Texaco Jamaica endorses Global Resilience Centre

Texaco Jamaica has pledged its full backing of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCM) that was launched in January in Montego Bay.  The announcement was made today (February 19) by CEO of GB Energy Texaco Jamaica, Mr. Mauricio Pulido at the press launch for Texaco Jamaica’s centennial celebrations at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston.

Congratulating Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, for his role in the development of the Centre, Mr. Pulido said Texaco is very committed to the growth of Jamaica and particularly the tourism sector because of its vast potential.  “We are very proud to be a part of the resilience centre and you have our full support,” noted the GB Energy CEO.

The GTRCM, said to be the first such facility in the world, will focus on research, advocacy, training and policy to assist global tourism destinations with preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and crises that affect tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally.  It has received the backing of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, and the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

Minister Bartlett, a Texaco Jamaica alumnus before entering Government in 1980, noted a new wave of investments in the hotel sector would bring 15,000 new rooms in the next five years, which in turn would drive the demand for more fuel, energy, jobs and quality service to be provided by our people.

“The Caribbean is the most tourism dependent region in the world and we have some 10% of the total operating costs of tourism being for energy. When we examine it carefully, next to labour costs, energy costs are the highest element in the tourism cost structure.  You see then how critical your sector is to the industry,” said the Tourism Minister.

He noted that the global hospitality industry is going through a huge transformation, both in terms of green tourism and digital revolution in response to changing consumer demands. “To meet these demands we have to change the way we operate and change the way in which we structure our arrangements in the industry. One of the things we have to look at is how we enable sustainability as a standard to which we must all aspire but also  to go beyond sustainability to resilience, which is the value added which will ensure the continued thriving of the industry,” said Minister Bartlett. He noted Texaco’s involvement in tourism through the Centre as well as Mr. Pulido’ involvement in the Ministry’s Tourism Linkages Council and its Knowledge Network.

Meanwhile, the new Minister of Energy, Science and Technology, Hon. Fayval Williams, noted the tremendous strides Texaco Jamaica has made in the petroleum industry over the years. Under Mr. Pulido’s leadership the company has moved from number three to number one in gasoline retail, grown from 52 service stations to 67, and moved from two percent to 46% market share.

“As Minister with responsibility for Energy, I want to assure you of the Government’s firm commitment to the industry, and our continued support in the areas of policy and the maintenance of industrial harmony within the sector,” said Minister Williams.

“We are committed to ensuring consumers receive quality petroleum and petroleum products to meet their energy needs.  And the Ministry is committed to creating  the legislative framework that will ensure not only the quality but safety in accordance with international best practices for the benefit of the motoring public,”  noted the Energy Minister.

Texaco Jamaica is Jamaica’s longest serving gasoline retail marketing company, having been established in 1919.

MEDIA CONTACT: Alyssa Taffe, Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Tourism, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: (876) 920-4926-30, Mobile: (876) 441-5055, Fax: (876) 906 1729