The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) is supporting a campaign to get British Jamaicans to share the island’s famous tasty cuisine with friends and neighbours on Monday 16 June for Diaspora Day.
The Eat Jamaican for Diaspora Day campaign urges Jamaicans to either cook an extra helping of their favourite Jamaican dish to share with a neighbour, or dine out with friends at a Jamaican restaurant to support businesses within the community on Monday 16 June. The expectation is that all of the UK will start the week feeling ‘all right’ with a helping of jerk chicken, fried fish, rice and peas or yam in their belly! The JTB is also encouraging restaurants to feature special Jamaican dishes on their menus for that day. The JTB will be sharing news of these restaurant promotions via its social media channels – facebook.com/visitjamaicauk and @jtbuk and via the hash tag #eatjamaicanday.
Diaspora Day was declared by the Jamaican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in June 2004 and was created to encourage the collaboration and participation of Jamaicans in the organisation’s progress in the United Kingdom. This year’s commemoration will follow the conclusion of the Jamaican Diaspora UK Conference, to be held from 13 – 15 June 2014 at The Centennial Centre in the West Midlands. This is the fourth Biennial Jamaican Diaspora UK National Conference and will highlight key initiatives for all Jamaicans in the UK and in Jamaica through a series of workshops and seminars.
Torrance Lewis, Jamaica Tourist Board’s District Sales Manager, adds; “Jamaicans are some of the friendliest people on the planet, with the tastiest cuisine, so it comes naturally to Jamaicans to share their food with the rest of the UK on Diaspora Day. Most of the UK population knows about Jamaican cuisine via Levi Roots and events such as Notting Hill Carnival, but that sunny Jamaican flavour should be indulged in more often by more of the UK as Jamaican cuisine is wholesome, hearty and puts a spring in one’s step. All major supermarkets stock Jamaican brands and products too, so it’s easy to add some fragrant Jamaican flavour to the weekly menu after Diaspora Day – jerk pork and chicken are great for summer barbecues. Jamaicans love great food and good company so our Eat Jamaican for Diaspora Day campaign really highlights two very positive aspects about the UK’s vibrant Jamaican community.”
For further details on the Jamaican Diaspora Conference UK visit www.jamaicandiasporauk.org.
For more information on Jamaica, go to www.VisitJamaica.com
- ENDS-
For more information or images please contact:
McCluskey International
Fiona Anderson / Sarah Salord
T: 020 8747 2170
E: Jamaica@mccluskey.co.uk
About Jamaica Tourist Board
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica’s national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. The JTB was declared the Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board by the World Travel Awards (WTA) from 2006 to 2013. Also in 2013, Jamaica earned the WTA’s vote for the World’s Leading Cruise Destination, Caribbean’s Leading Destination and Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Destination for the seventh consecutive year. Additionally, the Historic Falmouth Cruise Port was recognised as the World’s Leading Tourism Development Project while Ocho Rios was named the Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Port and Sangster International Airport was voted the Caribbean’s Leading Airport. In Canada, Jamaica was voted the Favourite Honeymoon Destination by Travel Agents.
JTB offices are located in Kingston, Montego Bay, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are located in Berlin, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam and Tokyo.
For details on upcoming special events, attractions and accommodations in Jamaica go to the JTB’s website at www.visitjamaica.com or call the Jamaica Tourist Board 020 7225 9090. Follow the JTB on Facebook at www.facebook.com/visitjamaicauk, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jtbuk, on Instagram at http://instagram.com/visitjamaica on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/myjamaica/or on YouTube at www.youtube.com/myjamaicajtb. View the JTB blog at www.islandbuzzjamaica.com.