Remembering Tony Abrahams, Jamaica Tourism Pioneer

 

Eric Anthony Abrahams// Photo courtesy of JTB

The staff and management of Travel Agent join the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) in mourning the passing on August 7 of Eric Anthony Abrahams, Jamaica’s third Director of Tourism and the first Minister of Tourism. He was 71.

Popularly known as Tony, his accomplishments changed the course of Jamaican tourism, says current Director of Tourism John D. Lynch, who cited among Abrahams’ successes the creation of a Department of Planning, Research and Statistics, which equipped the JTB for the first time with its own facility for marketing Jamaica; the introduction of a new division within the JTB to monitor the standard and quality of the product (a precursor to today’s Tourism Product Development Company); and the establishment of a subsidiary company to address the development of visitor attractions.

In a statement issued the day after Abrahams’ death, Lynch also had this to say:

“Personally, I am proud to call Tony Abrahams a friend and mentor.  His boundless energy, his quirky sense of humor and his uncanny eye for creative detail have been good signals for me throughout my career.

“As we mourn his passing, let us also celebrate his life. As Director of Tourism, Eric Anthony Abrahams was a pioneer, a marketing revolutionary, and a brilliant leader. On behalf of the JTB, I extend deepest sympathy to his family and colleagues he has left behind. We will always feel gratitude for a lifetime so dedicated to paving the way for Jamaica’s future.”

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