Government of Jamaica
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Restoration Excellence, Cornerstone Awards Presented at 8th Tourism Service Excellence Awards
KINGSTON, Jamaica (November 3, 2026) – Seven persons who helped Jamaica’s tourism industry to rebuild after the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricanes Beryl and Melissa were honoured with the new Restoration Excellence Award, while three Cornerstone Awards were also presented, at the 8th staging of the Tourism Service Excellence Awards (TSEA) on Saturday, October 31, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.
The Restoration Excellence Award was added to this year’s programme as the Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo) celebrates its 30th anniversary. It recognises outstanding contribution to the resilience and revitalisation of destination Jamaica during the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricanes Beryl and Melissa, with one awardee named for each resort area.
They are:
- Portland: Denise Lewis
- Ocho Rios: Clifton Reader
- Montego Bay: John Byles
- Kingston: Christopher Issa
- Negril: Richard Wallace
- Falmouth: Blaize Hart
- South Coast: Jason Henzell
Delivering the keynote address, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, said Jamaica has not only rebounded before but has documented how it was done. “We are the only country in the world that has four books written regarding resilience and how we have recovered from the disruption of COVID-19,” he said. He noted that by 2023, Jamaica had surpassed its 2019 performance, earning US$4.3 billion from 4.1 million visitors. “And now we are on another recovery path, and we are recovering,” the Minister added.
The new award comes as the industry marks one year since Hurricane Melissa on October 28. Speaking at the ceremony, President of the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association (JHTA), O’Brian Heron, described how team members showed up for each other, “clearing debris, checking on neighbors, getting properties ready to welcome the world again to Jamaica, many of them while dealing with damage to their own homes.” “This, ladies and gentlemen, is not just resilience. This is reinvention,” he added.
Three Cornerstone Awards were also presented during TPDCo’s 30th anniversary year. The recipients were the company’s founding Executive Director, Stephanie Belcher for her visionary leadership and laying the foundation on which TPDCo’s success stands; Professor Andrew Spencer, Executive Director from 2017 to 2020 for his steadfast leadership and exceptional dedication; and Hon. Godfrey Glengoffe Dyer for exceptional service and leadership shaping the foundation of Jamaica’s tourism success.
In his welcome remarks, Executive Director of TPDCo, Wade Mars, said the company’s 30-year story “is really a shared story,” made possible “through collaboration, trust, and partners who were willing to walk the journey with us.” He noted that many in the room had supported communities, championed development projects and helped create opportunities for countless Jamaicans, “not because you were seeking applause, but because you believed in the value of the work.”
John Byles (left) receives the Restoration Excellence Award from TPDCo Chairman Ian Dear at the Tourism Service Excellence Awards (TSEA) gala. The award recognises outstanding contribution to the resilience and revitalisation of destination Jamaica during the COVID-19 pandemic and hurricanes Beryl and Melissa.
Jason Henzell (left) is presented with the Restoration Excellence Award by TPDCo Chairman Ian Dear at the TSEA gala, in recognition of his role in the revitalisation of destination Jamaica after the pandemic and hurricanes Beryl and Melissa.
Hugh Shim (left), former TPDCo Executive Training Manager, accepts the Cornerstone Award on behalf of Stephanie Belcher, TPDCo’s founding Executive Director, at the Tourism Service Excellence Awards (TSEA) gala. The award was presented to Mrs. Belcher in gratitude for her visionary leadership. TPDCo Chairman Ian Dear makes the presentation
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For further information on these developments, please contact:
Marline Stephenson Dalley
Coordinator, Corporate Communications and Community Awareness
Tourism Product Development Company Limited
Email: marline.stephenson@tpdco.org
Tel: 876 550 0733