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Strong support for Jamaica Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme

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In anticipation of passing its final hurdle in the Senate, the Jamaica Ministry of Tourism has embarked on another round of awareness and sensitization sessions to get workers signed onto the Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme.

The scheme has already received parliamentary approval and is expected to get the Senate’s seal of approval after inclusion of a number of recommendations from that body. It will then go to the Governor General for his assent after which regulations will be drafted for the plan to be rolled out in January 2020.


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Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, joined by Chair of Pension Scheme Oversight Committee, Hon. Daisy Coke, sold the scheme to a representative gathering of various tourism stakeholders from the Ocho Rios area Wednesday, July 17, at the Anglican Church Hall.

Describing it as a defined contractual scheme, Mrs. Coke said for the first three years of its operation, employees will contribute 3 percent of their salary, matched by 3 percent from their employers. Thereafter, the rate will be increased to 5 percent. Self-employed persons will also be subjected to the 3 and 5 percent but will not have the benefit of a matching amount.

Minister Bartlett underscored the importance of getting more from the tourism industry by developing the capacity to be able to contribute better, more efficiently “and more fulfilling to ourselves because when we work we’re working just for the employer, we’re not working to boost productivity that will enhance the bottom line of some government; we’re working also for self-satisfaction.”

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett outlines the importance of the Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme to a representative gathering of workers from various sectors of the industry, at an awareness and sensitization session, held at the Anglican Church Hall in Ocho Rios on Wednesday, July 17, 2019. Seated to his right is Chair of the Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme Oversight Committee, noted actuary, Hon Daisy Coke.

He said it was also important for workers to feel happy about what they do and having security of tenure, being remunerated appropriately and knowing that there was a social security arrangement with a social security net awaiting them after working very hard, would engender that happiness.

According to Mr, Bartlett, “the potential size of this Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme is going to be of a magnitude that Jamaica has never seen.” He said it was eight years in the making and was the first of its kind in the world.

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With the ongoing expansion of the industry providing increased employment, Minister Bartlett stressed the importance of human capital development and training as the number one priority to improve the quality of what is being offered as the product and create an opinionated experience for visitors who will want to return and improve the 42 percent repeat business that the country now enjoys.

With the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program already in place through 33 high schools offering an associate degree in hotel management; the Tourism Product Development Company’s TEAM Jamaica sensitizing to what the industry is all about; HEART NTA measuring and building competence; and the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation offering on-the-job certification at various levels, he said the next step would be to have tertiary level training.

“The next level now for us is tertiary and post graduate qualification because our industry is one that is changing every day; it’s a new tourism that is emerging where technology is going to play a far more important role in the delivery of the experiences and services of the industry,” said Minister Bartlett, adding that “more and more hotels are going to become automated so that is going to have implications for the lower level employees in the sector. Our job therefore is to make sure that we are preparing the next workforce to be ITT competent and to be able to operate well within this post-industrial revolution.”

Starting October, a partnership will begin with the University of the West Indies to establish a graduate program in tourism that opens the door for persons to work through the system, write a thesis and obtain a Master of Science in Tourism. Minister Bartlett said utilizing data, “we are going to find new ways of doing the same things that we have done over the years but better ways that are more efficient, more cost effective and offer more value.”

MEDIA CONTACT:

Corporate Communications Division

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Tel: (876) 920-4926-30

African Tourism Board: The Need for Greater Industry Synergy in West Africa

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The 2019 IATA’s Regional Aviation Forum is being held at the Marriott Hotel in Accra, Ghana. On Tuesday Alain St.Ange, President of the African Tourism Board and the former Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine Minister of Seychelles will be moderating a session titled “West and Central Africa as Preferred Tourism Destination: The Need for Greater Industry Synergy”. Participants at the  African Tourism Board session include the Hon. Barbara Oteng Gyasi, Minister of Tourism and Creative Arts, Ghana; Hon. M. Siandou Fofana, Minister of Tourism, Cote D’Ivoire  ; Ms. Gloria Yirenkyi, Country Manager, South African Airways; Bankole Bernard, President, National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents; Mr. Ikechi Uko, Publisher, Africa Travel Quarterly; Mr. Sean Mendis, Chief Operations Officer, Africa World Airline.

Under the theme “Aviation: Business for Regional Prosperity”, this high-caliber IATA event is bringing together distinguished aviation decision makers and influencers, representing Governments, regulatory agencies, airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, tourism organizations, international and regional organizations, aviation suppliers and aircraft manufacturers from Africa, the Middle East and globally.

Ghana Minister of Aviation, Honourable Joseph Kofi Adda and IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa & Middle East, Muhammad Ali Albakri, together with other senior IATA executives and aviation industry experts are hosting the event in this West African Country.

The African Tourism Board currently is taking lead as the fastest growing travel and tourism organization on the continent. Founded in 2018, the African Tourism Board an association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to the African region.

ATB President St. Ange told Africa on Africa day on May 25, that  African Tourism Board is ready to unite Africa through tourism.

Information on membership in the African Tourism Board can be found at www.africantourismboard.com/join 

MEDIA CONTACT: TravelMarketingNetwork, 954 Lexington Ave. #1037, New York, NY 10021 USA, PH: (+1) 718-374-6816, marketing@travelmarketingnetwork.com   

IMEX in Frankfurt’s five steps to igniting imagination and powering up business results

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IMEX in Frankfurt returns on 21-23 May, bringing together business event professionals from around the world to meet and do business. Planners and exhibitors alike can also tap into the rich thread of imagination ideas and activations running through the show, forming IMEX’s Talking Point for 2019. Here are five ways attendees can ignite their imaginations and power up their business results at IMEX in Frankfurt next week:

1. Collaborate and co-create – IMEX is always the living embodiment of the phrase: ‘Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.’ This year planners can network and learn with their peers at one of the many events designed for specific audiences in the meetings and business events industry: Exclusively Corporate, Association Day, Agency Directors Forum.

The Policy Forum brings policymakers together with influential industry leaders to engage national and local governments in the advancement of our industry. This year’s red hot theme: Placemaking.

2. Think and act inclusively – Gender equality, female empowerment and diversity are the focus of She Means Business, a conference created in partnership with tw tagungswirtschaft celebrating the role of women in business and events. Anne Kjaer Riechert, Co-founder & Managing Director, ReDI School of Digital Integration, will deliver the keynote (open to all EduMonday attendees) and senior executives from organisations – including PWC, Deutsche Bank and Lufthansa HR Management, Eurometropole de Strasbourg, Rwanda Convention and Melbourne Convention – are among the speakers.

Diversity and inclusion sessions and speakers are also woven throughout the four-day IMEX education program. New for 2019 is PCMA’s #Iamremarkable workshop on EduMonday. Designed to tackle ‘gender-related modesty norms and glass ceilings’ and led by a team from Google, it will empower everyone taking part to speak openly about their accomplishments, in the workplace and beyond.

Not forgetting the industry leaders and innovators of the future, the IMEX-MPI-MCI Future Leaders Forum brings together budding business event professionals to gain expert insight into the meetings industry, learning from and connecting with inspirational industry experts and fellow students.

3. Become more sustainable – Keep a look out for the Imagination Wall in the new Discovery Zone (Hall 9), showcasing innovations in sustainability, the IMEX team’s favorite ‘green’ household products and examples of the green products and materials used at IMEX shows. Attendees can also be inspired by huge strides in environmentally friendly practices – exhibitors who’ve signed up to IMEX’s new Sustainability Pledge, plus nominees for the IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability Award.

“Imagine you could change the world, your country or your city with just one wish. Tell us what it would be?” Attendees are challenged to become change-makers by answering this call and pinning their wishes on the Wishing Tree, found in leafy Central Park, part of the Hall 9 Discovery Zone.

4. Unleash creativity – The sights – and smells! – of the new Discovery Zone are designed to prompt planners to question the conventional and explore fresh approaches to business meetings and events, with a strong emphasis on ‘experiential’. Expect fire-infused magic tricks, Painting Parties, holograms, dancing robots and a piano… played using your feet. Parts of the show are also infused with a new IMEX scent, designed to uplift and inspire.

EduMonday on May 20 at Kap Europa will showcase its own mini ‘Imagination Zone’, where attendees can tap into their artistic streak at a painting party or unleash some fancy moves at a silent disco to close out the day.

Many of the learning sessions at the Inspiration Hub – the show’s learning powerhouse – focus on the topic of imagination and creativity, offering a wide range of insights delivered by experts from both within and outside the global business events industry.

5. Understand the power of technology – Technology can help to drive innovation but many planners question ‘where do I begin?’ Participating in one of the technology-driven learning sessions or visiting one of the many event tech suppliers is a good place to start. Practical applications of event tech, diversity and a firm focus on future thinking all form part of a packed program of sessions at The ZEUS Innovators Club in Hall 9. New for this year is the Red Lab, where experts from outside the events sector will deliver fresh perspectives on topics such as ‘Incorporating VR, AR and AI into learning’, ‘Virtual screens and the future of workplace design’, ‘How can data transform the event industry?’ and ‘Are service robots an answer to the challenges in the meetings industry?’.

At the dedicated technology area on the show floor in Hall 8, planners can meet suppliers, experience the latest innovations and gain valuable advice – The Meeting Pool returns to head up the TECHknowledge area of the show floor, offering bite-size tech tutorials on topics including how to boost personal and professional productivity, and how technology can drive sustainability.

IMEX in Frankfurt takes place 21-23 May 2019.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Emma Ward, emma.ward@imexexhibitions.com ; Chris Lewis, chris.lewis@imexexhibitions.com

IMEX partners with Simpleview and SearchWide Global

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The IMEX Group has teamed up with two US-based organizations – Simpleview and SearchWide Global – collaborating with them as Industry Partners.

As part of its aim to ‘help everyone in the global meetings industry to make the connections that matter’, IMEX has created the Industry Partner accreditation to support companies who want to invest in the business events industry.

Both Simpleview and SearchWide Global have major plans to grow their companies and both want to expand further into Europe, having already opened sites in the UK.

Simpleview is a leading provider of DMS, CMS, website design, digital marketing, revenue generation and mobile technologies for the travel and tourism industry. It has recently opened an office in Liverpool alongside existing offices in Mexico City, Mexico; Oslo, Norway; and Vancouver, Canada plus its headquarters in Tucson, Arizona.

“Through our formalised partnership, IMEX enables us to provide global thought leadership in the industry. As a truly international organisation, we can bring together destinations from all over the world, giving them access to a wider range of experience and best practices within the tourism industry. The IMEX shows also provide a great opportunity for us to touch base with our clients and develop business through the relationships we have been building,” comments Richard Reasons, president at Simpleview.

SearchWide Global is a full service executive recruitment firm primarily for companies in the travel, tourism, hospitality, convention, trade association, venue management, experiential marketing, and sports and entertainment industries. As part of its European expansion, the company has plans to open an office in London to help its clients fulfil their global recruitment needs.

Mike Gamble, CEO of SearchWide Global, says: “Being at IMEX in Frankfurt for the first time this year will allow us to showcase our brand in Europe. It’s a valuable opportunity to meet new people and catch up with industry colleagues.”

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, concludes: “Our wider remit is to support companies who want to invest in and expand in the business events industry and our new Industry Partner category allows us to do just that, giving companies a platform to showcase their services to planners outside of exhibiting at the show. We work closely with our partners to create an environment at the show for businesses to learn from other industry organisations and provide an opportunity for them to work together off the show floor.”

MEDIA CONTACTS: Emma Ward, emma.ward@imexexhibitions.com ; Chris Lewis, chris.lewis@imexexhibitions.com

Minister Bartlett extends condolences to the family of Pishu Chandiram

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Jamaica Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett has expressed deep regret at the passing of tourism and in-bond trade stalwart, Pishu Chandiram.

“I was very saddened to learn about the passing of Pishu Chandiram. I offer my sincere condolences to the Chandiram family and the staff of Bijoux. We will never forget his kindness and invaluable contributions. I pray that the love of those around you provide comfort and peace during this period of grief,” said Minister Bartlett.

Pishu Chandiram grew up in the family business, K Chandiram Limited in Kingston and started his work life in 1951 after graduating from St. Georges College. With the coming together of in-bond merchants in Montego Bay to construct Shoppes of Rose Hall, in 2007 he joined the group and opened Bijoux’s signature store in that centre. 

Today, Bijoux also operates from the Falmouth Cruise Ship Pier, Island Village in Ocho Rios and in Kingston.

He was also among some 56 awardees of the inaugural Golden Tourism Day Ball, held last December, honouring those who have provided at least 50 years of service in the tourism industry. The gala event was organized by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and the Ministry of Tourism, and will become an annual event that honours industry stalwarts.

“I am so happy we had the opportunity to recently honour Mr. Chandiram  for his commitment to the tourism industry and in particular the in-bond trade for 67 years. His speech that evening was extremely moving, as it showed his commitment to the industry and the passion he had for nation building. May God give him eternal rest and I am certain his legacy will live on for years to come,” said Minister Bartlett.

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