Bartlett appoints New Director of Visitor Safety and Experience to further Review Security Audit Report

Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has appointed a new director of Visitor Safety and Experience, Major Dave Walker, to further review the initial report from the recent island-wide security audit of the tourism sector. Following this review, Major Walker will submit a final report with recommendations on the way forward by the start of the winter tourist season in December.

Minister Bartlett, who made the announcement today, said, “Major Walker comes to the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) with a wealth of security experience and has been directed by me to critically review findings from the initial report, with a view to analysing the data and providing recommendations on constructing a new architecture for security in the sector.”

Major (Retd.) Dave Walker, has spent in excess of twenty-three years in the military where he served in various operational and strategic capacities. Major Walker was a Military Advisor in Sierra Leone and a Military Advisor dealing with matters relating to regional security with the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS).

Major Walker holds a Master’s Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies and a Master’s in Business Administration both from the University of the West Indies.

Jamaica Tourism Minister Bartlett also highlighted that, “An important outcome from this further review will be the creation of a Manual on Tourism Ethics, a first of its kind, which will guide not just the expectations of security infrastructure in the sector but how we interface with each other.”

Last year, Minister Bartlett ordered an intensive security audit of hotel properties across the island. The aim of the audit was to identify gaps and ensure a strategy of a safe, secure and seamless destination for visitors and locals alike. The TPDCo, which is in charge of maintaining quality assurance within the destination, coordinated the intensive security audit with support from internationally recognized security expert, Dr. Peter Tarlow, of safertourism.com.

Media Contact:

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