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Tourism on Agenda for Renewed Jamaica-Nigeria Bilateral Talks

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Tourism is expected to be a major item on the agenda of talks to take place soon in Abuja, Nigeria, aimed at formalizing a new Jamaica-Nigeria bilateral agreement between the two nations.

Previously set for earlier this year, the talks were postponed due to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic but with a direct air link now open between the two countries, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett and Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Geoffrey Onyeama are expressing optimism of it happening soon.

“For many years, we have been looking at formalizing a new bilateral agreement between Jamaica and Nigeria; now the contents of that are being put together. We were to have had a meeting in Abuja in April of this year; it didn’t happen because of Covid but is expected to happen soon,” said Minister Bartlett following a closed door meeting with Minister Onyeama at the Round Hill Hotel in Montego Bay last night.  He is hoping “that in the frame of all of that will be discussions with regards to tourism collaboration between the two countries.”

The Tourism Minister identified marketing through the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) as well as product development and destination assurance strategy developed by the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), presented to the world as a new way of dealing with post-Covid tourism, as possible points of collaboration for which a technical corporation agreement can be arrived at.

Also on the cards is the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, which was established by Jamaica to assess, forecast, mitigate and managing risks related to tourism resilience, caused by various disruptive factors. “We have already established a satellite in Kenya for East Africa and we really would love to have one established in either Abuja or Lagos for West Africa,” said Minister Bartlett. An arrangement is already under consideration and will be pursued involving the University of the West Indies (Mona), which hosts the resilience centre in Jamaica, and a university in Nigeria.

Minister Onyeama concurred that “We now have the framework in place to strengthen the cooperation and to take it to another level and we are going to pursue that. Covid has delayed it but it has not stopped it so we are going to cooperate in different areas, in trade, agriculture, sports, you name it, and really fuse the two countries and our peoples together.”

He stated that Jamaica “has a comparative advantage in tourism, which plays an enormous role in the economy, job creation and so on, so we really feel that we would like for you to share that experience with us. We believe it will be a game changer. We’re looking at diversifying our economy; we’ve depended too much on oil and the petroleum sector and there are gold mines out there in other sectors that can really transform our economy and provide jobs for our teeming population of 200 million.”

The Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister said his country had a youthful population with most being in the age range of 30 years “so we believe with our brothers and sisters in Jamaica that we can transform the future of both of us into real wins. We’re looking at prosperity for our people and we believe that this partnership can deliver that for our two countries.”

He also expressed an interest in learning about Jamaica’s culinary strategy. “Nigeria has a wide variety of dishes and we were told that your ackee was voted by National Geographic as the world’s second best national dish, so I think there’s some knowledge that you have there that we also want to tap into,” he said.

On December 21, the historical link between Jamaica and Nigeria was strengthened with the first non-stop flight from Lagos landing at the Sangster International Airport. Among those on board with the Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister was Jamaica’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency Esmond Reid. Last night he said this direct flight “is the beginning of a transformed relationship, not just for Jamaica-Nigeria, but for Africa and the Caribbean and Jamaica stands ready to play a central role in that partnership.”

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MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications Division, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4924, Fax: 906-1729

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Bartlett welcomes new Chukka $2M nature adventure park

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Jamaica’s attractions sub-sector has received a major boost with the addition of a new nature adventure park in Sandy Bay, Lucea, at a cost of over US$2 million by Chukka Caribbean Adventures.

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett declared the attraction officially opened yesterday (December 17), during a ribbon cutting ceremony, supported by Chukka’s Executive Director, John Byles and Chief Executive Officer, Marc Melville, after which he toured the seaside facility, which sits on 26 acres.

Chukka Ocean Outpost Sandy Bay, joins the list of attractions operated by the company in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, Belize and more recently, Barbados.

Mr. Bartlett said “the money spent on remodeling and reinventing this experience, to make it COVID-19 compliant and to put it in a positon where it could stand with other attractions of the world and where the new visitors would want to go, was well spent.”

Mr. Bartlett was particularly happy for the investment which, he said, came at a very difficult time but stated that: “As a destination, giving confidence to investors is what Jamaica is all about.”

Mr. Melville posited that: “In the middle of this, many people would have stopped investing,” adding that “investment comes out of hope and confidence and it is the hope and confidence that we received from the leadership at the time, thriving and knowing that we were going in the right direction, that allowed us to go against the tide, put our money where our mouth is and built out the investment that we have here today.”

Also of special interest to Minister Bartlett was that the park was enabling more of the island’s tourism workers laid off by the shutting down of the tourism industry some nine months ago, due to COVID-19, to return to work. He projects that the current winter tourist season will peak at about 40 percent of what it was last year and provide more jobs.

Following a tour of the property, Minister Bartlett commended the innovation that had gone into creating “a facility that will enable the very health conscious, social distance conscious visitor to be happy to enjoy the experiences that are being offered here.”

He observed that the architectural arrangement of the attraction provided for groups in the type of numbers that make it safe for visitors “to find their own bubble and to experience the beauty, the joy and the adrenalin rush that is required, as they seek to satisfy their own passions.”

Mr. Melville said the Ocean Outpost offered: the added attraction of a unique leisure infrastructure with catamarans sailing the Hanover seacoast; diving; snorkeling and riding in the ocean on horseback. There are also two rivers and springs on the property.

The project was undertaken by Chukka working in collaboration with the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), Hanover Municipal Corporation and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), who provided guidance in ensuring a sustainable and environmentally friendly facility.

– eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications Division, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4924, Fax: 906-1729

Tourism and Culture Ministers Urge Everyone to Buy Jamaican This Christmas

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett and Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, have joined forces in calling on Jamaicans and other persons seeking gift items, to use the yuletide season to shop locally and support and buy Jamaican designers, artisans and other local producers of goods and services.

Their appeal was made at the third annual staging of the Tourism Linkages Network’s Style Jamaica event, a fashion show featuring 14 Jamaican designers whose creations, the ministers agreed, could stand out against any of their international counterparts. This year’s event was also paired with the Tourism Enhancement Fund’s (TEF) new e-Chrismus Marketplace initiative, which is an online shopping marketplace showcasing a range of products from Jamaican designers and artisans.

The two-day event runs from December 16 to 17 and is being staged virtually at the newly opened Main Street Jamaica shopping facility (Formerly The Shoppes at Rose Hall), in Montego Bay, St. James. The location’s linkages concept promotes the best of Jamaica to international travellers with shopping as a major part of their visitor experience. The Style Jamaica event also presented Jamaican participants with an international marketing avenue through an online shopping platform.

“The online marketing of products and services is now the norm and our Jamaican consumers are beginning to appreciate that this comes with other benefits that in themselves add value in terms of cost-savings and even time-savings, in getting goods from the producer to the consumer,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Minister then urged everyone to buy Jamaican this Christmas. He stressed that: “Especially at this time though, I want to invite our Jamaicans to show confidence in ourselves and give meaning to ‘Buy Jamaican’. We are approaching the season of giving to friends and loved ones, a loving act that COVID-19 and social distancing cannot stop, and I really want to appeal to everyone to shop Jamaican this ‘Chrismus’.”

“That special item you may desire is literally at your fingertips. Just visit the shoppinginja.com/echrismus platform and there you will find an amazing array of gift items that are available from local suppliers who are eager for you to contact them,” he added.

While endorsing the call for persons to support local producers when shopping this Christmas, Minister Grange said “shopping is a major area for tourism and Destination Jamaica is one of the great brands.”

She also saw the Main Street Jamaica concept as capturing the essence of what Jamaica is all about, adding that: “What it has done is to present what Jamaica is about; its culture, its music, its food and the great talent our artisans have and has brought all of this together with brands of the world and to show that we can stand up and be a part of what the world is all about.”

Minister Bartlett noted that it was with the knowledge that shopping was one of the most important activities for tourists, and also an important factor in the choice of destination for many, that shopping was identified as one of the must-haves in the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the TEF, which now helps to drive efforts to diversify Jamaica’s product offering.

He said the objectives of Style Jamaica were in keeping with the broader objectives of the tourism sector as it sought to promote Jamaica as a premium shopping destination; promote and highlight local designers to the tourism market, and to diversify the on-island shopping experience. This year’s staging therefore leveraged the growing online market trend even as it sought to develop authentic and unique shopping experiences that add value to the Jamaican tourism product.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications Division, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4924, Fax: 906-1729

Minister Bartlett Welcomes Return of BA to Montego Bay

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Three days ahead of the start of the traditional winter tourist season, Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, elatedly welcomed the return of British Airways flights to Montego Bay. The first fully loaded Boeing 777 flight, BA2265 from London Gatwick, touched down at the Sangster International Airport late Saturday afternoon (December 12).

Joining Minister Bartlett in welcoming the capacity 332 passengers, as well as Captain Graham Dawkins and the flight crew, were British High Commissioner to Jamaica, Asif Ahmad, Executive Director of Jamaica Vacations, Joy Roberts, Jamaica Tourist Board Regional Director, Odette Dyer and British Airways Commercial Manager Caribbean, Diane Corrie.

Returning after an absence of 11 years, it was outlined that the BA flight will operate for the winter season until April 17, 2021 with a capacity of 31 Club World (Business Class), 52 World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy) and 250 World Traveller (Economy) seats. Thereafter, it will be operating a twice weekly schedule with flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

“This is a very good sign because it is starting for us the recovery of the industry, and certainly the British market,” said Mr. Bartlett as the beat of drums mastered by the group Children of the Drums, filled the hallway. The mix of passengers included Brits and Jamaicans from the Diaspora.

He was also cognizant of the importance of the flight in gradually adding to the return of jobs displaced earlier this year by the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted, however, “as we are anxious and excited about the return to economic activities, we have to recognize the responsibility that we have to manage this pandemic and to comply with the protocols that have been established.”

Mr. Bartlett said all workers in the industry had a responsibility to protect themselves and for its part, the ministry had invested in providing protective equipment for them. Also, “all the hotels have been responding extremely well to the need for the COVID-19 infrastructure that will enable us to not only be compliant but to reduce to a minimal, if not to zero, the incidences of infection.”

Responsible management by the tourism sector has ensured that since reopening in June, “the incidence of infection has been very, very low, if not at zero and the resilience corridors that we have developed are an example to the world of how to create a bubble that will protect both locals and international visitors alike,” said Minister Bartlett.

High Commissioner Ahmad said the significance of British Airways coming back to Montego Bay, adding to existing flights into Kingston, was that Montego Bay is important to Britain, and indeed the other way around as well. “It is the kith and kin connections that we have with the 800,000 Jamaicans that we have living in the UK and the tourists who come here repeatedly and visit family and friends; that is important,” he said.

Mrs. Corrie said British Airways has been flying to Jamaica for over 70 years and was “absolutely delighted to be back in Montego Bay.” She said Jamaica had many attractive assets, including its warm weather that people in the UK and in Europe wanted to get out and experience.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications Division, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4924, Fax: 906-1729

Minister Bartlett lauds JHTA’s COVID-19 Ambassador Program

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Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has lauded the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) for their new COVID-19 Ambassador Program and has given his assurance that the Ministry of Tourism will continue to provide tangible support towards the initiative.

Speaking recently at the Kingston Launch of the initiative at R Hotel, the Minister said: “The celebration of the ambassador program is a full statement of how responsible we are as an industry and how we are playing our part in this whole process of managing the risk.”

“This is the kind of response that a responsible partner makes. What has happened, starting in Ocho Rios a few weeks ago, is a tangible indication of the partnership that tourism has with health in the delivery of service in the public health system of Jamaica,” he added.

The JHTA COVID-19 Ambassador Program, which was first launched last month at the Moon Palace Jamaica hotel in Ocho Rios, will continue to see hotel employees trained in the health and safety protocols for the tourism sector, going into communities where they live to train community members in the COVID-19 protocols such as proper handwashing techniques, social distancing, mask-wearing and sanitization.

Minister Bartlett indicated that the program complements the measures and protocols implemented by the Ministry of Tourism working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health & Wellness and other government bodies and tourism partners.

Bartlett noted that his Ministry has donated masks towards the initiative and has also engaged in a public education campaign to support the JHTA’s ambassador program.

“The Ministry is fully behind the ambassador Program. TPDCo is already on board and TEF has provided 10,000 masks and we are in the position to provide 10,000 more.  Our own workers in the tourism ministry and agencies are willing to walk with you in the field as we make this one work. Public education not just by words but by being proactive and by practice,” said Minister Bartlett.

The JHTA’s COVID-19 Ambassador Program will also be launched in Montego Bay, Negril and the South Coast in the weeks to come.

“Every individual who is involved in this industry must embrace this, and let us go out into the hinterlands. Let’s go into the alleys and into the hills and the valleys and all across Jamaica carrying this message, that the only way we can secure the economy of Jamaica and secure the health of our people is through abiding by the protocols that have been established,” said the Minister

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications Division, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4924, Fax: 906-1729

Health and Wellness Key to Driving Tourism Industry Post COVID – Bartlett

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Health and wellness tourism has been identified as a key area that will help to drive growth in the Jamaica tourism industry moving forward, in light of the new norm created in the global travel and hospitality market, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This position was outlined by Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett at the opening of the two-day Jamaica Health and Wellness Tourism Conference now underway at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. This is the second such conference being hosted by the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), and with physical attendance restricted by COVID-19 protocols, this year’s event is being streamed live to online participants.

Minister Bartlett said: “Health and Wellness will become one of the key cornerstones for destination differentiation in our tourism marketing. This is primarily because the new demographic emerging, Gen C, are going to be the new drivers of travel and they are going to require destinations that have strong health security properties.”

He noted that the Jamaican people are key players in the new thrust. “This is one of the reasons why we are going to be focusing heavily on building the capacity of our people to better take care of themselves and also to provide those elements of care that are going to be fitting the need that the visitors have when they come to the country,” said the Tourism Minister.

He proffered that the coronavirus pandemic has provided a new opportunity in the health and wellness tourism arena while also creating great demand for the island to be more pristine by making a greater investment in destination assurance. “Jamaica is going to have to establish itself as a destination where the confidence that the visitor wants, that he is going to be safe and secure, and he will have a seamless experience, is never second guessed,” underscored Minister Bartlett.

He says Jamaica’s tourism marketing will focus heavily on that as it seeks to woo back hundreds of thousands of visitors whose travel plans have been derailed since February this year by the pandemic. In that regard, Mr. Bartlett disclosed that an international team has begun work on Jamaica’s Destination Assurance Policy which will become the guiding light for the country’s own strategies to ensure better management of the destination.

The new tourism marketing thrust is supported by President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Clifton Reader who said “coming out of COVID-19 there will be a great demand, especially for older people travelling; they have the money to travel and they are going to bring their families, but, of course, they have preexisting conditions.”

Stating that health and wellness tourism was a very lucrative US billion dollar industry, Mr. Reader said: “When you look at the economic viability of this area, it is tremendous and Jamaica is so poised with all the facilities we have.” The JHTA president also said it was very important that through collaboration with government and private stakeholders, that the medical facilities within Jamaica be developed to attract more travelers.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications Division, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4924, Fax: 906-1729

Jamaica Tourism Minister Addresses Pandemic in Travel and Tourism

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Jamaica Tourism Minister Bartlett, who recently received the Tourism Heroes award from the World Tourism Network, addressed this morning the Tourism Recovery discussion hosted by EU Commissioner Elena Kountoura.

Here is a transcript of his speech:

Global travel and tourism have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The UNWTO reported a 65% drop in international tourist arrivals in the first six months of 2020. In 2020, the global travel and tourism market is predicted to experience a loss of 121 million jobs worldwide and USD 3,435 billion in global GDP.  Evidently, the sector is facing a crisis of historic proportions with no clear timeline for a return to normalcy in sight.  The pandemic has elicited various responses from destinations globally to generally mitigate the economic fallout and prepare for recovery in the post covid19 era.  One of the foremost responses has been for tourism stakeholders to pay closer attention to their frameworks for building confidence in their destination security during this period of heightened anxiety and uncertainty.  After the initial period of border closures, which brought international tourism to a halt, many destinations, beginning in May/June, began to roll out plans for controlled reopening that generally emphasized reassuring international tourists that it was safe to visit.  This has meant a heightened focus on health and safety protocols.

In the initial reopening phase, some destinations limited the reopening of tourism  to domestic visitors and  between specific countries, through the introduction of a  “travel bubble” that allowed tourists to travel feely between two  countries which have both recorded relatively low deaths from covid-19,  before gradually opening up to international tourists.   Other destinations have developed comprehensive health and safety protocols.  In Jamaica, my ministry introduced our Tourism Industry Post Covid-19 Protocols, which were developed to ensure the safety of the workers in the industry, as well as to build confidence among travelers to adapt to “the new normal” of additional health and hygiene practices. The protocols, which are contained in an 88-page document, cover all segments of the industry including –Airports; Cruise Ports; Accommodations; Attractions; Tourism Transportation Operators; Craft Traders; Water Sports Operators; General Security and Public Safety; and Mega Events. The COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols have been endorsed by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). The protocols have been globally recognized as providing leadership in tourism COVID-19 management arrangements and when fully adhered to, will make Jamaica among the most COVID-19-resilient destinations in the world. Generally, most hotel and resorts island-wide have introduced protocols to mitigate  the spread of COVID-19, including increased physical distancing, wearing of masks in public places, removal of shared or self-service items, installation of handwashing/sanitisation stations, visible cleaning taking place frequently, and more contactless/tech-based transactions.

We have also introduced the concept of resilient corridors to boost the country’s ability to manage and trace the movement of tourists along controlled corridors of the island.  We have strategically planned the reopening stages, first requiring travelers to stay on the resort grounds and now giving them freedom to visit attractions within the Resilient Corridors using transportation approved under the Tourist Board. The Resilient Corridors, which encompass the majority of the island’s tourism regions, provide the opportunity for visitors to enjoy more of the country’s unique offerings, as many coronavirus (COVID-19)-compliant attractions, located along the Corridors, are authorized for visits by the health authorities. The Resilient Corridors will play a key role as the sector continues on the path to recovery.

This crisis has also provided countries with the opportunity to untap hidden sources of resilience. Reduced international travel has forced destinations to pay closer attention to domestic markets which they have traditionally overlooked or underutilized.   My ministry recently launched a Rediscover Jamaica campaign, which is an initiative to encourage Jamaicans to take advantage of the country’s many tourism products and attractions through lower-priced staycation packages based on lower rates. The initiative has received tremendously positive reception from locals, with some hotels reporting 60-80 % reservations from locals.  As we look to the future many destinations are realizing the benefit of incentivizing local tourism to offset seasonal downturns in international tourist arrivals as well as volatility in the global tourism .

Recovery plans for the post-COVID era are also well-advanced in most countries. As devastating as the pandemic has been, it will not be permanent.  Recovery of the tourism sector will, however, not be an automatic, seamless experience. Recovery has to be carefully planned and managed to ensure the desired results. To this end, my ministry has already unveiled a  five-point plan for the recovery of the tourism sector  which includes developing robust health and safety protocols, increased training for all segments of the tourism sector, building safety and security infrastructure, and acquiring PPE and hygiene tools. This framework is based on public-private sector collaboration consisting of key stakeholders from the tourism sector, the Ministry of Tourism, and Agencies of the Ministry. It will be supported by two Working Teams – one for general tourism and another for cruise tourism – and a Secretariat. These  specially -assigned teams will  promote a realistic view of the sector’s baseline or starting position; develop scenarios for multiple versions of the future; establish the strategic posture for the sector as well as a broad direction of the journey back to growth; establish actions and strategic imperatives that will be reflected across various scenarios; and establish trigger points to tackle action, which includes a planned vision in a world that is learning to evolve rapidly.

Global responses have also paid attention to the human side of the impact of the pandemic on tourism specifically as it relates to the well-being of displaced workers and the survival of small businesses.  At the onset of the pandemic, my ministry entered discussions with commercial banks for them to provide temporary cash-flow support to businesses and consumers in affected sectors through deferral of principal payments, new lines of credit and other measures.  We have also provided fiscal stimulus for displaced workers and business through the provision of various grants and cash transfers. Also, to ensure that tourism workers are using this time to develop competencies for the post-covid19 tourism sector, since April, we have been providing 11 free online courses for tourism workers as part of the Government’s thrust to ensure the continued development of employees in the sector. The courses are offered in areas such as laundry attendant, gift room attendant, kitchen steward/porter, public area sanitation, hospitality team leader, certified banquet server, certified restaurant server, Servsafe training in food safety, certified hospitality supervisor, introduction to Spanish, and disc jock (DJ) certification. 

To further strengthen the responsiveness of the sector to the current crisis as well as future ones, the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre intends to establish a tool to facilitate reliable measurement of tourism-related risks  as well as to  ensure that there is a  repository of information with policy implications for international tourism. The idea of The Global Tourism Resilience Barometer (GTRB) will ensure that tourism stakeholders will have be access to a centralized  instructional and supportive tool that will help them to develop sound policies and identify mechanisms that will help to reverse  divisive and disruptive trends that are threatening the sector.  This Framework will essentially assist policy makers and stakeholders to determine the level of tourism resilience readiness across countries. Through the framework and index, stakeholders will be able to:

– Determine, through a composite score and ranking, how well a country is doing as it relates to tourism resilience.

– Identify Tourism Resilience gaps across countries and, implement corrective strategies to prepare these countries for various disruptions.

– Enable progress on global tourism resilience to be measured over time.

– Access new insights which will deepen understanding of global tourism resilience by enabling comparisons and facilitating conversations based on broader, long- term considerations rather than some of the usual insular considerations.

I am also proposing a Global Tourism Resilience Fund to equip vulnerable countries to be able to respond, manage, and to then recover and grow after disruptions.  The Fund would especially target destinations that are recognized as facing high vulnerability but have insufficient financial capacity to prepare for and recover quickly from disruption.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications Division, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4924, Fax: 906-1729

Tourism Linkages Network to Host Major Spa Standards Workshop says Bartlett

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As part of efforts to encourage the adoption of national and international standards by spas across the island, the Tourism Linkages Network will be hosting a free two-day Spa Standards Workshop, beginning next Monday, November 16, 2020. The workshop will seek to sensitize the industry about the Linkages Network’s newly developed COVID-19 Safety Manual for Jamaican Spas, which is the first of its kind in the region.

The manual incorporates existing protocols for spas from the Ministry of Tourism’s COVID-19 protocol document as well as the standards outlined by the International Spa Association.

Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, highlighted that: “This year a record 498 persons have registered for the workshop, which will be streamed on the Tourism Enhancement Fund’s social media pages, on November 16 and 17.”

“This is a very important workshop which will include presentations on topics such as: ‘Visioning the Spa Industry through destination integrity and assurance,’ Understanding the requirements of the Spa Standard JS319, as well as a presentation on the new COVID-19 Safety Manual for Spas,” he explained.

The Ministry’s training arm, the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation, will also be collaborating on this initiative to offer Spa Certification training for qualified spa practitioners.

The Spa Standards and Certification program began in 2017, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Jamaica Bureau of Standards and the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo). To date, over 250 stakeholders across the island have benefited.

The Tourism Linkages Network will also be hosting its second annual Jamaica Health and Wellness Tourism Conference from Wednesday, November 18 to Thursday, November 19 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, under the theme: “Reset, Reimagine, Restore.”

“The conference will bring together leaders in the health and wellness tourism industry from Jamaica, the Caribbean and around the world for one of the most important conferences on Jamaica’s tourism schedule. This year’s conference will be a hybrid event with limited in person attendance and live streaming via social media, which will bring the activity to the entire global wellness tourism community,” Minister Bartlett outlined. 

Additional information on both events can be accessed at: wellnessinja.com

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MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications Division, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4924, Fax: 906-1729

Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett Wins Gusi Peace Prize

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, was yesterday awarded the prestigious Gusi Peace prize from the Gusi Foundation of Manila, Philippines.

“I’m greatly honored to be considered by the esteemed Gusi Foundation in this critical period of global history. Certainly, our work with regards to tourism and global resilience has made a mark. I think Jamaica, and certainly all of us who have been in the tourism management business in the island, can feel justly proud that we are being considered and our work is recognized well beyond our shores,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Gusi Foundation is a charitable organization, whose main objective is “to give proper recognition, through the conferment of awards of excellence and distinction, to individuals or groups worldwide who have distinguished themselves as brilliant exemplars of society.”

Specifically, the organizers have noted that these individuals or groups must make exemplary contributions to peace and human rights, in scientific discoveries, politics, academe, performing arts, literature, medicine or physiology, journalism, humanities, physics, chemistry, religion, business and philanthropy, economics and internationalism.

The Award is named after the late Captain Gemeniano Javier Gusi, a World War II veteran who fought against Japanese oppression and became a popular active advocate of human rights.

It is deemed to approximate the honor and respect accorded to the Nobel Peace Prize of Norway, and the Pulitzer of the United States of America.

“I am pleased to accept this award, though virtually, and it is my hope that I will be able to go next to receive it physically in Manilla. On behalf of all of us, this is indeed a very humbling but significant moment in my life and certainly for all of us in tourism,” said the Minister.

Bartlett joins distinguished past laureates such as Jamaican veteran advertiser and diplomat Arnold Foote Jr, who received the honor in 2010; Dr. Isaias Salas Hererra of Costa Rica who received the award in 2016; Jamaican Businessman, Lascelles Chin, awarded in 2017 and Jamaican Humanitarian, Father Richard Ryan Ho Lung, awarded in 2011.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications Division, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4924, Fax: 906-1729

Bartlett Joins Discussions on Developing a Global Tourism Recovery Plan

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, recently participated in a global ministerial panel discussion on rethinking the global travel and tourism industry with a comprehensive recovery plan, which encourages innovation and investment to rebuild destinations.

The discussions took place earlier this week during the annual International Tourism and Investment Conference in London, held in partnership with the World Travel Market (WTM), which took place on a virtual platform, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, consequent social distancing and global travel restrictions.

“The aspirational objectives of destinations for recovery in the   post-COVID era are increasingly being reflected in the rolling out of comprehensive recovery plans for the tourism sector which seek to leverage the collective power and resources of key stakeholders including: governments, international tourism bodies, hotels, airlines, cruise lines, booking agencies etc.,” said Bartlett.

“Recovery has become almost synonymous with resilience-building. The sector needs to become more adaptable, resilient and agile.  This pandemic has presented us with a unique opportunity to transition towards a more balanced tourism as it is anticipated that more international tourists will opt for “sustainable” destinations in the post-COVID era,” he added.

Other Ministers joining the panel included Hon. Nigel Huddleston, Minister of Tourism, UK; Hon. Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Kenya; Hon. Marcelo Álvaro Antônio, Minister of Tourism, Brazil; and Hon. Elena Kountoura, Member of the European Parliament.

Minister Bartlett also reiterated the call for the establishment of a Global Tourism Resilience Fund to equip vulnerable countries to be able to respond, manage, and to then recover and grow after disruptions. The Fund would especially target destinations that are recognized as facing high vulnerability but have insufficient financial capacity to prepare for and recover quickly from disruptions.

“It is also important for policymakers, industry leaders, investors and financial institutions to collaborate more closely to support investments and provide incentives to support  product differentiation into areas such as health, wellness and the green economy which are linked to the promotion of more sustainable behaviors and practices by all involved in the tourism value chain,” said Bartlett.

The global tourism investment summit was organized with the goal of helping to accelerate the recovery of travel and tourism businesses and restore travelers’ confidence after the COVID-19 pandemic. It brought together global leading voices and luminaries across different segments to discuss the future of the travel and tourism industry, its challenges, opportunities, financial strategies and mechanisms required to aid its successful recovery.

The three-day summit began on November 9 under the theme: “Invest, Finance and Rebuild the Travel and Tourism Industry.” Bartlett also participated in the resilience panel discussion, on Tuesday November 10, 2020.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications Division, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4924, Fax: 906-1729