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Bartlett: Tourism driving economic growth through events and experiential activities

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Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says Jamaica’s tourism industry has benefitted tremendously from the recent staging of mega culinary and entertainment festivals.

In the month of March, Jamaica hosted its second annual Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival, the inaugural Jamaica Rum Festival as well as the much-anticipated Buju Banton Long Walk to Freedom concert. Each event saw thousands of patrons, with many visiting from overseas.

“I am very happy to announce that tourism arrivals have been impacted positively in March, from these mega-festivals. They provided an opportunity for us to broaden the market by bringing more people to the destination to meet a variety of passion points which embody the very best of our food, culture and music,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Minister also noted that preliminary figures indicate that arrivals for Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport, last Friday, ahead of Buju Banton’s Long Walk to Freedom concert, show that 2,434 foreign nationals visited. This represents a 143% increase over the same period last year.

The data from the Jamaica Tourist Board also shows that 7,389 foreign nationals arrived into Montego Bay on Friday, which is a 58% increase over the same day last year.

“The arrivals over the weekend have been very strong and as an industry we are ecstatic. Our focus on our core tourist arrivals remains on strong footing from our key source markets. Since the start of the year, as at yesterday we have receive 72,999 more visitors than last year overt the same period,” said the Minister.

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Ashanti, Keyshia Cole, Ja Rule to headline 2019 St. Maarten Carnival

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Music legends Ashanti, Keyshia Cole, and Ja Rule will be headlining a concert at the 50th Anniversary of St. Maarten Carnival. On April 25, the three globally renowned musicians will take the stage at the Soulful Company concert. Presented by the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF), the concert promises to provide a night of “smooth groovin’ and boppin’.”

2019 marks the 50th anniversary of St. Maarten Carnival. Festivities will officially take place from April 20 to May 7, with pre-Carnival activities kicking off on March 16. At 33 days in overall length, St. Maarten Carnival is the longest carnival in the Caribbean.

“We’re so excited to welcome Ashanti, Keyshia Cole, and Ja Rule to St. Maarten,” stated the Director of Tourism of St. Maarten, Ms. May-Ling Chun. “To have these three artists, all who have impacted the international music scene on such a large scale, headline at the 50th anniversary of our renowned Carnival is a joy and an honor. We cannot wait to see the energy that they bring to the stage.”

The three headliners will also be joined by two of St. Maarten’s best young singers and their bands. Local talents Natisha Hanson and Kenyo Baly will accompany the headliners on stage, representing The Friendly Island at the second iteration of the Soulful Company concert.

“We have so many gifted musicians in St. Maarten, and to bring our island’s local musical talent together with these artists is sure to bring forth a unique, incredible concert,” said St. Maarten’s Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport, and Telecommunication, Stuart Johnson. What’s more, we look forward to the opportunities this collaboration will bring forth for these exceptional St. Maarteners, and can’t wait to see them showcase their musical gifts on the main stage.”

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WTTC: South Africa Africa’s largest Travel & Tourism economy in 2018

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Travel & Tourism in South Africa contributed 1.5 million jobs and ZAR425.8 billion to the economy in 2018, making it the largest tourism economy in Africa, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) annual review of the economic impact and social importance of the sector released today.

For over 25 years, WTTC, which represents the global private sector of Travel & Tourism, has compared the Travel & Tourism sector across 185 countries. The 2018 research shows that the South Africa Travel & Tourism sector:

• Contributed ZAR425.8 billion to the country’s economy – the largest of any country in Africa. This represents 8.6% of all economic activity in South Africa

• Generated 1.5 million jobs, or 9.2% of total employment

• Was primarily driven by leisure travelers: 64% of the travel economy was generated by leisure visitors and 36% from business travelers

• Is roughly balanced between international and domestic travel: 44% of the tourism spend came from international travelers and 56% from domestic travel

Commenting on the numbers, Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO said: “Travel & Tourism contributes more to the South Africa economy than in any other African country. In total our sector contributes ZAR425.8 billion and 1.5 million jobs which makes it a formidable part of the economy.

“South Africa has long grasped the potential of Travel & Tourism to drive economic growth, create jobs and promote social development and I would like to acknowledge the leadership of Minister of Tourism, H.E. Derek Hanekom. That is why we welcome President Ramaphosa’s ambition to double the number of people directly employed in T&T in South Africa.

“Looking to the future, I believe that Travel & Tourism is South Africa’s greatest resource and the country’s strategy for expansion which priorities regional integration, environment sustainability and putting the community at the heart of decisions will make for a successful combination.”

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Brand USA Board of Directors approves committee assignments

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On Wednesday, March 13, members of the Brand USA board of directors convened for a quarterly meeting in Washington, DC where they welcomed newly appointed and reappointed members and approved members to officiating positions and committees.

The confirmed committee assignments are as follows:

Finance Committee

Chair: Kyle Edmiston, deputy director/chief operations officer for Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau

Committee Members

• John Edman, director of Explore Minnesota
• Noel Irwin Hentschel, chairman and chief executive officer of AmericanTours International, LLC
• Mark Hoplamazian, president and chief executive officer of Hyatt Hotels Corporation
• Alice Norsworthy, chief marketing officer of Universal Parks & Resorts
• Barbara Richardson, chief of external relations of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro)

Conflict of Interest Committee

Chair: Tom O’Toole, senior fellow and clinical professor of marketing at the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University

Committee Members

• Andrew Greenfield, managing partner of the Washington, DC office of Fragomen
• Barbara Richardson

Audit Committee

Chair: Tom O’Toole

Committee Members

• Paul Brown, chief executive officer of Inspire Brands
• Noel Irwin Hentschel

Governance & Nominating Committee

Chair: Andrew Greenfield

Committee Members

• John Edman
• Mike Gallagher, co-chairman and co-founder of CityPASS

Marketing Committee

Chair: Alice Norsworthy

Committee Members

• Kristen Branscum, commissioner of Kentucky Department of Tourism
• Paul Brown
• Kyle Edmiston
• Mike Gallagher
• Noel Irwin Hentschel
• Tom O’Toole

Full recordings of the board meetings can be found here. For more information about the newly appointed members, please access the press announcement here. A complete list of the board of directors and their bios is available here. The next board meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 22, 2019.

Thank you to all staff, board members, partners, and stakeholders for their continued support.

Together, we are marketing the USA!

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