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Jamaica Tourism Minister Bartlett Tours Norman Manley International Airport

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Today, the Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, toured Norman Manley International Airport to examine safeguards that have been put in place to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

In the main photo, Andre Lewis, Operations Manager, PAC Kingston, assists Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (right in the photo) as he examines one of the many new plexiglass screens that have been installed at the Norman Manley International Airport to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Minister Bartlett toured the facility recently to examine the level of preparedness for the reopening of the nation’s borders to tourists on June 15, 2020. The Minister expressed satisfaction with the measures that have been put in place to safeguard front-line workers and passengers alike, including the installation of numerous automated hand sanitizing stations, decals to facilitate social distancing and a quarantine area. 

Here (below), Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, (right) tests one of the many automated hand-sanitizing machines that have been installed at the Norman Manley International Airport to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, as CEO of PAC Kingston, operators of the facility, and Andre Lewis, Operations Manager, PAC Kingston look on.

Norman Manley International Airport, formerly known as Palisadoes Airport, is an international airport serving Kingston, Jamaica, and is located south of the island 19 kilometers from the center of New Kingston.

Total passenger movements are approximately 1.5 million annually with cargo and mail accounting for over 12 million kilograms. The airport generates over 13,000 direct and indirect jobs with 13 scheduled airlines serving many international destinations, serving both the business and leisure markets.

The airport lies adjacent to Kingston Harbour, the world’s seventh largest natural harbor. It is in close proximity to the commercial and cultural capital city of Kingston (20 minutes). A major economic catalyst for the Kingston Metropolitan Area, the economic activity is valued at an estimated JA $15.2 billion (equivalent to 5.6% of GDP).

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

Jamaica Tourism Minister Bartlett: “Japan among the most resilient nations in the world”

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That remark was made by Honorable Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Jamaica Tourism, in his capacity as founder of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Center (GTRCMC) at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, during his official visit, today, to Ichihara (one of the affected areas), Chiba, Japan, based on their unprecedented recovery system after being struck by one of the worst Typhoons, No. 19 – Hagibis – in their nation’s recent history. The Minister conveyed, at the same time, Jamaica’s condolences to the City Mayor, Mr. Joji Koide, reaffirmed the nation’s solidarity to Japan and engaged in discussion on cooperation related to disaster management approaches and strategies given Japan’s leading role in their implementation and parallel importance to the GTRCMC.

The Mayor, along with his team of senior level officials, gave the Tourism Minister a comprehensive tour of the affected areas, showcasing elements of the extraordinary relief operations undertaken and the cutting-edge technologies utilized (including drones and robots). Chief among these was a one of a kind, multi-purpose, Fire Truck (given the name Scrum Force and launched in 2019) with state-of-the-art rescue and relief equipment and facilities, as well as surveillance software integrated with drone technology and capacity, allowing for more expansive coverage, monitoring and response at unprecedented speeds.

Minister Bartlett commended the Mayor and his team for the remarkable recovery achieved, given the level of damage experienced, and signaled the high interest of Jamaica to deepen cooperation on the best practices observed in disaster mitigation and relief operations. The results of these practices, such as its live-saving results, prompted the Minister to state “that they signaled the possibility of the addition of heightened value to the evolving body of study surrounding the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Center (GTRCMC).”

The Tourism Minister called on the Mayor to not only document his Town’s highly-effective recovery and resilience mechanism, but to also consider paying a visit to Jamaica, or one of his representatives, to share his Town’s best practices on disaster risk reduction and management with the GTRCMC, in the spirit of deepened cooperation and friendship between Jamaica and Japan.

The Minister further noted that “Japan’s record of resilience in bouncing back quickly and building back better from a series of disruptions, notably of which the 2011 Earthquake and Fires and other mega Typhoons including the latest No19 Hagibis, were deserving of emulation and greater international recognition.”

The Minister further indicated that “the world has much to learn from Japan in this regard.” This he also noted “would further advance discussions related to partnership with Japan, in relation to Jamaica’s desire to have a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the University of the West Indies and the International University of Japan, on resilience practices  in keeping with the objectives of the GTRCMC.”

Minister Bartlett also noted, with keen interest, the highly technologically-advanced nature of the special Fire Truck and suggested that such a vehicle would present significant life-saving potential for other Caribbean islands focused on building resilience against natural disasters, a core area of focus of the GTRCMC.

In registering his deep appreciation for the Minister’s and Jamaica’s solidarity with Ichihara and the wider Japanese society, the Mayor welcomed the opportunity for greater cooperation on disaster risk reduction and management, given his Town’s similar focus. The Mayor also indicated his interest in having further dialogue with the Minister on potential partnership and participation in the GTRCMC.

The meeting ended with the exchange of gifts between the Minister and the Mayor and a commitment to closer engagement including through the Embassy of Jamaica in Tokyo, Japan.

Among the many officers assembled by Mayor Koide, were the following: Mr. Katsunori Koyanagi, Fire Chief; Mr. Shoji Amano, Shizu Fire Department Chief; Mr.  Kenji Akiba, Manager, Secretarial Division; Mr. Shigemitsu Sakuma, Manager, Crisis Management Division; Mr. Takayuki Igarashi, Manager, Human Rights and International Exchanges Division; and Mr.  Kenji Akiba, Manager, Secretarial Division.

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

Swiss-Belhotel brings special offers to Arabian Travel Market

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Swiss-Belhotel International has created exciting packages for wholesalers and tour operators that will be launched at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) taking place in Dubai from April 28 to May 1, 2019. Targeted at Middle East travelers, the group has put together a fabulous range of offers that will be available across its spectacular properties in New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Laurent A. Voivenel, Senior Vice President, Operations and Development for the Middle East, Africa and India, Swiss-Belhotel International, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of these exclusive packages that have been designed to provide unique experiences along with greater benefits and value to our Middle East partners as well as customers. We have superb properties located in some of the most sought-after destinations that attract large number of travelers from our region. With the summer holiday season around the corner, ATM presents us the ideal opportunity to launch these. Moreover, this year we are very excited about the ATM Holiday Shopper that we believe is a great addition to the show.”

The Special Packages offer a diverse choice of experiences at unbeatable rates: These include the following:

  • Special Golf Packages in Indonesia at various destinations – Jakarta, Batam, Bandung, Bali, Tarakan, Belitung, Surabaya, Jayapura, and in Vietnam in Da Lat.
  • Discounted wholesale rates for hotels in New Zealand and for hotels in Australia.
  • Early Bird discounts in the busiest destination in Australia, the hotel in Sydney offers 15% discounts for booking within April with stays valid till August and 10% for bookings until August with stays valid all throughout the year.
  • In Philippines, book at Makati and get a free room upgrade; and when you book at Manila get to enjoy the amazing introductory offer including breakfast for two.

Visitors to ATM can find Swiss-Belhotel International on stand HC0825 located in Sheikh Saeed Arena in Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

eTN is a media partner for ATM.

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SITA: Tracking airline passenger bags drives 66% improvement in baggage delivery

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Airlines that are adding tracking at more points of the baggage journey are enjoying a huge improvement in bag delivery globally. The SITA 2019 Baggage IT Insights – officially launched at an event in Abu Dhabi International Airport today – shows that where tracking is done at check-in and loading onto the aircraft, the rate of improvement is as high as 66%.

These results come as the record drop in the baggage mishandling rate achieved globally over the past decade plateaus, with the rate steady at around 5.7 bags per thousand passengers over the past three years. In 2018, the rate was 5.69 per thousand passengers.

Over the past year, an increasing number of airlines and airports have started to introduce tracking at key points in the journey – check-in, loading onto the aircraft, transfers and arrival – to improve baggage management and further reduce the chances of a bag being mishandled. SITA’s research provides the first glimpse of the success of this tracking. It reveals that where bags were being tracked when loaded onto the aircraft, the rate of improvement ranged between 38% and 66% depending on the level of tracking introduced.

Peter Drummond, Director of Baggage at SITA, said: “While the mishandling rate has started to plateau over the past few years, this comes against a continued growth in passenger numbers and their bags. In 2018, 4.36 billion travelers checked in more than 4.27 billion bags. More bags makes things more challenging. Everyone across the industry needs to look beyond the process and technology improvements made in the past decade and adopt the latest technology such as tracking to make the next big cut in the rate of mishandled bags.”

Ahmed Juma Al Shamsi, Acting Chief Operations Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “For our passengers the timely delivery of baggage is key to ensuring a seamless passenger experience and therefore an area in which we continue to make further improvements. Looking forward, baggage tracking is fundamental to driving more accurate bag delivery not only at Abu Dhabi International Airport but across the entire passenger journey. We have led the way with the introduction of tracking on arrival and we have already seen significant improvements.”

Transferring baggage from one aircraft, or airline, to another remains a pinch point in the journey and in 2018 it was again the main reason for bags being mishandled. Transfer bags accounted for 46% of all mishandled bags.
Drummond added: “Transfer is by far the most difficult stage to track a bag as there are multiple airlines and airports involved. However, data from this year’s report shows that tracking at key points in the journey, such as transfers, will go a long way to eliminating mishandling and will allow airlines and their passengers to keep tabs on where their bags are at every step of the way.”

Over the past decade, total number of mishandled bags per annum has plummeted 47% from 46.9 million in 2007 to 24.8 million in 2018, while the annual bill footed by the industry has shrunk 43% to $2.4 billion, down from $4.22 billion in 2007.

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Soap bars around the world get a new life from Red Lion Hotels

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Based on US market statistics, the combined hospitality segment produces close to 440 billion pounds of solid waste per year. A great amount of this waste is made up of discarded soap and bottled amenities. However, through Clean the World’s Hospitality Recycling Program, these life-saving hygiene products can skip the landfill and, instead, be sent to one of Clean the World’s five Recycling Operations Centers where the products are sanitized, fully recycled, and given a second-life to help those in need. It’s a win-win for the hospitality industry, helping to reduce waste and transform lives around the world.

In celebration of Earth Day, Clean the World, dedicated to WASH (WAter, Sanitation and Hygiene) and global sustainability, is joining forces with RLH Corporation to collect and recycle gently-used bars of soap and bottled amenities at Hotel RL locations nationwide to help fight the spread of preventable diseases while preserving our planet.

“We are excited to collaborate with Clean the World,” said RLH Corporation SVP of Brand Strategy Amanda Marcello. “At Hotel RL, we are focused on the modern-day traveler, with core hotel elements that allow guests to immerse themselves in local culture while maintaining their connection to the world. We are always searching for opportunities to better our planet, the communities we live in and those around the world. With Clean the World, we will now be able to make a significant improvement in reducing the amount of waste our hotels produce while benefiting communities worldwide by recycling our bath amenities.”

Together, this Earth Day, Clean the World and RLH Corporation are bringing awareness to sustainable practices within the travel and hospitality industry. Eight Hotel RL locations adopting the Hospitality Recycling Program this week will begin recycling all soap and bottled amenities from over 1,600 guestrooms. In just one year, the Hotel RL portfolio of hotels is projected to provide over 6,700 pounds of soap and bottled amenities to Clean the World, resulting in the creation of an estimated 23,000 bars of newly-recycled soap to be distributed to those in need locally and globally.

“We are thrilled to join forces with RLH Corporation this Earth Day to share the importance of implementing new, eco-friendly approaches to daily operations that benefit and help to preserve our planet,” said Shawn Seipler, founder and CEO of Clean the World. “By diverting leftover soap and bottled amenities from landfills, RLH Corporation will not only help Clean the World provide health and hygiene programs to children and families around the world, but also set a great example of CSR and sustainability throughout the hospitality industry, encouraging others to help make a difference.”

Through this joint venture, newly-recycled bars of Clean the World soap will make their way to shelters, food banks and disaster relief initiatives in the United States, in addition to supporting hygiene education internationally through Clean the World Foundation’s WASH Education programming. Our global programming, in places like India, Kenya and Tanzania, has contributed to a 60 percent decrease in the rate of hygiene-related deaths in children under 5, helping to keep children healthy and in school.

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