By Claudia Gardner:
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has hailed the staging of the Love Caribbean – Jamaica Edition 2026 conference in the Negril Resort Area, as representing a strong signal of confidence in the island’s tourism sector and its continued standing as a leading global wedding destination.
Speaking with Negril Times on day two of the conference at Princess Grand Jamaica in Green Island, Hanover on Tuesday, Deputy Director of Tourism with responsibility for the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, Philip Rose, said the event has given Jamaica an important opportunity to directly engage international wedding and romance travel stakeholders.
“Having this conference in Jamaica is a very loud and a resounding show of absolute recovery,” Rose declared.
“Some of the attendees expressed initial hesitation as to the state of readiness of Jamaica, and to that our response was simply, ‘just come, just come and see for yourselves’. And even prior to that, you would know that Jamaica is one of those destinations that … you have to experience it, you have to touch it, you have to feel it,” he added.
The conference which is being staged by the International Association of Destination Wedding Planners (IADWP) has brought together wedding planners, romance travel advisors, photographers, tourism boards, venues, and suppliers from across the Caribbean and international markets.
Rose told Negril Times that Jamaica was proud to host the conference for the first time and praised the role his compatriots have played in welcoming visitors attending the event.
“Any opportunity for us to engage international stakeholders is one that we’re going to always take. And, we are especially proud, as this is the first time that this particular group is here. And secondly, I’m very proud of how my fellow Jamaicans have stepped up and given a warm, authentic outpouring of hospitality in a way that only Jamaicans can,” he pointed out.
Asked whether Jamaica could continue maintaining its position among the world’s leading wedding destinations following Hurricane Melissa, Rose expressed confidence in the country’s tourism product and evolving travel trends.
“Without a doubt,” he said. “You know, the trends are shifting. We’re seeing more and more of our wedding seekers and honeymoon seekers are looking for experiences. They’re looking for authenticity. Culture has become the new luxury.”
Rose said Jamaica’s culture and identity continue to distinguish the island within the global romance travel market.
“Jamaica has consistently been a forerunner, has been a leader, if you will, in that particular arena. So, I have no doubt that we’re going to continue to hold that title,” he added.
On the broader significance of the conference for Brand Jamaica, he said the event allows the country to showcase not only its scenery and tourism infrastructure, but also its people whose warmth and professionalism shown throughout the visitor experience would likely leave a lasting impression on conference delegates.
“This has given us the opportunity once again to showcase the very best… I’m not limiting it to our beautiful beaches or our magnificent waterfalls or grandiose resorts, but it has given us the opportunity to showcase our fellow Jamaicans,” he stated.
“We expect that everyone will go back to their respective homes and talk about how wonderful that security guard at the Princess Grande was, how attentive the server was in the restaurant, how warm and cheerful the baggage handler was at the airport. And so we expect a lot of business to come out of this conference,” he added.
Rose also emphasized that tourism opportunities extend beyond hotels and traditional tourism businesses.
“We have always recognized that tourism is not only about the people, but more importantly, it’s for the people. And even those who think that they don’t, that they’re not within the guardrails of the traditional tourism offering, that they play a very important role… regardless if you work at the front desk of a hotel or you’re selling jelly coconuts on the side of the road, you’re critical and you’re appreciated,” he said.
