Jamaica hails post-hurricane support Katie McGonagle
The Jamaica Tourist Board paid tribute to the “humbling and overwhelming” support of travel agents in helping the island’s hurricane recovery efforts as it won Best Tourist Board at the Globe Travel Awards 2026. The JTB marked its 70th
anniversary in 2025 with a ‘70 for 70’ fam trip programme, hosting 70 agents on educational trips over 12 months. It has now pledged to host more
agents over the coming year to show them how the island is bouncing back from Hurricane Melissa. Elizabeth Fox, regional
director for the UK and northern Europe, said: “We are very humbled by the support of the
Riviera rep Morris ‘blown away’ by Globes accolade
Ella Sagar
Lloyd Morris was “blown away” after being revealed as the winner of the inaugural Supplier Representative of the Year Award at last week’s Travel Weekly Globe Travel Awards 2026. Riviera Travel’s strategic account
manager and long-haul champion, who is a former Travel Weekly Cover Star, saw off stiff competition as he earned the most votes of anyone on the shortlist of 10 in the category. Morris started his career as a
travel advisor at Regal Travel in South 6 22 JANUARY 2026
Wales and then worked as a regional sales manager for Globus, before joining Riviera Travel in 2024 as a key account manager. He took on extra responsibilities to
grow the operator’s long-haul business last year and is known across the trade for hosting ship visits, trading calls, webinars and roadshows. Morris said he was “completely
shocked” to win, adding “I’ve been truly blown away by all the messages of congratulations. “I like to think agents voted for
me because I genuinely take a lot of pride in my work and always do my
trade since Hurricane Melissa. They have totally overwhelmed us with their love for Jamaica. “We were having a great year until
October 28 when Hurricane Melissa came in uninvited, but we’ve always been an island known for resilience.” The tourist board’s latest
arrivals data reveals the island welcomed 444,000 visitors within two months of Hurricane Melissa – of which
193,000 were cruise passengers – generating $474 million in tourism income. Within eight weeks of the disaster, arrivals were back to 80% of pre-hurricane levels. The tourist board said 70% of
the country’s hotel accommodation is now open as it hailed a “strong” start to the winter season, with the US, Canada, the UK and South America “driving the recovery”. “We have a
few hotels
Torrance Lewis and Elizabeth Fox
that are still closed but most of Jamaica is open and agents are supporting us by selling the hotels and selling Jamaica,” said Fox. “This shows the love and
the confidence that agents have for Jamaica, and it means a lot – especially this year. We can’t thank them enough.” Torrance Lewis, district manager for the UK and Ireland, said: “We have done a lot for travel agents in the last 12 months. We have dedicated a member of staff for homeworkers, and we’ve added to our team so there are three of us out there now, not two, which mean more faces, more smiles. “We’re going to bring out as many
agents as we can to come and see the brilliance of Montego Bay 2.0 for themselves. It’s going to be a jamboree.”
Lloyd Morris
very best for our agent partners. I try to go above and beyond in any way I can to support them.” Looking ahead, Morris said he
planned to “continue supporting our wonderful agent partners” and “build on an incredibly successful year at Riviera Travel”. He said he had found “the perfect
place” to show off his award, with it now taking pride of place in the living room of he and his partner’s new house. Vicky Billing, Riviera Travel
director of trade and partnerships UK and Ireland, described the recognition as “a well-deserved
reflection of his hard work, commitment and growing presence in the travel industry”. “Since joining us in 2024, Lloyd
has gone from strength to strength,” she said. “From the moment I met him, I knew he was someone special, exceptionally talented, grounded and full of potential. Every once in a while, you meet someone who simply stands out, and Lloyd is one of those people. He works tirelessly for his trade partners, always going the extra mile, and he genuinely cares about
the people he supports.” i Globes winners, pages 14-18
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURES: Alex Maguire Photography
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