For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry

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Sandals & Beaches Resorts Call Center: Existing Bookings – We Will Call You

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Due to sudden airport closures and travel restrictions, Sandals & Beaches Resorts call center was forced to suspend all incoming calls to methodically deal with existing bookings. The resorts group wants to reassure guests that it will be sequentially contacting them according to their arrival dates and will also be updating on a daily basis to report how far it has reached in this critical process.

Valuing guests and their time and well-being has always been a Sandals standard. The Sandals & Beaches Resorts Call Center apologizes for any inconvenience and requests patience and understanding during this COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Below is the heartfelt message sent to guests from Sandals & Beaches Resorts Founder & Chairman:

Dear Guest,

Never could we have imagined the impact the current global health crisis would have on the world. In these unprecedented times, and now more than ever, the safety and health of our valued guests is of paramount importance.

Recent global travel warnings, coupled with airline carrier cancellations, have compelled us to make the difficult decision to close all Sandals and Beaches Resorts from the period of March 30 – May 15, 2020. Therefore, will not be able to accept new arrivals as of March 23, 2020.

We also want to alleviate any additional worry you might have about your upcoming vacation. Please don’t call us because our dedicated team will be reaching out to you personally to assist with rescheduling your future plans. This way, you can spend less time trying to reach us and more time with your loved ones.

The Caribbean is resilient. We have always come back better, stronger and more passionate than ever. We promise this time will be no exception!

We will take this time to make further enhancements to our resorts, so that we will continue to surpass your expectations and provide you with the luxury-included vacation you so well deserve.

You chose Sandals Resorts because it’s the brand you can trust. When the time is right, you can trust us to be here, ready to welcome you back with open arms and a warm smile.

Love is All You Need,

Hon. Gordon “Butch” Stewart, OJ, CD, Hon. LLD

Founder & Chairman of Sandals & Beaches Resorts

Bartlett working with Finance & JHTA to Cushion Impact of COVID -19 on Tourism Workers

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has been working with the Ministry of Finance and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) to institute fiscal arrangements that will help to cushion the impact of COVID-19 on workers in the sector. The pandemic, whilst negatively impacting all sectors, has brought global tourism to a standstill.

“I want all workers in the sector to know that we are aware of the challenges and ripple effects of this pandemic as activities grind to a halt and questions surrounding job security arise. Based on these new developments, I have been in discussion with my colleague Minister of Finance and the JHTA to iron out a plan of action to help safeguard all our workers, over the last several weeks,” said Minister Bartlett.

Already, the Government is in short order implementing fiscal actions to cushion the economic impact of COVID-19. These include:

  • 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
  • Introduction of the Covid Allocation of Resources for Employees (CARE) program which has four elements:
  1. Introduction of the Business Employee Support and Transfer of Cash (BEST Cash) – which will provide temporary cash transfer to businesses in targeted sectors based on the number of workers they keep employed.
  2. Supporting Employees with Transfer of Cash (SET Cash ) – which will provide temporary cash transfer to individuals where it can be verified that they lost their employment since March 10, (the date of the first Covid case in Jamaica) due to the Covid virus and this will be available for a specific period.
  3. Special soft loan fund to assist individuals and businesses that have been hard hit.
  4. Supporting the poor and vulnerable with special Covid related grants.

“I am appealing to all workers in the sector to remain safe by following the hygienic protocols we have laid out and to listen to credible news reports to get the necessary updates to stay abreast of the situation,” added Jamaica Tourism Minister Bartlett.

Minister Bartlett noted that he and senior members of his team have been in touch with all key stakeholders here and overseas and will maintain in contact as part of his efforts to work together to find the best possible solutions to lessen the impact on the sector.

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

Bartlett Calls for Jamaica Rum Festival in Montego Bay

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says he wants the annual Jamaica Rum Festival to be extended to Jamaica’s  tourism capital ⁠— Montego Bay.

Speaking at the opening of the Jamaica Rum Festival at Hope Gardens on Saturday, the Tourism Minister said, “ I am giving a charge to the organizing team as well as the Ministry of Tourism, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF),  the Tourism Linkages Network and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), to come together to take this product to Montego Bay, which is the mecca of tourism.”

He further added that he wants the island to host a week of food festivals, including the Jamaica Rum Festival, which will be marketed by the JTB to potential visitors worldwide, as another reason to come to the island.

“I want to see a week of Rum Festival, Coffee Festival, Chocolate Festival and festivals of other uniquely Jamaican products.  We can then market this week-long event to gastronomy connoisseurs who are interested in experiencing our cuisine in unique ways,” he said.

He further added that he is particularly interested in the development of a chocolate festival because of the diversity of the product and its historical significance.

“Jamaica’s cocoa is of particular interest, as it was the feedstock for the famous Cadbury Chocolate in the 18th Century… Jamaica’s history has provided these wonderful cultural assets and it cannot be ignored. We must resurrect the value that Jamaica’s chocolate had in the past,” said the Minister.

The Jamaica Rum Festival is a two-day event, which is jointly staged by the Ministry of Tourism and the TEF, in collaboration with J. Wray and Nephew Limited’s Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum.

It aims to promote various ways in which rum can be utilized and enjoyed, boost Kingston’s tourism product and showcase Jamaica’s cultural excellence in food, beverage and music.

During the event, which started on February 29, patrons were exposed to the rum-making process, learned about the unique provenance of Jamaican rums and sampled a variety of blends. They also learned about ideal rum and food pairings, while enjoying entertainment from some of Jamaica’s finest musicians.

The Minister commended the organizers for another successful staging of the event and assured them that the Ministry will continue to offer its support.

“The Jamaica Rum Festival is a tourism product that we are going to make part of our marketing arrangements but we want to do more.

All the infrastructure required to make this festival into a stronger product will be put in place with the support of the Ministry, to make sure that every year we can go to the market and package this festival with rooms and with seats and bring the visitors to Jamaica to consume this critical asset,”  he said.

The Ministry, through the Tourism Enhancement Fund, provided $6 million towards the staging of this year’s festival, as part of its partnership with the festival organizers.

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

UNWTO Secretary to Headline Conference on Entrepreneurship, Resilience and Innovation

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili, will be the key speaker at the first ever UNWTO Global Summit on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Resilience Management, which is being hosted in Montego Bay in May.

The visit is Pololikashvili’s first to the region, since being appointed in 2017, following the recommendation of the 105th UNWTO Executive Council.

“We look forward to welcoming him to the Caribbean and having him here for the conference, which will bring together global thought leaders in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation and resilience,” said Minister Bartlett.

The UNWTO Global Summit on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Resilience Management will be held on May 28 and coincides with the 65th Meeting of the Regional Commission for the Americas (CAM) on May 29. Both key events will be held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

The Regional Commissions meet once a year to allow Member States to maintain ‎contact with each other and with the UNWTO Secretariat between sessions of the bi-annual General ‎Assembly.

Jamaica currently chairs the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Regional Commission for the Americas (CAM) for the biennium 2019-2021.

Since 1975, Jamaica has served as vice-president of the General Assembly on five occasions over the period 1987 – 2011, and has been re-elected twice as a member of the Executive Council, serving as second vice-chair in 2012, first vice chair in 2013 and eventually serving as Chairman of the Executive Council for the period 2014-2015.

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

Tourism Workers’ Pension Act now in Effect

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Jamaica Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says the appointed date on which the Tourism Workers’ Pension Act came into operation was January 31, 2020, with registration for the scheme to begin soon.

Speaking at a press conference at the Ministry of Tourism’s New Kingston offices earlier today, the Tourism Minister said, “This gazetted date sets the stage for the Board of Trustees to conclude the arrangements with the fund manager and the fund administrator.

The framework for the development of regulations is now underway and I am hoping to take this to Parliament tomorrow, but if not, certainly within the first few sittings within the new parliamentary year. ”

The long-awaited Tourism Workers’ Pensions scheme is designed to cover all workers ages 18-59 years in the tourism sector, whether permanent, contract or self-employed.  This includes hotel workers as well as persons employed in related industries, such as craft vendors, tour operators, red cap porters, contract carriage operators and workers at attractions.

The Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme will receive $1 billion in funding from the Ministry of Tourism, to augment the pool of funds. The Augmented Pension Beneficiaries will be persons who joined the Scheme at 59 years old. With the Ministry’s injection of funds, these persons will qualify for a minimum pension.

He added that, “The regulations will allow for 180 days period for the Augmented Pensions Beneficiaries. After we have designated that, those people will have the opportunity to register. Once they have registered, they will be on and the programme begins with earnest with the ordinary members.”

The pension scheme will see persons contributing an initial 3% of their income for the first three years and then 5% after that – this contribution is then matched by the employer. However, employees have the option of giving up to 15% of their salaries over time.

As part of the Ministry’s awareness efforts, Tourism Workers Pension Sensitizations Sessions will continue this week for The Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & Spa, Sangster International Airport, Secrets Montego Bay and Excellence Oyster Bay and Portland on February 27.

The distribution of the fund will be done in tranches, with the first disbursement taking place within this financial year (before the end of March 2020). A formal presentation will be made at a later date.

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

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

Tourism Demand Study shows need for J$391.6 Billion in Agricultural and Manufacturing Goods, says Bartlett

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says data from a recent demand study shows the need for J$391.6 Billion in goods from the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. The break-out shows a demand for goods of J$352 Billion for manufacturing and J$39.6 Billion for agriculture.

The tourism demand study was designed to identify the existing/potential demand in the tourism sector for goods and services across local sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and entertainment. The study is done through the Ministry’s Tourism Linkages Council.

Minister Bartlett, who officially handed over the demand study to President of the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) Richard Pandohie, said, “The purpose of the study is to help guide our decisions as it relates to the consumption patterns of our visitors and these figures show a very high demand for products in agriculture and manufacturing.

We want our local tourism suppliers to provide these inputs in agriculture and manufacturing so that we reduce the leakage of our earnings.”

Mr. Pandohie, who accepted the demand study, also highlighted the need to have more inputs supplied locally to reduce the leakage within tourism.

Through the Tourism Linkages Network, the Ministry of Tourism has been strengthening linkages with other sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and entertainment to build the capacity of local suppliers to meet the growing demands within tourism.

“What these figures indicate is that there are many opportunities for increased linkages with local suppliers to facilitate import substitution in producing various items. The aim of the Ministry of Tourism is to foster more purchasing of local goods and services, which will reduce the imports and help to plug the leakages from importation,” said Minister Bartlett.

The study found specifically that the significant increase in hotel constructions across the island has influenced the demand for manufactured products needed to furnish these establishments.

The study also highlighted that mainly local producers were satisfying the demand for goods and services in the tourism sector, but that importation also constituted a reasonable proportion of expenditure on certain items.

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

Tourism Ministry to Spend More on Marketing Carnival in Jamaica

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that his Ministry will be increasing investment in developing Carnival in Jamaica as a tourism product, which will be marketed to destinations across the globe.

Speaking yesterday at the launch of Carnival in Jamaica, at the AC Hotel in Kingston, the Minister said, “The Tourism Linkages Network will continue to support Carnival in Jamaica. We are committed to spend more on it, not for events, but to build the product because that is what will be sustainable and lasting.”

He added that, “Events are good, but you cannot market and package events in the same way you can with a product. In tourism, we drive and market products. We package these products as a combination of rooms, air seats and the experience.”

The marketing efforts for last year’s event proved effective, with data from the Jamaica Tourist Board showing that visitor arrivals through Norman Manley International Airport for the respective Easter/Carnival periods between 2018 and 2019 increased by 11.5% from 9,881 to 11,014 visitors.

Additionally, in the few days leading up to the culmination of Carnival in Jamaica, there was an increase in visitor arrivals from NMIA in 2019 of 18.4% over 2018’s Carnival lead up.

For an average of five nights, visitors also spent approximately US$240 per person per night; up from US$236 in 2018.

“Carnival was re-energised in 2017 with one intention in mind – to create a carnival product so that we can market it… This building out of the product will create an economic arrangement that will generate jobs and employment for hundreds of people, which is the bottom line for prosperity from carnival,” said the Minister.

The data highlighted that Carnival in Jamaica, resulted in an increase in economic activity in a myriad of subsectors, such as entertainment and the creative industries, attractions, ground transportation, auto rentals, catering, media, and retail. 

Thirty-three percent of carnival participants visited an attraction, 49% dined out, and 47% participated in nightlife activities.

Kingston hotels were booked to capacity with 30% of carnival patrons staying in hotels. Airbnb was also a beneficiary with 28% opting for homestays and the remainder staying in private homes, villas, guesthouses and apartments.

“We are marketing Jamaica as a destination for music, entertainment, food, and most importantly – for love. That combination now makes Jamaica, the heartbeat of the world. You will hear more about that as we move on, in terms of our marketing arrangements across the globe,” said the Minister. 

He further explained that, “This marketing drive has become a critical component of the architecture and the arrangements that we are making for disseminating ideas and information about Jamaica. This is very important to us because we are looking forward to building the city of Kingston, as the entertainment sector of the Caribbean.

In doing so, we are not competing with Trinidad or other destinations. We are creating something that is authentic, opinionated – something that people would come to Jamaica to experience and to consume and go nowhere else to get.”

Carnival in Jamaica was launched in 2017 and is used as the umbrella brand for all carnival activities, during the carnival period, making it a national product. This is an annual undertaking, which aims to transform the carnival experience locally. It is a key initiative of the Tourism Linkages Network with support from the Jamaica Tourist Board and key stakeholders.

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

Jamaica Rum Festival to be Marketed as Tourism Product

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has announced that the Jamaica Rum Festival (JRF) will be packaged and marketed as a tourism product and sold to potential visitors to the island.

Speaking at the launch of the festival at Devon House last evening, Minister Bartlett said: “We want the rum festival to be a product, not just an event. So, we want to, through the Jamaica Tourist Board, package it with rooms and with seats and bring the visitors to Jamaica to consume this critical asset that is from the heart and soul of the Jamaican people.”

The JRF covers an exploration of Jamaican rum; how it is made; the varying types and how best to enjoy it.

Globally, millions of people travel annually to attend various types of festivals, which have become a niche that destinations can capitalize on to boost arrivals and earnings.  Last year, the JRF attracted 6000 patrons.

Minister Bartlett said: “In marketing the festival as a product, I am building out the capacity to retain the earnings from the tourism industry. In 2016, we were retaining only 30 cents on the dollar.

“Today because of the networks and the various new and opinionated attractions that we are putting together in Jamaica plus the increase in rooms and airlift, we now retain 40.8 cents on the dollar, which is an increase of 30 percent, the highest in the Caribbean.”

The Ministry’s Tourism Linkages Network continues to strengthen the links between tourism and other economic sectors to increase consumption of local goods and services, diversify the tourism product and retain more of the country’s foreign exchange earnings.

“We are committed to creating a tourism that is reimagined that provides the most authentic Jamaican experiences for our visitors. In doing that, we will allow our small suppliers to earn more from the value chain of the sector by providing their creativity and passion,” added the Minister.

More news about Jamaica.

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

Plans in High Gear for UNWTO Conference on Resilience and Innovation

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Jamaica Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says plans are in high gear for Jamaica to host the first ever UNWTO  (United Nations World Tourism Organization) Summit on Innovation and Resilience Management, in Montego Bay this May.

“Jamaica has been selected as the venue for the first ever Global Summit on Innovation and Resilience Management. This is very important for us as a destination because the discussions on resilience have become the new reality within tourism and by extension the global space. It is resilience that will give us the capacity to respond to the global disruptions that are coming daily,” said Minister Bartlett.

The two-day UNWTO Global Summit on Innovation and Resilience Management begins on May 28 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre and coincides with the 65th Meeting of the Regional Commission for the Americas (CAM), of which Jamaica is currently the Chair.

“This conference is going to look very seriously at models [of resilience building] and get best practices from different countries on how ideas have been coming together to build capacity and help us in the Caribbean in terms of dealing with these seismic events that are now part of our reality,” he said.

He added that, “The other key part of it is innovation, which is at the heart of understanding how to add value to our process.  Adding value is what we are about… So start-ups will be a big part of this conference. We are going to be looking at examples of start-ups with the Caribbean.”

The Tourism Minister also stated that the conference is going to focus on how to create new and exciting experiences for the industry with key experts from across the globe sharing how they think the future of tourism is going to be constructed.

“We have to get a better understanding overall about how the future of tourism is going to be constructed and this conference will seek to look into that. Change creates a level of uncertainty unless you have knowledge and you are able to be guided by analytics. This is what we are about… We are building the capacity to be able to project better, to respond faster and to be nimble and adaptive,” said Minister Bartlett.

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