For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry

Where press releases are breaking news

Minister Bartlett lauds JHTA’s COVID-19 Ambassador Program

by

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has lauded the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) for their new COVID-19 Ambassador Program and has given his assurance that the Ministry of Tourism will continue to provide tangible support towards the initiative.

Speaking recently at the Kingston Launch of the initiative at R Hotel, the Minister said: “The celebration of the ambassador program is a full statement of how responsible we are as an industry and how we are playing our part in this whole process of managing the risk.”

“This is the kind of response that a responsible partner makes. What has happened, starting in Ocho Rios a few weeks ago, is a tangible indication of the partnership that tourism has with health in the delivery of service in the public health system of Jamaica,” he added.

The JHTA COVID-19 Ambassador Program, which was first launched last month at the Moon Palace Jamaica hotel in Ocho Rios, will continue to see hotel employees trained in the health and safety protocols for the tourism sector, going into communities where they live to train community members in the COVID-19 protocols such as proper handwashing techniques, social distancing, mask-wearing and sanitization.

Minister Bartlett indicated that the program complements the measures and protocols implemented by the Ministry of Tourism working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health & Wellness and other government bodies and tourism partners.

Bartlett noted that his Ministry has donated masks towards the initiative and has also engaged in a public education campaign to support the JHTA’s ambassador program.

“The Ministry is fully behind the ambassador Program. TPDCo is already on board and TEF has provided 10,000 masks and we are in the position to provide 10,000 more.  Our own workers in the tourism ministry and agencies are willing to walk with you in the field as we make this one work. Public education not just by words but by being proactive and by practice,” said Minister Bartlett.

The JHTA’s COVID-19 Ambassador Program will also be launched in Montego Bay, Negril and the South Coast in the weeks to come.

“Every individual who is involved in this industry must embrace this, and let us go out into the hinterlands. Let’s go into the alleys and into the hills and the valleys and all across Jamaica carrying this message, that the only way we can secure the economy of Jamaica and secure the health of our people is through abiding by the protocols that have been established,” said the Minister

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications Division, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4924, Fax: 906-1729

Rural Area Tourism to Provide Key Opportunities for Post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery – Bartlett

by

Jamaica Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett says his Ministry remains committed to working with Jamaica’s rural communities to strengthen their resilience, create jobs and build economic opportunities. This focus on rural development is a critical pillar in the Ministry’s plan to rebuild the industry, which has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the Tourism Awareness Week Webinar, hosted at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel recently, the Minister said: “As we re-imagine our tourism product in these uncertain times, the focus on rural development seems quite timely. Tourism in rural areas will provide key opportunities for recovery, as these communities seek to bounce back from the harsh economic setback caused by the pandemic.”

He outlined that pre-pandemic, there were 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals; travel and tourism accounted for 10.3% of global GDP; and it employed 1 in 10 persons around the world. 

“At home, as we welcomed 4.3 million visitors, the sector earned US$3.7 billion, contributed 9.5% to the nation’s GDP and generated some 170,000 direct jobs,” Mr. Bartlett said.

“Unfortunately, both at home and abroad, COVID -19 has resulted in major job losses, while the falloff in business and earnings has been astounding. … However, tourism is the heartbeat of our economy and it will serve as the catalyst of Jamaica’s Post-COVID-19 economic recovery,” said the Minister.

One key project the Ministry of Tourism and key partners will be completing soon, to benefit rural communities, is Jamaica’s first Artisan Village at the Hampden Wharf in Falmouth, which is on target to open at the end of 2020.  The TEF-financed project will see other artisan villages being established in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, and Negril.

The Minister also highlighted community tourism initiatives being carried out in partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund, under its Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI), which is facilitating the sustainable growth of community tourism enterprises across the island. 

Just recently, the second phase of the initiative (REDI II) was launched at the Office of the Prime Minister, which is a US$40-million World Bank-funded program seeking to unlock the full potential of rural communities. 

Stressing the importance of developing rural communities, he shared that globally, persons in rural communities who have small and medium enterprises drive 80% of tourism. 

“The essence of the experiences of visitors across the globe is found in rural areas. Tourism has that capacity to transform rural communities from sleepy areas into buzzing centers of economic activity and we saw that here in Jamaica. Ocho Rios for example, was a sleepy fishing village 60 years ago and today it is a buzzing center of commerce – creating jobs and providing economic well-being,” said the Minister.

“We want this transformation to happen all across Jamaica in our rural areas. We are now re-defining the destination to enable that transformation. So, St. Thomas in the next frontier for us and the rest of the South Coast is also on the radar for us,” he added. 

The Tourism Awareness Week 2020 webinar was hosted by the Ministry of Tourism and its agencies, under the theme: “Tourism and Rural Development”.  The event, was moderated by Dervan Malcolm, and included presenters such as, Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett; Director of Tourism, Donovan White; Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) President, Clifton Reader; and Chairman of Jakes Hotel and Villas, Jason Henzell; Angella Bennett – the Jamaica Tourist Board’s (JTB) Regional Director, Canada; and Donnie Dawson – JTB’s Deputy Director, The Americas.

More news about Jamaica

#rebuildingtravel

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

Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica Ends Visit with Minister Bartlett

by

The Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica, His Excellency Hiromasa Yamazaki, (seen left in the photo) on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, paid a farewell courtesy call on Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, at the Ministry’s New Kingston offices.  

During the meeting, Minister Bartlett thanked the Ambassador for his contribution in strengthening relations between Jamaica and Japan. He also presented him with a token of appreciation.

Ambassador Yamazaki, who was appointed as Japan’s top diplomatic representative in Jamaica in 2017, is slated to conclude his tour of duty shortly.

About the Ministry of Tourism

The Jamaica Ministry of Tourism and its agencies are on a mission to enhance and transform Jamaica’s tourism product, while ensuring that the benefits which flow from the tourism sector are increased for all Jamaicans.  To this end it has implemented policies and strategies that will provide further momentum for tourism as the engine of growth for the Jamaican economy. The Ministry remains committed to ensuring that the tourism sector makes the fullest contribution possible to Jamaica’s economic development, given its tremendous earning potential.

The Ministry is leading the charge to strengthen the linkages between tourism and other sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and entertainment, and in so doing encourages every Jamaican to play their part in improving the tourism product, sustaining investment and modernizing and diversifying the sector to foster growth and job creation for fellow Jamaicans. The Ministry sees all this as critical to Jamaica’s survival and success and has undertaken this process through an inclusive approach, which is driven by the Resort Boards, through wide-scale consultation.

Recognizing that a collaborative effort and a committed partnership between the public and private sectors will be needed to achieve the Ministry’s targets, central to its plans is maintaining and nurturing its relationship with all key stakeholders. In so doing, the Ministry firmly believes that with the Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism Development as its guide and the National Development Plan – Vision 2030 as its bench-mark, together it can achieve its goals for the benefit of all Jamaicans.

More news about Jamaica.

#rebuildingtravel

Newly Expanded Adam and Eve Day Spa to Enhance Jamaica’s Health and Wellness Tourism Market – Says Bartlett

by

Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the newly opened Adam and Eve Day Spa location will add value to Jamaica’s health and wellness tourism market when the country begins to welcome visitors to the island.

“The Ministry of Tourism is very driven by health and wellness and the impact that can have on the development of people but also on the creation of a new products that will encourage more visitors can come to Jamaica during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, to get refreshed and rejuvenated.

The new Adam and Eve Day Spa facility that Garth and Kimisha Walker have put together here, can be put against the best that exists in the Caribbean, if not the Americas,” said Minister Bartlett following a tour of the facilities yesterday (June 2).

The spa, which began operations in April 2007, recently opened its new 10,000 square foot compound on Old Hope Road in Kingston. It features a rainforest massage-room, a spa and salon, in addition to retail and training spaces — with all furniture made in Jamaica.

“This Adam and Eve development is a statement of growth and of how small great ideas can develop and expand. Today’s tour has really been a fulfillment of a big vision and I want to congratulate the Walkers for taking this journey so well.

I looked at all the modern equipment that is here that will enable ultimate relaxation but more so, it is the statement of how wellness is going to be enhanced in Jamaica,” said the Minister. 

The Ministry has placed much emphasis on developing Health and Wellness over the years and has created a Network, headed by acclaimed scientist Dr. Henry Lowe, to assist with creating an effective governance framework to make Jamaica’s wellness industry more internationally competitive. The Network has also been packaging, promoting and marketing health and wellness assets as an important tourism niche area.

More news about Jamaica.

#rebuildingtravel

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

Bartlett Calls for Jamaica Rum Festival in Montego Bay

by

Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says he wants the annual Jamaica Rum Festival to be extended to Jamaica’s  tourism capital ⁠— Montego Bay.

Speaking at the opening of the Jamaica Rum Festival at Hope Gardens on Saturday, the Tourism Minister said, “ I am giving a charge to the organizing team as well as the Ministry of Tourism, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF),  the Tourism Linkages Network and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), to come together to take this product to Montego Bay, which is the mecca of tourism.”

He further added that he wants the island to host a week of food festivals, including the Jamaica Rum Festival, which will be marketed by the JTB to potential visitors worldwide, as another reason to come to the island.

“I want to see a week of Rum Festival, Coffee Festival, Chocolate Festival and festivals of other uniquely Jamaican products.  We can then market this week-long event to gastronomy connoisseurs who are interested in experiencing our cuisine in unique ways,” he said.

He further added that he is particularly interested in the development of a chocolate festival because of the diversity of the product and its historical significance.

“Jamaica’s cocoa is of particular interest, as it was the feedstock for the famous Cadbury Chocolate in the 18th Century… Jamaica’s history has provided these wonderful cultural assets and it cannot be ignored. We must resurrect the value that Jamaica’s chocolate had in the past,” said the Minister.

The Jamaica Rum Festival is a two-day event, which is jointly staged by the Ministry of Tourism and the TEF, in collaboration with J. Wray and Nephew Limited’s Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum.

It aims to promote various ways in which rum can be utilized and enjoyed, boost Kingston’s tourism product and showcase Jamaica’s cultural excellence in food, beverage and music.

During the event, which started on February 29, patrons were exposed to the rum-making process, learned about the unique provenance of Jamaican rums and sampled a variety of blends. They also learned about ideal rum and food pairings, while enjoying entertainment from some of Jamaica’s finest musicians.

The Minister commended the organizers for another successful staging of the event and assured them that the Ministry will continue to offer its support.

“The Jamaica Rum Festival is a tourism product that we are going to make part of our marketing arrangements but we want to do more.

All the infrastructure required to make this festival into a stronger product will be put in place with the support of the Ministry, to make sure that every year we can go to the market and package this festival with rooms and with seats and bring the visitors to Jamaica to consume this critical asset,”  he said.

The Ministry, through the Tourism Enhancement Fund, provided $6 million towards the staging of this year’s festival, as part of its partnership with the festival organizers.

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

Tourism Demand Study shows need for J$391.6 Billion in Agricultural and Manufacturing Goods, says Bartlett

by

Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says data from a recent demand study shows the need for J$391.6 Billion in goods from the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. The break-out shows a demand for goods of J$352 Billion for manufacturing and J$39.6 Billion for agriculture.

The tourism demand study was designed to identify the existing/potential demand in the tourism sector for goods and services across local sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and entertainment. The study is done through the Ministry’s Tourism Linkages Council.

Minister Bartlett, who officially handed over the demand study to President of the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) Richard Pandohie, said, “The purpose of the study is to help guide our decisions as it relates to the consumption patterns of our visitors and these figures show a very high demand for products in agriculture and manufacturing.

We want our local tourism suppliers to provide these inputs in agriculture and manufacturing so that we reduce the leakage of our earnings.”

Mr. Pandohie, who accepted the demand study, also highlighted the need to have more inputs supplied locally to reduce the leakage within tourism.

Through the Tourism Linkages Network, the Ministry of Tourism has been strengthening linkages with other sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and entertainment to build the capacity of local suppliers to meet the growing demands within tourism.

“What these figures indicate is that there are many opportunities for increased linkages with local suppliers to facilitate import substitution in producing various items. The aim of the Ministry of Tourism is to foster more purchasing of local goods and services, which will reduce the imports and help to plug the leakages from importation,” said Minister Bartlett.

The study found specifically that the significant increase in hotel constructions across the island has influenced the demand for manufactured products needed to furnish these establishments.

The study also highlighted that mainly local producers were satisfying the demand for goods and services in the tourism sector, but that importation also constituted a reasonable proportion of expenditure on certain items.

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