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Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism cites Sandals Resorts as good corporate citizens

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Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett has hailed Sandals Resorts as a prime example of indigenous companies in the tourism sector that are taking their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to new heights, ensuring that the positive impact of tourism is reaching all corners of our communities. The Minister was speaking in New York City on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 as part of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) North America Leaders Forum panel: From Doing CSR to Being CSR.

Mr. Bartlett noted that in an effort to modify the perception that the tourism sector is too focused on the narrowed economic interest of a few and lacks a social conscience, stakeholders such as Sandals Resorts have been a leader and has been working with communities that surround their hotels for four decades. “To solidify and deepen that impact, Sandals launched its Foundation some ten years ago to expand that impact and today the value of their CSR programmes across the Caribbean stands over US$58 million, impacting over 850,000 people’s lives,” noted the Tourism Minister.


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Minister Bartlett believes that the locally owned hotel chain has not just been doing CSR but being CSR. “Sandals shares the story of the Caribbean, our culture, heritage, struggles and resilience of our people with every traveler to this region, encouraging them to donate cash and in-kind, providing them with strategic volunteer opportunities while on vacation through its Pack-for-a Purpose and Reading Road Trips programmes,” stated the Minister.

During his remarks, the Tourism Minister sought to highlight a number of sustainable projects with direct linkages to the industry on which Sandals Resorts is focused. Among them, the Artisan Project, a partnership with the Development Bank of Jamaica through the World Bank Fund to upgrade the market-readiness of local artisan suppliers, building their capacity not just for local markets, but for international markets as well.

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Another critical area for Sandals Resorts is the environment. “Sandals and the Sandals Foundation have continued to prioritize the environment with all their hotels being Earth Check Certified engaging both guests and team members in best practices to ensure everyone works together to protect the Caribbean’s natural resources,” noted Bartlett.

In citing Sandals Resorts as a CSR case study, he had high praises for the Foundation and its executive team which has projected that it will spend US$1.5 million annually on education, environmental sustainability and community driven programmes across all islands.

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

Jamaica to host first ever global Tourism Innovation Resilience and Crisis Management Summit in 2020

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Jamaica Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that Jamaica will be hosting an international conference on Tourism Innovation Resilience and Crisis Management next year in Montego Bay.

The Minister made the announcement today during the 64th meeting of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Regional Commission for the Americas (CAM), in Guatemala, where Jamaica was also recently elected as the chair for the biennium 2019-2021.

“We were able to have the support of the entire Commission and of course the Secretary General of the UNWTO [Zurab Pololikashvili], to host the first ever Global Tourism Innovation Resilience and Crisis Management Summit, to be held next year in Montego Bay. Jamaica will also host the 2020 meeting of the Americas,” said the Minister.

He continued by sharing that, “this effort back to back will position Jamaica, not only as the central global reference for innovation, resilience and crisis management but also will be the focus of entire Americas in terms of the deliberations of CAM.”

In 2017 Jamaica hosted the first ever Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Government of Jamaica, the World Bank Group and the Inter-American Development Bank, aimed to set a new collaborative framework for tourism moving towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

Earlier this year, Jamaica also hosted the first ever conference on Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs).

“We have been on this mission for a while – and are leading the path for global resilience. We have hosted successful global conferences, and of course, Jamaica provided the only and first ever, Global Centre on Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management. All these are very important Global achievements for tourism in Jamaica and emphasises thought leadership we are giving to the world of tourism,” said the Minister.

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. 

While in Guatemala, the Minister and his delegation will also participate in the International Seminar on Destination Management, which is taking place under the theme ‘New Challenges, New Solutions.’

The Seminar will discuss current challenges and opportunities facing destination management at national and local levels, including the changing role of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) and the development of smart destinations.

The Minister is accompanied by Miss Kerry Chambers, Senior Director, Policy and Monitoring who will provide technical support. The team will return to the island on May 18, 2019.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Corporate Communications Division

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Tel: (876) 920-4926-30

Fax: (876) 906 1729

Jamaica successful in bid to chair UNWTO’s Regional Commission for the Americas

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Jamaica was yesterday selected to chair the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Regional Commission for the Americas (CAM) for the biennium 2019-2021.

“Jamaica graciously accepts the position of Chairman for the Regional Commission of the Americas and thanks the members for the confidence which has been demonstrated. This is the first time in our history that anyone in the Caribbean has been appointed Chairman of this commission,” said the Minister.

The elections for the Chairmanship of CAM were held during the organization’s 64th Meeting in Guatemala.

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, 1st Vice Chair in 2013 and eventually serving as Chairman of the Executive Council for the period 2014-2015.

In his acceptance speech, the Minister shared that “Jamaica firmly believes that the tourism sector is one that should always be guided by sound policies and has over the years worked assiduously to ensure that this is achieved at both the domestic and international levels.

Jamaica also underscores it commitment to enhancing the capacity of the Americas to plan for and manage a range of global shocks and disruptions that can be destabilizing to the tourism sector.”

He then invited the participation of member countries in the ‘first of its kind’ Global Resilience and Crisis Management Centre which is based at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica.

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.

While in Guatemala, the Minister and his delegation will also participate in the International Seminar on Destination Management, which is taking place under the theme ‘New Challenges, New Solutions.’

The Seminar will discuss current challenges and opportunities facing destination management at national and local levels, including the changing role of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) and the development of smart destinations.

The Minister is accompanied by Miss Kerry Chambers, Senior Director, Policy and Monitoring who will provide technical support. The team will return to the island on May 18, 2019.

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

Bartlett to Lobby for Jamaica to Chair the UNWTOs Regional Commission for the Americas

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, departs the island today, to attend the 64th Meeting of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Regional Commission for the Americas (CAM) in Guatemala City – La Antigua, Guatemala. While there, he is expected to present Jamaica’s candidature for the chairmanship of CAM to the UNWTO for the biennium 2019-2021.

“I am very excited to represent our great nation at the 64th meeting of the CAM. We are very hopeful that our presentation will be well received and that Jamaica will be able to chair the commission,” said the Minister.

The elections for the Chairmanship of CAM will be held at the 64th Meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Americas, in Guatemala during the period May 15 – 17, 2019.

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. 

Minister Bartlett’s presence at the CAM is critical, as Jamaica is one of the four English speaking Caribbean Member States of the UNWTO.  The country also occupies one of the five (5) seats allocated to the CAM on the Executive Council of the UNWTO for the period 2018 – 2021. 

While in Guatemala, the Minister and his delegation will also participate in the International Seminar on Destination Management, which is taking place under the theme ‘New Challenges, New Solutions.’

The Seminar will discuss current challenges and opportunities facing destination management at national and local levels, including the changing role of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) and the development of smart destinations.

Minister Bartlett will also present the programme areas of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre for the year.

“The Centre, which I am pleased to say will be opening later this year, is focusing on four key deliverables at this time. One is the establishment of an academic journal, which will be a compendium of scholarly publications, on various elements of the five segments of disruptions. The editorial board has been established, headed by Professor Lee Miles of Bournemouth University, with the assistance of George Washington University,” said Minister Bartlett.

The other deliverables include: a compendium of best practices/ a blueprint for resilience; a resilience barometer to measure the resilience in countries and provide benchmarks to guide countries; and to establish an academic chair at the University of West Indies for innovation and resilience.

The Minister is accompanied by Miss Kerry Chambers, Senior Director, Policy and Monitoring who will provide technical support. The team will return to the island on May 18, 2019.

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

Jamaica Tourism Workers’ Pension Bill to be debated May 21

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The long-awaited Jamaica Tourism Workers’ Pension Bill is one step closer to becoming a reality. This as Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the pension bill will be debated on May 21.

The Bill, which was tabled in the House of Representatives on April 30, when passed, will establish a defined pension scheme for tourism workers and self-employed tourism workers to be known as the Tourism Workers Pension Scheme, from which is to be paid retirement benefits in respect of each member and ancillary benefits for beneficiaries.

“After we have completed the debate, the bill will go to the Senate and the Governor General puts his assent on it, everybody who works in the sector, no matter the category or contract period, will have an equal opportunity to become a member of this pension plan.

When our workers become eligible at sixty-five, they will have a minimum pension of two hundred thousand dollars,” said Minister Bartlett.

The new pension bill will start with an endowment of $1 billion from the Ministry of Tourism, which will be paid in installments and will ensure that immediate benefits accrue to qualified pensioners who have met the vested period of five years.

“I am truly pleased that my ministry is one step closer to establishing a bill that will be a game changer for the sector. For so long, our workers have dedicated their lives to improving the sector without any social security at the end of their tenure and this bill will change that,” added Minister Bartlett.

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