Minister Bartlett Mourns Passing of Bath Fountain GM Desmond Blair

Bath Fountain one of the tourism ministry’s eight public bodies

Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has expressed profound sadness at the passing of the General Manager of Bath Fountain Hotel, Mr. Desmond Blair, who had headed the St. Thomas attraction since 2001.Bath Fountain isone of the tourism ministry’s eight public bodies.

“I am deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Mr. Blair. On behalf of the entire tourism fraternity, I would like to offer my condolences to his family.  He was a thorough and astute manager who used best practices that led to great improvements at Bath Fountain,” said Minister Bartlett.

“He was passionate about seeing improvements to the health and wellness facility that would cement its status as a world-renowned mineral bath and was looking forward to impending developments that would do so.  I am saddened that Mr. Blair will not see these changes come to fruition but very grateful for his many years of dedicated service to the local tourism industry. May his soul rest in peace,” the Jamaica Tourism Minister added.

The St. Ann native was a stalwart in the hospitality industry.

He honed his skills over the decades in management positions at various Montego Bay and St. Ann properties, including Quality Inn, Montego Bay Club Resort, the Gloucestershire Hotel, Americana Hotel and Runaway Bay Hotel.  From 1975-1981, he was the Hotel Inspector at another of the Ministry’s public bodies, the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo).

In 1972, Mr. Blair was awarded a scholarship by the Federal Republic of Germany to pursue studies in hotel and tourism management at the Carl Duisberg Hotel & Tourism Institute in Munich, Germany.

SEEN IN PHOTO: Desmond Blair – image courtesy of Jamaica Ministry of Tourism

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Corporate Communications Division

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Tel: (876) 920-4926-30

Or

Kingsley Roberts

Senior Director, Corporate Communications

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Tel: 920-4926-30, ext.: 5990

Cell: (876) 505-6118

Fax: 920-4944