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Jamaica and Panama Sign Multi-Destination Marketing and Airlift Agreement

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has announced that Jamaica and the Republic of Panama have signed a multi-destination arrangement, as part of efforts to strengthen tourism relations between both countries.

The agreement was signed today during FITUR, the largest International Tourism Trade Fair for inbound and outbound Ibero-American markets, currently underway in Spain.

Jamaica has previously signed similar agreements with Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Mexico, to advance regional integration by fostering and harmonising legislation on air connectivity, visa facilitation, product development, marketing and human capital development.

‘The signing of the agreement today with Panama brings us to five countries in the North-Western Caribbean that have now developed an arrangement for convergence of their marketing and airlift arrangements.

This is a huge development for tourism’s growth and expansion in the Caribbean area, as it now brings five of the largest markets in the region together,” said Minister Bartlett.

The convergence of the five countries is expected to create a market of over 60 million potential visitors and will be promoted as a package, through the respective tourist boards to large tour operators, airlines and cruise-lines.

“This agreement creates a mega-market that will now be able to attract the big airlines, the large tour operators but more importantly we will be able to entice the new emerging markets of the far distances of Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.

These distant markets will be able to come into the Caribbean area, enjoy many of the experiences at a packed deal, and can seamlessly through the areas,” said the Minister.

The multi-destination tourism is a strategy the Tourism Ministry has been using to increase the product offerings of the respective destinations but more so to enable better air connectivity between markets particularly, for long haul destinations.

With this multi destination arrangement, Panama will become a hub for long haul flights and Emirates and Air China are among the two targeted carriers. It also covers how Jamaica can better leverage the Jamaican Diaspora, which has contributed to the cultural enrichment of Panama.

“A feature of this agreement will be to look at rationalizing infrastructure arrangements, particularly where visitor facilitation is concerned.

Therefore, we will be looking at a single visa regime, for example one that will allow us to have domestic space within the five countries that are involved, for tourism purposes only,” said the Minister.

“We could also look at the possibility of a single airspace, for airlines that are coming into servicing these areas will not have to pay five or six different fees in relation to five or six different airspaces, but a single fee that will cover all. The prospects of this is a game-changer for tourism development in the North-Western Caribbean,” he added.

The final aspect of this agreement will be the strengthening of resilience building in the region, which will include the establishment of a satellite Global Resilience and Crisis Management Centre at an agreed university in Panama.

Jamaica has had diplomatic relations with Panama since 1966. Currently, COPA Airlines, which is the flag carrier of Panama, operates eleven (11) flights weekly into Jamaica.

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

Jamaica and Panama to establish multi-destination arrangement, says Minister Bartlett

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Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has announced that Jamaica and the Republic of Panama is set to establish a multi destination arrangement, as part of efforts to strengthen tourism relations between both countries.

This announcement follows discussions with Minister of Tourism for Panama, His Excellency Ivan Alfaro, and Minister Bartlett at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London yesterday.

“Multi destination tourism is a strategy to increase the product offerings of the respective destinations but more so to enable better air connectivity between markets particularly, for long haul destinations. With this multi destination arrangement, Panama will become a hub for long haul flights and Emirates and Air China are among the two targeted carriers,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Jamaica Tourist Board and the Panamanian Tourism Authority will meet to conclude details of the arrangement by January 2020 for signing during FITUR in Spain.

“The second area of collaboration will be to explore how we can better leverage the Jamaican Diaspora that has contributed to the cultural enrichment of Panama.

The third and final area of collaboration will be resilience building in the region, which will include the establishment of a satellite Global Resilience and Crisis Management Centre at an agreed university in Panama,” added Minister Bartlett.

Jamaica has had diplomatic relations with Panama since 1966. Currently, COPA Airlines, which is the flag carrier of Panama, operates eleven (11) flights weekly into Jamaica.

The WTM is a major promotional platform for the JTB and features many Jamaican companies, creating the ideal opportunity to meet industry professionals and conduct business deals.

Minister Bartlett, who is participating in WTM as part of efforts to increase outbound travels from the UK, Northern Europe, Russia, Scandinavia and Nordic region to grow arrivals from these markets, will return to the island on November 8.

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

Jamaica Secures Airlift arrangements Post Thomas Cook – Bartlett

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has secured airlift arrangements with Condor Airlines as part of efforts to lessen the impact of the recent collapse of Thomas Cook.

Following a meeting with Oliver Feess, Manager announced that ground will be broken in Hanover for the 2000 room Princess Hotel and Resort by year end. The Announcement follows a meeting with chairman of the hotel chain, Mr. Robert Plana yesterday at World Travel Market in London.

“Today we met with Chairman of Princess Hotels who will be in Jamaica next Monday for meetings to finalize arrangements for ground breaking and commencement of construction within the shortest possible time.

We are anticipating that construction will begin in the first quarter of next year given that all the developmental approvals have been completed and 18months after, the first 1000 rooms will be ready to be opened,” said Minister Bartlett.

Princess Hotels & Resorts is a hotel chain specialising in holiday and urban hotels in top class tourist resorts. Founded in 1967, it is ranked eighth in the Spanish market, with 3.700 employees and 19 establishments, offering 7.140 rooms. Earlier this year, the Spanish hotel chain committed to investing US$500 million in the construction of 2,000 rooms in Hanover.

Minister Bartlett added that, “We have been in dialogue with Princess for quite a while and my last visit to FITUR in Spain culminated in the announcement then, that they had acquired the properties in Green Island in Hanover and that they were ready to start construction as soon as possible.

Time elapsed and the necessary approvals have been sought through our local authorities and planning agencies and we are satisfied now that they are fully ready to begin operations.” 

Currently, Jamaica’s room stock is 32,000. Under the 5x5x5 growth strategy, the aim is to have 15,000 additional rooms by 2022.

Speaking on the significance of the addition of these new rooms, Minister Bartlett says that “Hanover will have, when we add the component in Negril, along with the Grand Palladium, Round Hill and Tryall, close to 6000 rooms.

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

FITUR 2020 celebrates its 40th anniversary with its most professional and international edition

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The next edition of FITUR, organised by IFEMA, will take place at Feria de Madrid from the 22 to 26 January 2020, and is looking to once again become the international benchmark event in the tourism industry. This year is special because, in addition to the excellent participation forecasts, which are in alignment with the positive data of the tourism industry, it is the 40th Anniversary of the Trade Show, a special occasion that will be the crowning glory of a series of initiatives that are already ongoing, the purpose of which is to provide continuity to the successful and upwardly mobile trajectory of FITUR.

Sustainability, technology and specialisation will still be the main lines of FITUR, but in addition there will be the promotion of activities aimed at growing in professionalism, representation and internationalisation and, therefore, to exceed the results from the latest edition, which brought together over 11,000 exhibitor companies from 160 countries, and 253,000 participants.

To this end, the FITUR organisers have paid special attention to strengthening their International Guest Programs, as well as the B2B meetings schedule, both for the General Program, FITUR B2B Match, and for the specialised program on incentives, meetings and business travel, FITUR MICE, which was implemented for the first time last year. Both programs have shown to be a tool with proven effectiveness in promoting professional contact and business exchanges, as seen by the 9,150 business meetings held last year within the framework of these activities.

On the other hand, and given the expected higher participation by companies and destinations, there are plans to expand the exhibition surface area of FITUR 2020, for an orderly growth throughout the 10 halls of the central axis of the IFEMA venue. Therefore, the area that FITUR had already been occupying is increased with Hall 1, which will concentrate the offer of Africa, leaving Hall 6 entirely for Asia-Pacific. The remaining areas will still have the same layout, which places the Near East in Hall 2; America in Hall 3; Europe in Hall 4; Companies, Technology and Global Companies, in Hall 8; Corporate and Associations in Hall 10, and Spanish Official Organisations and Agencies in Halls 5, 7 and 9.

FITUR will also continue to focus on the specialisation and growth of some of the recently created sections, such as FITUR CINE and FITUR FESTIVALS, which will see new platforms with a significant potential for development. The trade fair will offer again its consolidated monographic areas, such as FITUR GAY (LGBT +) and FITUR HEALTH, as well as the sections FITURTECHY and FITUR KNOW HOW, where technology is shown as an essential tool for the growth of the sector and for progress towards the smart tourism concept.

On the other hand, the FITUR NEXT Observatory continues its progress in identifying and choosing good practises to promote tourism with a positive impact throughout the world. These are initiatives that can also be replicated, that contribute to company innovation and to a better destination management, and which will be highlighted at FITUR.
Knowledge content will also have its area during the conference program of each of the trade show sections, as well as in the various activities organised within FITUR by international organisations such as the World Tourism Organisation UNWTO; Latin-American Conference of Tourism Ministers and Entrepreneurs, CIMET; INVESTOUR and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

MEDIA CONTACT:

Ana Uruñuela, Press Officer

Phone: 0034 91 722 50 935

anau@ifema.es  

Helena Valera – International Press
Phone: 0034 91 722 5174
evalera@ifema.es 

UNWTO announces activities at FITUR 2019

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UNWTO announces activities at FITUR 2019

Inauguration of a tourism innovation hub, the final stage of the 1st UNWTO Tourism Startup Competition, the 10th Edition of The Tourism Investment and Business Forum for Africa, understanding the success of Asian Tourism – these will be among the activities led by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) during the 39th edition of the International Tourism Trade Fair in Madrid (FITUR, 23-27 January), the first of the world’s major annual tourism events.

A new activity this year is the inauguration of a global tourism innovation hub, highlighting the UNWTO’s role in and commitment to innovation. Furthermore, the awards ceremony of the 1st UNWTO Tourism Startup Competition will be held in partnership with Globalia, the leading tourism group in Spain and Latin America. This competition, the first and largest initiative of its kind in the world, is aimed at identifying the new companies that will lead the transformation of the tourism sector and the promotion of innovation ecosystems through tourism.

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Celebrating its tenth edition, the Tourism Investment and Business Forum for Africa (INVESTOUR) has consolidated itself as the annual event that brings together numerous tourism ministers of the region and investors to discuss the opportunities that the sector can offer the continent. Organized jointly by the UNWTO, FITUR and Casa África, this year’s sessions will be structured around two main themes: “Safe and Seamless Travel in Africa: Fostering Resilience and Risk Management in the Tourism Sector” and “Embracing Digital Transformation, Innovation and Promoting Niche Tourism Products”.