TTAND Advisor Bonnie Fowler Wins Award for Jamaica Cruise Sales

A travel advisor for just three years, Bonnie Fowler, who operates You Do You Travel in Ontario under The Travel Agent Next Door umbrella, has received international recognition for her sales of cruises to Jamaica.

The Regal Rewards Awards were held August 29 at Sandals Dunn’s River at a gala dinner where Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett addressed the audience. The show was put on by JAMAICA Vacations Limited (JAMVAC), which operates the awards through its Jamaica Cruising brand.

The event returned as Jamaica’s cruise sector continues its recovery following Hurricane Melissa last October, with JAMVAC highlighting the role of travel advisers and industry partners in sustaining demand for the destination.

Fowler was one of five finalists. The other four advisors are all based in the U.S.

“I was treated like royalty by Jamaica Cruising, delivered to the awards ceremony in a limousine with a police escort,” Fowler told Travel Market Report Canada. “I did not expect to win, so it was a wonderful surprise, but I think all of the nominees are winners and so is Jamaica.”

While Fowler’s career as a travel advisor has only just begun, she has had a long love affair with Jamaica and its people, beginning decades ago when she organized groups of Canadian runners attending the island’s Reggae Marathon. In recent years she has given back to the island by raising funds for Wingz Kids, an after-school program in Montego Bay, and helping to build schools with the Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation.  

Regal Rewards, operated through JAMVAC’s Jamaica Cruising brand, incentivizes travel advisers who sell cruises to Jamaica. Advisers earn points for bookings to the destination, while receiving marketing support and resources to help grow Jamaica’s share of the cruise market.

JAMVAC Executive Director Joy Roberts said the return of the awards is particularly significant given the partnerships that have supported the sector’s rebound.

“Following Hurricane Melissa, the response of our cruise partners and travel advisers demonstrated tremendous confidence in destination Jamaica,” Roberts told The Jamaica Observer prior to the event.

“These advisers are selling Jamaica every day, recommending our ports and experiences and helping to keep the destination top of mind. Regal Rewards allows us to recognize that contribution and strengthen those relationships,” added Roberts.

First staged in 2023, the Regal Rewards Awards were established to recognize high-performing cruise travel advisers while deepening Jamaica’s relationship with the international travel trade.

“I recommend Jamaica whether my clients want a land vacation or a cruise, because Jamaica does not disappoint,” Fowler said. “The people, the food, the vibe – it’s a place that is very close to my heart.”