Jamaica honours Canadians with Tourism Resilience Awards

Canadian individuals and organizations honoured for outstanding service in support of Jamaica’s tourism recovery and economic growth

TORONTO, ON – The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) presented the centre’s inaugural Tourism Resilience Awards during a special luncheon event in Toronto on September 22.

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, took to the stage at the Toronto Board of Trade during the Edith Baxter Memorial Award gala to recognize seven individuals and organizations for their outstanding support of Jamaica’s tourism recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their efforts in driving the destination’s economic growth agenda in Canada.

Minister Bartlett was joined on stage by Dr. Gervan Fearon, President of George Brown College in Toronto, to celebrate the inaugural Tourism Resilience awardees. Three citations were presented honouring Tourism Resilience and Jamaica’s Economic Growth, and four awards were presented in recognition of Outstanding Commitment to Tourism Resilience.

Headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica with satellite locations around the world, including George Brown College, the GTRCMC is a transformative centre that seeks to safeguard and improve the tourism product in Jamaica and around the world, while also ensuring the sustainability of tourism globally. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centre played a pivotal role in the establishment of Jamaica’s Resilience Corridor, which helped to kick-start the country’s recovery and facilitated a safe and seamless travel experience on the island for visitors and residents.

The inaugural GTRCMC Tourism Resilience Awards recognize persons working in a diverse cross-section of industries, including education, healthcare, travel, and community activism.

GTRCMC Awards Honouring Tourism Resilience & Jamaica’s Economic Growth

Dr. Pamela Appelt

Dr. Pamela Appelt’s life has been one of service. A long-time volunteer, Appelt is currently the director of the Institute of Jamaica, an advisor to the President, Northern Caribbean University, and a patron for the Project for Advancement of Childhood Education (PACE) in Jamaica and Canada.

Dr. Mary Ann Chambers

Dr. Mary Ann Chambers is the 10th Chancellor of the University of Guelph. She has dedicated her life to community service and has been a leader and Board member for dozens of philanthropic groups, public agencies and educational organizations, including Canada’s International Development Research Centre, United Way of Canada, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Howard Shearer
As the strategic and innovative chief executive officer at Hitachi Canada, Howard Shearer has an unparalleled record of achievement spanning more than 35 years of leadership. Throughout his career, Shearer has demonstrated incredible success in creating transformative business opportunities, optimizing performance and fostering relationships to drive growth.

GTRCMC Awards for Outstanding Commitment to Tourism Resilience

Air Canada Vacations

As Canada’s leading tour operator, Air Canada Vacations demonstrated unwavering support for Jamaica throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Air Canada flights continued into the destination for as long as government policies would allow, and ACV also provided medical equipment to local airports in Jamaica to assist with PCR testing on island.

Mary Bishop

Mary Bishop has dedicated countless hours to fundraising and activism within the Jamaican community. She has spearheaded charitable initiatives to collect donations for critical causes impacting Jamaicans in Canada and on the island. Bishop has also opened her home to facilitate conversations at a high level between the Jamaican Consulate, the Jamaica Tourist Board and JamPro.

Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation

Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation (HHJF) is a non-profit organization that has built 26 schools in Jamaica, transforming communities, and providing thousands of children with access to quality education. The organization continued this important work during the pandemic and their commitment to improving educational infrastructure and collaborating with local communities has made them a beacon of hope for Jamaica’s youth.

Adaoma Patterson

As the immediate past president of the Jamaican Canadian Association (JCA), Adaoma Patterson led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, working with partners to provide up to 200 meals each week for isolated seniors. She also worked alongside Toronto-area organizations to host several information sessions, vaccine drives and health clinics specifically for Jamaican, Caribbean and Black communities.

For more information about Jamaica, visit www.visitjamaica.com.

To learn more about the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, go to www.gtrcmc.org.

SOURCE Jamaica Tourist Board