Central European travel agents give thumbs up to Jamaica

Claudia Gardner, Assignment Coordinator

WESTERN BUREAU:A group of nine Central European travel agents were among the large number of delegates who turned out at the annual Jamaica Hotel and Tourism Association's (JHTA) trade show, Jamaica Product Exchange 2013 (JAPEX), in Montego Bay this week.

The group, which was visiting Jamaica for the first time, comprised four representatives from the Czech Republic, one from Hungary, three from Poland, and one from Slovakia. Among them were Matej Mika, manager of VIP and Incentive Department of ESO Travel, travel operators for exotic destinations based in Prague in the Czech Republic.

Mika said the group flew to Jamaica to participate in JAPEX 2013 as well as to get personal experience of the Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios, and the south coast resort areas.

"Here, at JAPEX, we are working personally with some of the partners and finding new partners and new hotels, and we are also here to clarify some details we were not sure about and are trying to find out about some more possibilities for our clients," Mika said.

He said the team was impressed by the diversity of Jamaica's accommodation sector as well as the hospitality provided by the staff members with whom they had interacted at hotels and other places which they had visited.

"I have a quite good impression of Jamaica, I guess. We were pleasantly surprised by the people how helpful everyone is and how everybody is willing to help," Mika said.

"It makes a good impression on the clients because if you arrive in a country for your holidays and everybody is smiling with you, it makes a good impact. So we have had some good interactions with the local people, and the staff at the RIU Hotel, where we are staying, have been very friendly," he added.