By the Caribbean Journal staff

The best of Jamaican tourism was on display in Kingston this weekend as Caribbean Journal presented the Caribbean Travel Awards to Jamaica’s winning contingent, highlighted by Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett receiving the award for Caribbean Tourism Minister of the Year.

Last year’s fourth annual Caribbean Travel Awards awarded trophies to Jamaica’s Round Hill as Caribbean Hotel of the Year; the Spa at Jewel Grande Montego Bay as Caribbean Spa of the Year and Minister Edmund Bartlett as the Caribbean Tourism Minister of the Year, and the Caribbean Journal executive team traveled to Kingston to officially hand over the awards.

The gala event at the Terra Nova in Kingston was a who’s who of Jamaica, as many of the legends of Jamaican tourism came out to support Bartlett for his win.

Caribbean Journal Editor and Publisher Alexander Britell and Managing Editor Guy Britton presented the awards.

From left: Caribbean Journal’s Alexander Britell, Round Hill’s Linda Lawrence, Caribbean Journal’s Guy Britton.

Linda Lawrence, director of sales and marketing at Round Hill, was on hand to receive the award for the winning hotel; Charmaine Deane and Sienna Creasy accepted the award on behalf of Jewel Grande.

“Jamaica sent a powerful message in the most recent Caribbean Travel Awards,” Britell said. “These victories are a sign of the strength of the Jamaican tourism industry today.”

But the biggest star was definintely Bartlett, one of the titans of Caribbean tourism and a passionate advocate for Jamaica and its tourism brand.

Accepting the award, Bartlett hailed the remarkable growth of Jamaican tourism over the decades, pointing to the importance and power of tourism to contribute to the economy.

“It was an honor to celebrate Jamaica and particularly the work of Minister Bartlett,” Britton said. “Jamaica has long set a standard for the Caribbean tourism industry, and that very much remains the case.”

Caribbean Journal is the world’s largest website covering Caribbean travel.