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Jamaica Tourism Minister Addresses Pandemic in Travel and Tourism

November 16, 2020 by PressEditor

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.

More news about Jamaica

#rebuildingtravel

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

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Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: airlines, Bartlett, cooking, EU, minister, nbsp, sandals

African Tourism Board reaches out to the EU

May 19, 2020 by PressEditor

African Tourism Board (ATB) Task Force members and tourism experts aired their views, seeking the European Union to support Africa with tourism recovery and development plans in the post-Covid-19 pandemic timeframe.

In their virtual (webinar) meeting held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Tuesday evening, May 19, 2020, ATB senior executives, members, and tourism experts called for support from the EU for African countries with tourism recovery and development stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic that has mostly stamped out tourism on the continent.

ATB Patron and conference moderator, Dr. Taleb Rifai, along with Patron, Alaine St.Ange, called for EU support for Africa on the post-COVID-19 road to tourism recovery.

Dr. Rifai said that Africa needs financial back-up and other support from the EU for tourism recovery as well as development programs amid and after the COVID-19 pandemic. He told conference participants that African countries need financial support from the European Union whose members are the leading tourism market sources for Africa.

Panelists and participants of the conference discussed pertinent issues targeting Africa’s tourism development, ranging from safety and security to health and education.

Dr. Peter Tarlow spoke about domestic and regional tourism development in Africa, pegging a context of Tanzania which ATB Ambassador Mary Kalikawe had forwarded for discussion.

Peter also spoke about security and Public Private Partnership (PPP) in development of domestic and regional tourism bases in Africa.

“People should visit and enjoy their own tourism. Africans should strive to visit their own continent before opting to travel outside the continent which is very expensive,” Peter said.

He said that tourism stakeholders should carry a “Message of Tourism as a Message of Hope.” Integrated efforts, training, and security are crucial on ensuring Africa’s tourism development during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Initial post-COVID-19 travels are expected in such areas as families, friends, and sports, Peter added during his webinar conference discussion.

Participants also discussed the need to bring Africa’s rich history onto the tourism docket with support from UNESCO, which can also support tourism recovery in African national parks and islands under a resilience project.

Key issues discussed, among others, included a need to develop “Tourism Resilience Zones” in Africa, pegging at tourist attractions and products available in each zone.

Egypt and Jordan were cited as good examples of single tourist zones in the Mediterranean, taking into account their ancient civilizations which are tourist draws in both of these countries of North Africa and the Middle East.

The Vanilla Islands in the Indian Ocean were also suggested as being included on a list of COVID-19 Free Zones to attract tourists for the time being.

ATB Senior Member, Dr. Walter Mzembi, said that Africa’s source markets should recover first so as to open doors for Africa’s post-COVID-19 recovery.

A good number of issues were brought before the panel for discussion during the exciting 90-minute webinar conference which attracted ATB Ambassadors in Africa as well as outside the continent to take part in the event.

Several projects aimed to develop tourism in Africa were discussed with feedback provided from ATB supervisors and executives.

The African Tourism Board is an association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from, and within the African region. For more information and how to join, visit africantourismboard.com .

#rebuildingtravel

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Filed Under: African Tourism Board, Travel & Tourism Tagged With: ATB, EU, Peter

Jamaica exploring more air connectivity in Europe post-Brexit

August 9, 2019 by PressEditor

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, says Jamaica is actively exploring additional air connectivity options out of Europe, in light of the United Kingdom (UK) leaving the European Union – which is more popularly known as Brexit. The decision for the UK to leave the European Union (EU) was made in 2016 through a referendum.

Minister Bartlett made the announcement following a meeting yesterday with several key representatives of the EU to Jamaica yesterday at his New Kingston office. The countries represented were Germany, Spain, France and Belgium.
“We are taking a proactive step to ensure that air connectivity between Jamaica and Europe remains robust and consistent given the possibility that our current main gateway from that area – the United Kingdom – may leave the European Union.

England’s departure from the EU will impact not just Jamaica but the region and so these discussions are timely and critical,” said Minister Bartlett.

On average, Jamaica welcomes over 300 thousand European visitors annually. Last year, 328 thousand Europeans visited the island.

High on the list of topics discussed was the need for a market analysis, including stopovers from low cost European airlines and main market for European visitors to Jamaica, to inform the possibility of an EU Air Services Agreement. It was also noted that there was precedent for such an agreement, specifically the 2007 USA/EU Air Transport Agreement.

Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska, who lead discussions on behalf of the EU representatives, noted that, “The United Kingdom has been the historical and traditional door to Europe for Jamaica and with Brexit most likely to take place, there is interest in strengthening relations with Jamaica and the remaining 27 EU Member States to better engage the markets and people of those countries.”

Ambassador Wasilewska also noted that she would seek further information on a framework within which a collective air services agreement could be pursued by early September.

Minister Bartlett also said, “We will continue bilateral negotiations with individual EU Member States for increased air connectivity between Europe and Jamaica which will include discussions with large carriers from Europe to bridge gaps between the commercial interests, including code sharing arrangements.”

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

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Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: Brexit, connectivity, EU, European Union, Europeans, remains, UK

Inaugural CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa opens tomorrow alongside ATM

April 29, 2019 by PressEditor

More than 300 aviation and airport professionals will be heading to the first CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa (MEIA) conference which gets underway tomorrow (Tuesday 30 April).

The two-day meet, which is co-located with Arabian Travel Market 2019, unites airline and airport executives with manufacturers and suppliers, providing a global forum for business and networking opportunities. More than 40 airlines have confirmed their attendance.

Alongside the conference programme, delegates can book one-to-one appointments in airline and airport meeting lounges and enjoy evening networking events.

Karin Butot, CEO, The Airport Agency, said: “CONNECT is a new addition to the route development calendar and co-located with ATM is a natural choice given the unprecedented growth in aviation across the region. We look forward to welcoming delegates to what promises to be a series of lively debates and discussions.”

The Middle East’s airline seat count has doubled in the last 10 years, and last year saw 264.31 million scheduled departing seats, according to anna.aero data.

Growth has been fuelled by the major expansion of scheduled carriers and more recently, low-cost airlines, which now accounts for 16 per cent of all departing seats.

Dubai International Airport, the world’s largest airport for international passenger numbers, recording 89.1 million passengers last year, accounts for 22 per cent of all departing seats in the Middle East.

Nick Pilbeam, Divisional Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, said: “Two-thirds of the world’s population are within an eight-hour flight of the GCC and the region’s airlines are continuously adding new routes, to connect to fresh destinations.”

Kicking off the two-day event will be a training workshop entitled ‘The Simpson Paradox in Donut Crunching’ – showing how best to achieve better data accuracy when estimating a route’s potential.

John Strickland, Director, JLS Consulting, will then give a keynote presentation on ‘The State of the Airline Industry’ which will be followed by a briefing from Airbus which will provide updates on product lines, infrastructure regulation, airline technologies and airport capacity challenges.

China Southern Airline will hold a dedicated briefing highlighting its dual-hub strategy in Guangzhou and Beijing Daxing International Airport.

After lunch, the second keynote presentation will be European Union External Aviation Policy, in which Annabelle Lepiece, Partner, CMS DeBacker, will outline how ongoing negotiations for comprehensive air transport agreements between the EU and GCC are being “hampered by protectionist voices”.

Day one rounds off with a panel discussion on the regional opportunities and challenges, and a seminar on the relationship between air service development and infrastructure, followed by a networking event at Palace Downtown Dubai viewing deck.

The second day will analyse how airports and their regions can work together to attract new airline services and include a presentation on Dubai World Central Airport from Nathalie Jongma, Head – Aviation Business Management, Dubai Airports.

Panelists will also discuss the opportunities and threats for the rapidly growing African aviation market.
CONNECT MEIA forms part of Arabian Travel Week 2019, an umbrella brand that comprises three other co-located shows, including Arabian Travel Market, ATM Holiday Shopper and International Luxury Travel Market Arabia.

MEDIA CONTACT: NATHALIE VISELE, Director, Shamal Communications, Arjaan Office Tower, Dubai Media City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tel: +971 4 365 2711 | Mobile: +971 50 457 6525, E-mail: [email protected] , Website: www.shamalcomms.com

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Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: Arabian Travel Week, ATM, aviation, connect, CONNECT Middle, CONNECT Middle East, EU, GCC, International Airport, lines, Middle, Middle East

Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, U.S. and British Authorities warn in response to terror attacks

April 21, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority in a statement released urges hotels in Sri Lanka to take maximum measures to strengthen security as Hotels have been one of the main targets. Please assist us in spreading the word and let us not forget to help tourists who are currently in Sri Lanka.”

The Sri Lanka travel industry is bracing for the impact of the horrific attack Easter Sunday in the nation’s capital Colombo and in Negombo, where the airport is located.

Sri Lanka received 2.1 million tourists in 2017 and had set a target to double that number this year. Free visas to visitors from 30 countries including the U.S.,UK, EU and Thailand are part of this strategy.

Currently, Sri Lanka is quiet. It’s a curfew and all roads are closed.

The U.S. embassy raised the level of travel advisory for Sri Lanka to level 2: The embassy warned terrorist groups to continue plotting possible attacks in Sri Lanka. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas.

The White House issued a statement, that the United States condemns in the strongest terms the outrageous terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka that have claimed so many precious lives on this Easter Sunday. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the more than 200 killed and hundreds of others wounded. We stand with the Sri Lankan government and people as they bring to justice the perpetrators of these despicable and senseless acts.

In the meantime, Sri Lanka arrested 13 alleged suspects. Another attack on the airport was prevented. 215 people including foreign tourists were killed, more than 500 injured in a series of planned and coordinated attacks on Easter Sunday.

The UK Foreign Department is telling British Citizens:

On 21 April 2019 bombs were used to attack three churches and three hotels in Sri Lanka, in central Colombo; in the northern suburb of Colombo Kochchikade, and in Negombo roughly twenty miles north of Colombo; and in the east of the country in Batticaloa. There have been significant casualties. If you are in Sri Lanka and you are safe, we advise that you contact family and friends to let them know that you are safe.

If you are in Sri Lanka and have been directly affected by the attacks, please call the British High Commission in Colombo: +94 11 5390639, and select the emergency option from where you will be connected to one of our consular staff. If you’re in the UK and worried about British friends or family in Sri Lanka caught up in the incidents, please call the FCO switchboard number: 020 7008 1500 and follow the same steps.

Security has been stepped up across the island and there are reports of ongoing security operations. if you are in Sri Lanka, please follow the advice of local security authorities, hotel security staff or your tour company. The airport is operating, but with increased security checks. Some airlines are advising their passengers to arrive early for check-in, in light of increased security screening.

The Sri Lankan authorities have declared a nationwide curfew. You should limit movements until this has been lifted, following the instructions of the local authorities and your hotel/tour operator.

The Sri Lankan authorities have confirmed that, if you need to catch a flight from Colombo airport, you are able to travel to the airport provided you have both passport and ticket valid for travel that day. They have also confirmed that arrangements have been put in place for arriving passengers.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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