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Jamaica to host TD Jakes Caribbean Leadership Conference

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Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, says internationally acclaimed Bishop TD Jakes is looking at staging his flagship leadership conference in Jamaica next year.

The announcement was made at a special brunch, organized by Jamaica Vacations at Royalton Resort, for Bishop Jakes who docked in Trelawny with over 1800 guests as part of his Faith and Family Caribbean Cruise.

Thomas Dexter Jakes, more popularly known as TD Jakes, is a pastor, author and film maker. As pastor of the Potter’s House, Bishop TD Jakes’ conferences draw over 30,000 people.

“As Jamaica continues to diversify its product offerings to suit the passion points of our visitors, developing faith based tourism is high on our priority list. Many people travel for religious reasons.

I am therefore honoured that Bishop TD Jakes has indicated his interest to host his mega conference in Jamaica which will attract thousands locally and overseas,” said Minister Bartlett.

It is estimated by the World Tourism Organization, that 300 to 330 million people travel for religious purposes every year.

Bishop TD Jakes’ church services and evangelistic sermons are broadcast on The Potters Touch, which airs on lightsource.com, the Trinity Broadcast Network, Black Entertainment Television, the Daystar Television Network and the Word Network.

“We are excited about the possibilities of having some events in Jamaica that i think would be of interest not only to Jamaicans.

We are interested in leadership development, where business and faith can collaborate to create a more wholesome atmosphere,” said Bishop TD Jakes.

Minister Bartlett added that, “Jamaica will be the ideal location for this mega conference given the island’s Christian and religious culture.”

For more news about Jamaica, please click here.

Despite Dorian, travel to the Caribbean keeps growing

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New study has revealed that despite the recent ravages of hurricane Dorian and other huge storms in the Caribbean, tourism will continue to grow. The results of the study were presented at a Caribbean Tourism Organization-organised news conference at World Travel Market this morning.

Forward bookings for the important winter season, 1st November to 31st January are currently 1.6% ahead of where they were at the equivalent point last year. Currently, bookings from the USA, the most important source market are 3.0% behind but bookings from all the other major source markets are ahead, France 9.8%, the UK 0.9%, Canada 8.2%, Argentina 8.1% and the rest of the world collectively 3.2%. The current leader is the Netherlands, 42.1% ahead.

However, the outlook is not universally positive. Forward bookings to the top destination in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic, are currently 14.2% behind and those to the Bahamas and Aruba are 6.4% and 1.4% behind respectively. Encouraging growth is seen from Puerto Rico, 28.0% ahead, but that is really a recovery story, as tourism to the island was hit hard by hurricane Maria in December 2017.

Looking back on the first three quarters of the year, travel to the Caribbean has grown healthily, 5.2% up on the same period in 2018. The star source market has been the USA, with 56% share and 9.0% growth. However, other major origin markets have been mixed, with France down 2.2%, the UK down 4.7% and Argentina down 5.7%. However, Canada has been up 15.3%, Chile up 17.0% and the rest of the world up 1.4%.

This season’s most devastating hurricane, Dorian, which came at the end of August and early September, ravaged the most northerly parts of the Bahamas but left other parts relatively undamaged. The result is that some parts of the country saw a drop in arrivals, where others experienced a significant increase. Travel to Freeport and Marsh Harbour in September fell dramatically, by 50.9% and 67.9% respectively. The impact on Nassau, the capital and the largest airport, was more limited, as arrivals went down by 7.4%. Travel to Georgetown and North Eleuthera was up, 10.6% and 30.7% respectively.

Hurricanes have been a major scourge, affecting travel to the Caribbean in recent years, with some islands left badly damaged. New research shows that recovering from the impact of a major hurricane can take years. So far, it has taken Puerto Rico 15 months to reach 70% of pre-hurricane arrivals and it has taken St Maarten 20 months. In the case of the Bahamas, the recovery is expected to take less time because the initial rebound in both post-hurricane arrivals has been stronger: just one month after the hurricane, the Bahamas has reached 80% of pre-hurricane arrivals.

Joy Jibrilu, Director General, The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism said: “The Bahamas is an archipelago with more than 700 islands and cays, spread over 100,000 square miles of ocean. Because of our unique geography, a hurricane can impact some parts of the country, but leave other parts untouched. That is the case with Hurricane Dorian. The majority of our country remains beautiful and palm-fringed, with unspoiled beaches in several shades of white and pink. We would like everyone to know that the best thing they can do for us right now is visit. Our beautiful island nation is ready to welcome you.”

Sandals Royal Caribbean Introduces Two New 5-Star Restaurant Concepts

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The Luxury Included® Resort Expands 5-Star Global Gourmet™ Dining Offerings with the Opening of Spices and Bombay Club

Sandals® Resorts is excited to announce that Sandals Royal Caribbean, located in Montego Bay, Jamaica, is expanding its 5-Star Global Gourmet™ dining offerings with two new mouthwatering restaurant concepts – Spices and Bombay Club. Now officially open, guests can enjoy even more quality, authenticity and choice at up to 20 different restaurants at Sandals Royal Caribbean and the neighboring Sandals Montego Bay.

Spices serves up Pan-Caribbean favorites for an authentic island restaurant experience. With delicious breakfast options and ever-changing daily lunch buffet themes with plenty of made-to-order options, Spices brings flavors from all around the world to one place. At night, guests can indulge in dishes infused with popular Caribbean spices like pimento, nutmeg and cinnamon. With its tropical surroundings and festive hospitality coupled with the restaurant’s exceptional Robert Mondavi Twin Oaks® wine selection and premium liquors, Spices infuses Caribbean flare into its menu for an exotic dining experience.

Sandals Resorts is also excited to introduce aromatic Indian fare with the wildly popular Bombay Club to Sandals Royal Caribbean. As the brand’s exclusive Indian restaurant, Bombay Club boasts Indian cuisine that captivates the senses. Featuring a unique collection of flavorful dishes such as Shrimp Pakoras and Butter Chicken, along with vegan and vegetarian options, like the aloo gobhi and the vegetable bullets, Bombay Club is the go-to place for scenic views, great times, and exotic fare.

Sandals Resorts International continuously exceeds guests’ expectations with its 5-Star Global Gourmet™ dining program by offering more unique and authentic dining experiences across its resorts. Whether it’s leveraging internationally trained chefs to serve up to 23 unique culinary concepts – from Indian and French, to Italian and Japanese – or ensuring that 90 percent of all food offerings are locally sourced to create the most authentic meals, Sandals Resorts allows guests to take their taste buds on a journey around the world without having to leave the resort.

For more information on the two new restaurants now open at Sandals Royal Caribbean, please click here. 


Bombay Club, now open at Sandals Royal Caribbean

MEDIA CONTACT: Alexa Mechanic for additional information or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson. 646-935-3999. alexa.mechanic@ketchum.com

Bartlett Calls for Kingston to be the Premier Hub of the Northern Caribbean

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Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says that the projected expansion projects in Kingston, as well as those currently underway are a signal of the City’s potential to be the primary hub of the Northern Caribbean.

The Minister made this announcement yesterday, during the inaugural Caribbean Airlines flight from Kingston to Grand Cayman.

“With the changes that have taken place in Kingston and the expansion we are anticipating, we are hoping that Kingston will become a hub for the Northern Caribbean so that connectivity – between Jamaica and Havana, Santiago, Cancun – can be achieved from here. I think Caribbean Airlines is well positioned to be that carrier that makes those connections, utilizing Kingston as a hub,” said the Minister.

This is a sentiment shared by the airline’s CEO, Garvin Medera, who said, “Caribbean Airlines has a clear vision to connect the region, which is a major element in strengthening our Caribbean identity.”

The Minister shared that currently the region is growing at 6.1%, but lack of connectivity within the Caribbean has hindered tourism arrivals to grow to double digits.

“Today’s flight to Grand Cayman is expanding the airline’s range of connectivity and is helping to sunder those dividing elements that prevent us from connecting. The 300 additional seats to Jamaica, with two weekly rotations, add a significant amount to the growing number of seats that are coming on stream,” said the Minister.

Improved air connectivity is one of the Minister’s pillars in achieving growth in the industry. Under this growth strategy, his Ministry is aggressively implementing strategies to attract five million visitors by 2021, generate US$5 billion in tourism earnings, increase the total direct jobs to 125,000, and add 15,000 new hotel rooms.

The Ministry has also been pursuing new and emerging markets whilst maintaining traditional ones through airlift arrangements.

According to data from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), the island has increased seats out of the USA by 79,522, Canada by 21,418, the Caribbean by 15,280, and Latin America by 8,280. However, Jamaica is down from UK/Europe but overall the country is looking at an additional 98,676 seats for the season.

As it relates to the Caribbean, over the last three years, Jamaica has seen increased year on year growth. For 2019, Jamaica has so far seen a 6.1 percent increase in visitors from the region.

This new flight from Caribbean Airlines will now make an impressive 22 destinations for Caribbean Airlines, which already has over 600 weekly flights in the Caribbean and North and South America. It will include two departures from either destination per week – Tuesdays and Saturdays – between December 17 and March 28.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, Fax: 920-4944

Bahamas Tourism Director General Named Caribbean Tourism Director of The Year

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Director General Joy Jibrilu impresses leading tourism experts to win coveted Caribbean Travel Award

Expert stewardship and deft handling of the post Dorian climate in The Bahamas were just a few of the attributes that landed the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism Director General, Joy Jibrilu, the prestigious title of Caribbean Tourism Director of The Year, according to the Caribbean Travel Awards.

Director General of Tourism of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation Mrs. Joy Jibrilu responded to the announcement of the award:

“I’m still processing the gravity of such a prestigious award. It is indeed both humbling, personally gratifying and a great way to end, what has been quite a year. This award is not just for myself; it’s the final result of a collaborative effort from an exceptional team. From the communications team to our sales team globally, meticulously working in tandem towards a clear and concise vision. Hurricane Dorian was perhaps the greatest challenge ever faced by our nation. Naturally, the destructiveness of Dorian attracted lots of international media attention. It was critical for us to quickly manage the narrative in the storm’s aftermath, to disseminate the accurate message about the effects of the storm on our destination, to ensure that the world understood that only two of our islands were affected by the storm and that the vast majority of our islands are unaffected and open for business.”

Launched in 2014, the Caribbean Travel Awards are the region’s premier celebration of the best of travel and tourism. Winners are selected by The Caribbean Journal’s editorial staff and network of contributors and based on year-round research and on-the-ground travel experiences and information.

“Joy Jibrilu has done an admirable job for The Bahamas in a year of immense highs and tragic lows, from a rapid tourism surge earlier in the year to calmly leading the destination through the tragedy of Hurricane Dorian — and quickly getting the message out about how and where to visit The Bahamas,” remarked Alexander Britell, Editor in Chief and Founder of The Caribbean Journal.

Mrs. Jibrilu was appointed Director General of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation in May 2014, where she has worked passionately to promote The Islands of The Bahamas. She began her government career in 2005 working as a consultant and later legal advisor for the Ministry of Finance. Jibrilu later served as the Director of Investments for The Bahamas Investment Authority, where she was responsible for the facilitation of all FDI projects and negotiated and worked on Heads of Agreements for major touristic developments, including the $3 billion dollar Baha Mar resort.

Prior to joining the public sector in The Bahamas, Mrs. Jibrilu, an attorney by profession, lived in West Africa and England where she worked in international education, serving as a Director of the Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA) for nine years. During this time, she traveled extensively throughout sub-Saharan Africa providing training in board governance and legal counsel on international contracts, institutional reform, dispute resolution, arbitration and conflict prevention.

“Being named Tourism Director of the Year by Caribbean Journal, a leading regional travel publication, is a very rewarding accolade that means so much to me, personally, and also to our destination. This award crowns a year that has seen us in The Bahamas rise to meet one of the greatest challenges dealt to our tourism economy,” remarked Director General Joy Jibrilu.

The Director General now joins the ranks of five others who have received this distinguished award since its inception. The official award presentation will be held at the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association Marketplace at Baha Mar, January 21 – 23, 2020.

About the Caribbean Travel Awards

The Caribbean Travel Awards, which were first launched in 2014, are the region’s premier celebration of the best of travel and tourism. Winners are selected by Caribbean Journal’s editorial staff based on year-round research and on-the-ground travel experiences and information.

Media Contact:

Rissie Demeritte
Sr. Manager Domestic Communications
Rdemeritte@Bahamas.com

Minister Bartlett proposes tourism crisis communication strategy for the Caribbean… Global Resilience Centre to formulate

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Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says that the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre has been tasked with developing a tourism crisis communications strategy which will help Caribbean nations ‘build back better’ following a disaster.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of a Tourism Crisis Communications and Disaster Risk Management event yesterday at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, the Minister said, “In responding to the call to build tourism resilience in the Caribbean, I am very proud that the region’s first resilience centre was recently established at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus Jamaica.

“The Centre is going to focus heavily on crisis communication and will develop an official Tourism Crisis Communication Strategy. We believe that we have established ourselves to provide part of the institutional framework and the physical capacity that the region needs to implement and to have actualised some of the outcomes which we seek to have from our efforts,” he added.

The facility, which is the first of its kind, will assist with preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and/or crises that impact tourism and threaten sector-dependent economies and livelihoods.

It is focused on deliverables including the establishment of an academic journal on resilience and global disruptions, the drafting of a blueprint for resilience, the creation of a resilience barometer and establishment of an Academic Chair for resilience and innovation. This is in keeping with the Centre’s mandate to create, produce and generate toolkits, guidelines and policies to guide the recovery process following a disaster.

“Building resilience will require a system-approach based on strengthening collaborations at the national, regional and international levels among tourism policymakers, lawmakers, tourism enterprises, NGOs, tourism workers, education and training institutions and general populations to reinforce institutional capacity to anticipate, coordinate, monitor and evaluate actions and programmes to lower risk factors,” said the Minister.

While the Centre has been created to assist all tourism nations across the globe, the Minister shared that the Caribbean is particularly vulnerable because it is the most tourism dependent region in the world.

“The most recent economic data indicate that the livelihood of one in every four Caribbean residents is linked to tourism. While travel and tourism contributes to 15.2 % of the region’s GDP in general and over 25% of the GDP of more than half of the countries. In the case of the British Virgin Islands, tourism contributes to 98.5% of GDP.
These figures underscore the importance of developing strategies for mitigating potential hazards that can destabilize tourism services in the region and cause long-term setback to sustainable growth and development,” he said.

During his presentation, the Minister announced that the Centre’s physical space is about 90% completed but is globally linked.

“Next week we go to Kenya to launch at the Kenyatta University, the first satellite centre for the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre and then we will head to Kathmandu in Nepal on the first of January to launch the second one. There are also a number of others, which will be launched in 2020,” he said.

The two-day event is being hosted by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the IDB’s Environment, Rural Development and Disaster Risk Management (RND) Division and their Caribbean Country Department.

Over 50 local and regional experts in the field of tourism crisis management and communications and disaster risk management have participated in the event, which is taking place under the theme “Reinforcing Crisis Communication as a Critical Element of Caribbean Tourism Resilience and Disaster Risk Management.”

The event also forms part of part of the IDB’s series of consultations with authorities known as Regional Public Dialogue.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, Fax: 920-4944

Minister Bartlett bats for regional tourism investment

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Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has reiterated his call on tourism investors to look beyond developing hotels while batting for regional tourism investment.

In a jovial welcome to some 300 investors from across globe gathered for the Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference & Operations Summit (CHICOS) at Secrets Wild Orchid Resort Wednesday night [November 13, 2019], Minister Bartlett made a pitch for them to invest in the heavily tourism dependent Caribbean region, but more so in Jamaica.

He expressed happiness at having them “here in Jamaica for us to talk a little bit about investment but more so to leave some contracts behind. We want to make sure that some new properties are established in the region.”

He said given that the Caribbean is the most tourism dependent region in the world, “This meeting of investors is of tremendous importance to us because what you’re doing is helping to enhance the wellbeing of the Caribbean by forcing investment in the key area that is driving the economy of the region.”

Through such investment, said Minister Bartlett, they would be helping to create jobs, to enable stability but more so, build the capacity of the people of the region to offer more.

He anticipated the two-day summit being spent “looking carefully not just as investment in the traditional sense … but I want us to look beyond rooms because for tourism to become truly inclusive and to enable the development and the enrichment of the people of the region, we have to invest on the supply side.” He reinforced that unless there was a building of the capacity to absorb the demand that tourism brings, “then tourism will be a negative industry in the region.”

Minister Bartlett noted that the region was both a heavy driver of foreign exchange as well as a heavy user and “and unless we create the linkages to stop the leakages of foreign exchange then the region will be poorer for tourism instead of being richer and so investment discussions must be to enrich the Caribbean and to create for us the opportunities to realize our best selves and to earn and achieve prosperity.”

Meanwhile, President of JAMPRO, Diane Edwards said apart from CHICOS there was no other major event in the Caribbean that focusses on investment in tourism. She said the Caribbean has long been an outstanding tourism destination “but we have not focused so much on the business side of things and that would be done over the next two days.”

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon Audley Shaw also welcomed the CHICOS delegates, noting that there were linkages between his portfolio responsibilities and tourism.

Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and Minister of Tourism for St Lucia, Dominique Fedee and Bahamas Tourism Minister, Dionisio D’Aguilar also joined Minister Bartlett in wooing the tourism investors.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, Fax: 920-4944

Jamaica to host TD Jakes Caribbean Leadership Conference

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Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, says internationally acclaimed Bishop TD Jakes is looking at staging his flagship leadership conference in Jamaica next year.

The announcement was made at a special brunch, organized by Jamaica Vacations at Royalton Resort, for Bishop Jakes who docked in Trelawny with over 1800 guests as part of his Faith and Family Caribbean Cruise.

Thomas Dexter Jakes, more popularly known as TD Jakes, is a pastor, author and film maker. As pastor of the Potter’s House, Bishop TD Jakes’ conferences draw over 30,000 people.

“As Jamaica continues to diversify its product offerings to suit the passion points of our visitors, developing faith based tourism is high on our priority list. Many people travel for religious reasons.

I am therefore honoured that Bishop TD Jakes has indicated his interest to host his mega conference in Jamaica which will attract thousands locally and overseas,” said Minister Bartlett.

It is estimated by the World Tourism Organization, that 300 to 330 million people travel for religious purposes every year.

Bishop TD Jakes’ church services and evangelistic sermons are broadcast on The Potters Touch, which airs on lightsource.com, the Trinity Broadcast Network, Black Entertainment Television, the Daystar Television Network and the Word Network.

“We are excited about the possibilities of having some events in Jamaica that i think would be of interest not only to Jamaicans.

We are interested in leadership development, where business and faith can collaborate to create a more wholesome atmosphere,” said Bishop TD Jakes.

Minister Bartlett added that, “Jamaica will be the ideal location for this mega conference given the island’s Christian and religious culture.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, Fax: 920-4944

North America and Caribbean exhibitors bring their best to WTM London

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From Canada to Tobago, and New York to California, exhibitors at WTM London – the global event where ideas arrive – will be highlighting new hotels, fresh campaigns and state-of-the-art tourism developments across North America, Mexico and the Caribbean. As well as established destinations and global brands, delegates at the event in ExCeL will be able to meet representatives of innovative attractions, boutique properties and exciting eco-tourism initiatives.

Executives from Destination Canada (NA400) will talk about the tourism agency’s uplifting new tagline, For Glowing Hearts, inspired by the words of the national anthem and imagery of the Canadian flag.

Ben Cowan-Dewar, chairperson of Destination Canada’s board, said: “The brand evolution is driven by the belief that travel should change you and Canada will leave a lasting mark on your heart.”

Also on NA400, the Canadian province of Ontario will be promoting its wealth of new upmarket hotels – such as Delta Hotels by Marriott Thunder Bay – and new air services, such as WestJet’s daily Dreamliner service from London Gatwick-Toronto, and Norwegian Air’s daily link between Hamilton and Dublin.

Just south of the border between Canada and the US lies New England, which will be in the international spotlight during 2020, as it marks the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower.

The Plymouth 400 Anniversary will highlight cultural contributions and traditions that began with the interaction of the Wampanoag people and English settlers in 1620.

Next year also marks the bicentennial of the state of Maine, which will see celebrations and commemorations. The regional tourism authority, Discover New England (NA165), represents five states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

South of New England is the Big Apple and this year WTM London welcomes four new exhibitors from New York, sharing the NYC & Company stand (NA300) along with more than 30 other attractions.

Other exciting exhibitors on stand, will be: New York Cruise Lines, which operates the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises; New York Philharmonic; Seaport District NYC, a shopping, dining and events neighbourhood; and Running Subway, which is creating a new attraction due to open in Times Square next spring, described as “part museum and part ride” and includes a flight simulation ride over the city’s landmarks.

Travelling further south brings visitors to historic Philadelphia, in the state of Pennsylvania.

The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (NA340) will highlight a host of new hotels – including the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center, which occupies the top 12 floors of the 60-storey Comcast Innovation and Technology Center building – and the revamped Philadelphia Museum of Art, which will re-open in autumn 2020 following a $196 million transformation.

Even further south is the ‘sunshine state’ of Florida, where tourism is the mainstay of the economy, especially in the home of world-class theme parks, Orlando.

Planes, trains and self-driving buses are on the agenda for Visit Orlando (NA250), as it promotes quicker and easier ways for tourists to get around. A new terminal will open at Orlando International Airport in 2021; Virgin Trains will begin a service connecting Miami and Orlando from 2022; and driverless shuttle buses started running in some neighbourhoods, with plans to expand.

These developments, along with news focus on sustainability initiatives, will be discussed at WTM London by Visit Orlando’s Chief Executive George Aguel and the new mayor of Orlando & Orange County, Jerry Demings.

Meanwhile, Experience Kissimmee (NA330) in Florida will be showing delegates why the destination is known as the Vacation Home Capital of the World. It will also promote its ecotourism attractions such as wildlife reserves and birdwatching trails, plus activity centres for fishing, ziplining, hot air ballooning, horse riding, kayaking and airboat rides.

Visit Tampa Bay (NA240) will unveil its new cocktail book, Tampa with a Twist, at WTM London, showcasing cocktails created by local mixologists. Known for its hip hospitality, the Florida destination features a host of cocktail bars as well as craft breweries. The tourist board will also highlight new theme park rides such as Iron Gwazi – the fastest and steepest hybrid roller coaster in the world – which opens in spring 2020 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

Overall, there are four new exhibitors from Florida, which include Isla Bella Beach Resort (NA200) set along the coastline of the Florida Keys; Orlando International Airport (NA250); Florida’s Northeast Coast (NA240), which represents five tourist boards along the Atlantic coastline; and CHM-Florida Resorts (NA240), which runs Sundial Beach Resort & Spa and the World Equestrian Center Hotel & Spa.

Nearby, is the island destination of Puerto Rico, which is on Stand NA100, part of the Brand USA Pavilion. It will be displaying a recent video collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda, the famous playwright and Hamilton composer, entitled ‘Discover Puerto Rico with Lin-Manuel’. The video series follows the Puerto Rican actor around his favourite locations to encourage visitors to discover the wonders of the destination.

Heading out west brings tourists to the Texan cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. Their tourist boards will be on stand NA350 to celebrate the forthcoming opening of several hotels – such as Virgin Hotels Dallas and Hotel Drover at Fort Worth’s Stockyards – as well as cultural developments, including major exhibitions at the African American Museum, and the recent opening of the Holocaust and Human Rights Museum.

Joining these exciting exhibitors at the Brand USA Pavilion are the attractions and entertainment specialist Legends Attractions (NA285); Noble House Hotels & Resorts, which features boutique properties in destinations across North America (NA200); Sahara Las Vegas, a hotel and casino with three distinctive towers (NA150).

Brand USA will also be using WTM London 2019 as an opportunity to promote their third big screen release – Into America’s Wild, scheduled to premiere in February. It will feature American trailblazers such as John Herrington, the first Native American Astronaut, and the Alaskan Pilot Ariel Tweto, who will take part in a cross-country journey of the United States and its iconic landscapes.

South of the US, there is a host of tourist attractions and hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean, which are sending delegations to WTM London.

The Mexican destination of Los Cabos will see its first ever, direct service from Europe launch on November 7, 2019. Holiday giant TUI will start the flights from London Gatwick airport, at the beginning of the winter season. Ten travel and tourism operators from Los Cabos (LA130) will share a stand at WTM London to highlight the region’s increased connectivity from the UK and Europe, as well as its upmarket attractions along Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Elsewhere, visitors to the Hard Rock Hotels stand (TA170) can enter a prize draw at WTM London to win a three-night stay in the new Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos. The all-inclusive resort will also be the place to see the debut of a new show, Bazzar, by Cirque de Soleil in January 2020.

Nobu Hotels (NA330) will be showcasing Nobu Hotel Los Cabos, which opened in April 2019, and Nobu Hotel Chicago which opens in early 2020. Meanwhile, on Mexico’s Riviera Maya is adult-only hotel UNICO 20˚87˚ (CA300). It has a new bar, Gin Time, and is launching more food and drink experiences, as well as wellness options and romance packages for 2020.

Heading eastwards from Mexico brings tourists to the Caribbean destination of the Dominican Republic. Bosses from the tourism ministry will be on stand CA300 to update delegates on the progress of the island’s first theme park, due to open in late 2020. Called Katmandu, Punta Cana, it will also include a 36-hole golf course.

Further east, where the Caribbean and Atlantic meet, is Antigua and Barbuda. Executives from the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (CA245) will be promoting the islands’ sailing, water-sports, romance and wellness themes. Highlights include the region’s biggest regatta, Antigua Sailing Week (April 25-May 1, 2020) and increased Virgin Atlantic services from London Gatwick to Antigua from 8 June, 2020.

To the south is the ‘Nature Island’ of Dominica. The Discover Dominica Authority (CA260) will be at WTM London to highlight its remarkable renaissance as the island continues its recovery from Hurricane Maria in 2017. Overall visitor arrivals for the first half of 2019 are up by 321% year-on-year, and overnight stays reached 43,774 – a 67% increase year-on-year. New luxury hotels include Jungle Bay Resort and Spa, Kempinski Cabrits Resort and Spa and Anichi Resort and Spa.

Meanwhile, in the southern Caribbean is Tobago, from where the Tobago Tourism Agency (CA250) will be bringing an eco-friendly message to WTM London. It will be promoting the island’s green initiatives and tagline: ‘Tobago Beyond: unspoilt, untouched, undiscovered’.

Next year will see sustainability projects come together under the Greening Initiative, as the destination works towards internationally recognised environmental standards. Furthermore, Styrofoam cups will be phased out and a new award will be given to the most environmentally sustainable resorts.

WTM London Senior Exhibition Director Simon Press said: “From the dramatic landscapes and buzzing cities of Canada and the US to the vibrant and varied destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean, we have an unrivalled selection of exhibitors with fresh tourism ideas and innovative concepts to share with our visitors.”

For more news about WTM London, please click here.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Julia Newbound – WTM Portfolio Press & PR Lead

E: julia.newbound@reedexpo.co.uk

T: +44 (0)20 8910 7056 / M: +44 (0)7775 036 858

Nicole Smart – WTM Portfolio PR & Events Consultant

E: nicole.smart@reedexpo.co.uk

T: +44 (0)20 8910 7032/ M: +44 (0)79 1955 5510

Tourism Resilience Centre to provide US$100,000 Towards Disaster Recovery Efforts in the Caribbean

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says his Ministry through the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), has allocated US$100,000 to support tourism-ravaged economies impacted by disruptions such as natural disasters and pandemics.

Speaking at a press conference today at the Jamaica Tourist Board’s Kingston office, the Minister noted that the announcement has stemmed from discussions he had with critical tourism partners at the recently concluded United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) 23rd Session of the General Assembly in Russia. 

“One of the key areas we looked at in Russia is how to deal with some of these disruptions that are affecting us… Coming out of these discussions, in collaboration with the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), we are providing US$100,000 in support of the tourism ravaged economies of the Bahamas and other areas in the Caribbean that may be impacted in the future,” said the Minister.

The JHTA has contributed US$20,000 to assist in relief efforts through the UNWTO and the GTRCMC.

The Minister noted that this fund is going to assist in relief efforts in hurricane-ravaged Bahamas but also towards the commissioning of a baseline study to assess the vulnerabilities of the Caribbean to major disruptions.

“A baseline study is being commissioned by the Centre to look at Caribbean vulnerabilities to disruptions of this nature. It is not just about hurricanes but other pandemics and epidemics. We are doing that, not just on the basis that is providing supplies but to build capacity. It is about the building of capacity to deal with disruptions,” said the Minister.

He also noted that, “This fund is going to look at a study in terms of understanding these phenomena but more importantly, how we build capacity to deal with them.” 

The Centre’s newly elected Executive Director, Professor Lloyd Waller and his team have been tasked with overseeing the process.

“We want to also acknowledge the work that the Sandals Foundation has done and is doing in terms of the recovery process in the Bahamas.  We are grateful for their partnership with the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, and the massive support they continue to give the Bahamas,” said the Minister.

The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre’s mission includes assisting global tourism destinations with destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and/or crises that affect tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally.  

MEDIA CONTACT:

Corporate Communications

Ministry of Tourism,

64 Knutsford Boulevard,

Kingston 5.

Tel: 920-4926-30,

Fax: 920-4944