FOR the first time in its 30 years, the 2020 edition of Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) will be held virtually. On November 9-10, the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) will engage the travel trade partners, providing a distinct forum for leading suppliers of the Jamaican tourism product to meet with travel wholesalers and tour operators from all over the world.

Dubbed JAPEX Live 2020, this year’s interactive virtual platform will bring JAPEX to larger audiences than ever before. Attendees will have the chance to explore the destination’s tourism regions from afar; drop into an exclusive networking lounge and participate in online live chats while immersing themselves in destination news and information. A Prize Centre designed to surprise and delight attendees with regular giveaways will round out the experience.

“JAPEX has always been a marquee event on Jamaica’s tourism calendar and we’re looking forward to another successful show,” said Donovan White, Jamaica’s Director of Tourism.
“While we are unable to meet in-person this year, we have an exciting opportunity to engage virtually, providing access for our delegates to learn about new destination offerings, hear about how our protocols have been implemented to keep residents and visitors safe, as well as secure new deals, positively impacting and strengthening our tourist industry.”
There will be elements of a traditional tradeshow including a launch with keynote presentation by Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett. Attendees can virtually explore the tradeshow floor using an interactive Google map that will take them to the resort areas of Negril, South Coast, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Kingston and Port Antonio. Videos will auto-play to engage attendees, and exhibitor booths will be interactive, offering sharable content and chat functionality.

Other activities will include breakout and training sessions and one-on-one pre-scheduled video meetings with travel partners. The innovative scheduling software includes Instant Scheduler where users can book meetings instantly on suppliers’ calendar as well as the Auto Scheduler showing available times in both parties’ calendars. The meeting rooms are powered by ZOOM with all the functionalities including video, screen share and live messaging.

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica’s national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. JTB offices are also located in Montego Bay, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are located in Berlin, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Tokyo and Paris.??
This year, the JTB was declared the Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board by the World Travel Awards (WTA) for the 13th consecutive year and Jamaica was declared the Caribbean’s Leading Destination for the 15th consecutive year. Jamaica also earned the WTA award for the World’s Leading Cruise Destination and Leading Meetings & Conference Centre for the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

Most recently, Jamaica was named as one of the “Best Places to Go in 2020” according to CNN, Bloomberg and Forbes. Jamaica was awarded three gold 2020 Travvy Awards including Best Culinary Destination, Caribbean/Bahamas; Best Tourism Board Overall and Best Tourism Board, Caribbean/Bahamas. In 2019, TripAdvisor® ranked Jamaica as the number one Caribbean Destination and #14 Best Destination in the World. In 2018, the International Council of the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) named Jamaica the Destination of the Year and TravAlliance Media named JTB Best Tourism Board, and Jamaica as Best Culinary Destination, Best Wedding Destination and Best Honeymoon Destination. Jamaica is home to some of the world’s best accommodations, attractions and service providers that continue to receive prominent global recognition.