As more and more of your clients want to shake off the dust of 2020, you should welcome them with plenty of destination knowledge. Although they’ve been cooped up at home for far too long, we know they may be a little hesitant to cross the oceans for their getaways. Therefore, we have been focusing on destinations that still feel nearby. This week, the spotlight is on Jamaica.
For boots-on-the-ground information from your fellow agents who currently are traveling, be sure to join us for our series of “On the Road Again” free webinars, the next one focusing on Jamaica and Miami/Key West. Learn more about these and other destinations in Exploring the World, THE ultimate online destination resource for today’s travel professional.
As always, you must keep in mind the varying reopening dates, operating hours, and availability of attractions and accommodations and be sure to consult sources like Jamaica’s Health Protocol website and the U.S. State Department before booking your clients.
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Jamaica is a mountainous island within the Greater Antilles, along with Cuba, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. The Blue Mountains are Jamaica’s longest range. Their highest point is Blue Mountain Peak at 7,402 feet. From the summit—accessible on a walking track—hikers can see both the north and south coasts of the island. The Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park was established in 1992 by the government. All land above 5,500 feet is a forest preserve.
Jamaica is famous for its Blue Mountain coffee. Traditionally, only coffee grown at elevations between 3,000 and 5,500 feet can be called Blue Mountain. The cooler mountain climate causes the coffee berries to take longer to ripen, and the beans develop more of the substances that, on roasting, give coffee its flavor. In addition to its use for coffee, the beans are the flavor base of Tia Maria coffee liqueur.
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Traveling to and within Jamaica
Jamaica’s major airports are Norman Manley International (KIN) in Kingston, Ian Fleming International (OCJ) in Boscobel, and the island’s biggest and busiest, Sir Donald Sangster International (MBJ) in Montego Bay. Air Jamaica is the country’s national airline.
Most visitors don’t tour Jamaica by bus or rent a car. The island is too big. Transfers (usually by minivan or small bus) to the resorts are provided on package plans, or travel agents should arrange them for the independent traveler. From the resorts, tourists can take tours or rent cars or bikes. Otherwise, they can taxi into town and back—fares should be agreed upon in advance.
Renting a car to see the island’s interior is for the adventurous. Driving is on the left, and roads are in different stages of repair and are winding and narrow in the mountains. Gasoline is expensive. Most travelers tend to stay in one place and use transfers and taxis.
Montego Bay
Tourism has made Montego Bay, or Mo’ Bay, the country’s second-largest city. It is alive with restaurants, nightlife, shops, beaches, and sports facilities. For travelers who want to be where the action is, this is the choice. Sangster Airport is just two miles from town. Vacationers can be at their hotels or on the beach within minutes of arrival.
Mo’ Bay has two parts: the main tourist area around Gloucester Avenue (known as the Hip Strip) and the city proper. The division is so sharp that most tourists never venture further than the dividing roundabout. Resorts are strung out along the coast.
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In Mo’ Bay, Doctor’s Cave Beach Club was named for a physician who donated his beach property to form a swim club. The strip of sand helped put the area on the tourist map.
A key sight nearby is Rose Hall Plantation, the country’s best-known great house. A British planter, John Palmer, built it in the late 1770s. The plantation has been the subject of legends, ghost stories, and witchcraft tales.
Greenwood is an elegant plantation house, lying on a hillside 14 miles east of Montego Bay. It originally was owned by Richard Barrett, a cousin of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The Appleton Rum Distillery on the Appleton Estate has been making rum since 1749, and visitors can see the estate and distillery, sample the wares, and shop for a bottle to remember their experience.
Many of Jamaica’s golf courses are in the area. The 18-hole course at the Tryall Club is one of the island’s best. Most of the clubs sited their greens to take advantage of the gorgeous views of the sea and hills.
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Beautiful beaches line the coast along the 60-mile stretch between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios. Small resorts, a few all-inclusives, and other hostelries dot the shoreline, especially at Falmouth and Runaway Bay. The locations might be perfect for vacationers who want to be away from the big towns and yet have access to them for a day or two.
