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Bartlett calls for Investment beyond Hotel Rooms

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Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has made a call for investment in the tourism industry to go beyond the development of hotel rooms and other infrastructure. Minister Bartlett made the call during his presentation on the opportunities for investment in travel and tourism development projects, Infrastructure and Services at the International Tourism and Investment Conference (ITIC) in London.

The ITIC is a global platform for policymakers, tourism ministers, investors and the tourism business community. It addresses the concerns and challenges facing destinations worldwide in areas such as capacity building, infrastructure, human capital, resources, safety and security.

“The tourism industry is rapidly changing with the onset of new technologies which are changing the way we do business. To keep apace of these changes to be able to meet the growing demands of the industry, our investment focus should be on building the capacity of the suppliers in the industry who are the main drivers of tourism,” said Minister Bartlett.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to Latin America and the Caribbean rose 8% to reach $151 billion, according to UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2018. For Jamaica, FDI flows accounted for USD 888 million.

“Small tourism players, which I refer to as Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs) are the backbone of the industry. It is through their creativity we have been able to tap into the passion points of our visitors whether through food or entertainment, to give authentic experiences to our visitors.

“Building their capacity will build their ability to be even more creative to enhance our tourism offerings,” added Minister Bartlett.

Through the Tourism Enhancement Fund, SMTEs in Jamaica have access to a J$1 billion revolving loan program that is administered through the EXIM Bank. In total, since its inception, as at last month, September 2019, TEF has disbursed more than $868 million in loan funds to 367 borrowers.

Over the 2-day period, Minister Bartlett participated in two panel discussions titled, ‘Opportunities for Investment in Travel and Tourism Development Projects, Infrastructure and Services,’ and ‘Climate Change and Tourism Resilience Management.’

Other panelists include senior officials such as Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary of Tourism and Wildlife, Hon. Najib Balala EGH; Malta’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Konrad Mizzi; and Chairman of ITIC/ former United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary-General, Dr. Taleb Rifai.

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

Global Tourism Resilience Centre provides relief for Bahamas

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett today handed over US$50 thousand to Director General of the Bahamas Tourism and Aviation Ministry, Mrs. Joy Jibrilu at the second Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCM) Board of Governors Meeting in London today.

The money forms part of the overall relief fund established by the GTRCM to support tourism-ravaged economies impacted by disruptions such as natural disasters and pandemics.

Hurricane Dorian, a Category 5 storm, hit the Bahamas last month as one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes to make landfall. The storm caused widespread flooding and destruction.

“This donation symbolizes the Centre’s commitment to assisting tourism-dependent states that are vulnerable to disruptions to recover and rebound. Two islands of the Bahamas suffered much damage from the passage of hurricane Dorian and still needs support to rebuild and this contribution will go towards that,” said Minister Bartlett.

In collaboration with the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), the GTRCM is providing US$100,000 in support of the tourism ravaged economies of the Bahamas and other areas in the Caribbean that may be impacted in the future. The JHTA has contributed US$20,000 to assist in relief efforts through the United Nations World Tourism Organization and the GTRCM.

In accepting the donation, Director General, Mrs. Jibrilu said “On behalf of the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation and Government of the Bahamas, I am pleased to accept this contribution which will help with our recovery and rebuilding efforts. This show of support is deeply appreciated and shows the importance of collaboration on issues of disaster and crisis management.”

The fund will also go towards the commissioning of a baseline study to assess the vulnerabilities of the Caribbean to major disruptions such as hurricanes, pandemics and epidemics and building capacity to deal with them.

“Global trends show that given the dynamic and devastating nature of these disruptions, building resilience to predict, manage and recover from these disruptions has become even more critical and that is what the GTRCM has been established to do,” added Minister Bartlett.

The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre’s mission includes assisting global tourism destinations with destination preparedness, management, and recovery from disruptions and/or crises that affect tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally.

Read more news about Jamaica here.

Bartlett to attend UNWTO General Assembly in Russia

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett departs the island tomorrow to participate in the 23rd Session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) General Assembly in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

During his visit, the Minister will discuss plans for Jamaica to host the UNWTO Regional Commission of the Americas (CAM) meeting as well as a Global Conference on Innovation, Resilience and Crisis Management, in May or June of 2020.

Jamaica was successful in its bid for the Chairmanship of the UNWTO Regional Commission of the Americas (CAM) for the biennium 2019 – 2021. 

“Jamaica is very excited to host members of the CAM for this very important meeting next year. We are also very pleased that it will give fellow members an opportunity to learn more about our Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, which will play host to this meeting,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, which is located at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, is dedicated to assisting with preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods.

The Minister also shared that he will use his visit in Russia to lobby for more support for Bahamas, immediate past chair of the UNWTO Regional Commission of the Americas, following the damage caused by the passing of hurricane Dorian.

“While in Russia I will be presenting the case overall for further collaboration with the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre in relation to dealing with Caribbean vulnerabilities. In the process, I will be supporting the Bahamas in their own recovery efforts.

I will be partnering with Minister of Tourism for the Bahamas, Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar, to ensure that a full appreciation for the extent of the damage in the area, and the extent of support that is required is realised by all of the partners,” said the Minister.

All 156-member states are expected to be in attendance in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation for the General Assembly, which is the supreme organ of the UNWTO.  Its ordinary sessions are held every two years and are attended by delegates of the Full and Associate Members.

The General Assembly is the most important meeting of senior tourism officials and high-level representatives of the private sector from all over the world. It is the principal gathering of the UNWTO and meets to approve the budget and programme of work and to debate ‎topics of vital importance to the tourism sector.

Minister Bartlett is expected return to the island on September 14, 2019.

Media Contact:

Corporate Communications

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Tel: (876) 920-4926-30

Fax: (876) 906 1729

Bartlett meets with Embassy officials regarding Security Audit Report

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Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, today met with key Embassy officials to discuss the recent security audit report. The Embassy officials, which included representatives from the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, were updated by Minister Bartlett on the sector’s strategic plans to create a new architecture for security and next steps.

“The meeting was critical as we engaged key stakeholders from our major source markets on the next steps to ensuring safety, security and seamlessness within the sector. They were informed that these next steps include the recent appointment of a new director of Visitor Safety and Experience, Major Dave Walker, an experienced security expert, who will further review this initial report and provide recommendations.”

The meeting also included a technical team from the Ministry and its agencies: the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), which led the island wide security audit and the Tourism Enhancement Fund; as well as internationally recognized security expert Dr. Peter Tarlow of safertourism.com.

“I also highlighted the creation of a Manual on Tourism Ethics, a first of its kind, which will guide our security infrastructure in the sector and how we interface with each other. This manual will be an operational game changer for Jamaica’s tourism as it will be the first time we have a comprehensive guide on this area,” said Minister Bartlett.

Major Walker has been tasked by Minister Bartlett to complete the Manual on Tourism Ethics and recommendations on security for the sector by the end of the year. The aim of the audit, which received support from internationally recognized security expert, Dr. Peter Tarlow, will identify gaps and ensure a strategy of a safe, secure and seamless destination for visitors and locals alike.

Media contact:

Corporate Communications

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Tel: (876) 920-4926-30

Fax: (876) 906 1729

Jamaica to host Regional Sargassum Forum

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In light of the influx of sargassum in the Caribbean region, Jamaica will host a regional forum to facilitate collaboration to address the matter. The forum, which is being spearheaded by the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCM), will be held at the Regional Headquarters of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona tomorrow, Friday July 26.

The objective of the forum is to share knowledge and best practices as it relates to sargassum, specifically the type which originates from the coast of Brazil. The outcome from the forum will be to identify gaps and foster synergies towards a solution.

In highlighting the importance of finding effective solutions to the sargassum issue, Minister Bartlett said, “Jamaica is taking the lead on this critical issue of preventing sargassum from negatively impacting our beaches which will ultimately, negatively impact our tourism.

We are being proactive as the onset of sargassum poses a real threat to not just Jamaica but the entire region that is so heavily dependent on tourism.”

Sargassum is a type of brown seaweed and numerous species are distributed throughout the temperate and tropical oceans of the world, where they inhabit shallow water and coral reefs. It often causes a foul odour, releasing fumes of sulphur compounds that rust metals, and damage modern conveniences.

Professor, the Hon Ambassador Richard Bernal, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Affairs at the UWI says, “The UWI has been monitoring and identifying solutions to the sargassum situation and this forum will provide an opportunity for collaboration with stakeholders across the Caribbean to further examine the threat and identify practical and cost effective solutions.”

The roundtable participants include mechanical engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Precision Engineering Research Group; and noted researchers from the UWI and the GTRCM.

“I am pleased that we will have some of the brightest minds on this subject area who will engage in discussion on the possible avenues the region can employ to prevent this threat from devastating our shores and collective tourism product,” added Minister Bartlett.

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