the world's most important industries and creates
millions of jobs. The UNWTO is particularly devoted to promoting tourism in
developing countries and has vowed to accomplish some of the UN's Millennium
Development Goals. The UNWTO reminds travelers to be informed and tolerant
in order to truly understand different cultures.