• Home
  • Post a press-release
  • Visibility packages
  • Subscribe email updates
  • Event Calendar
  • Contact

For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry

Where press releases are breaking news

  • Home
  • Post a press-release
  • Visibility packages
  • Subscribe email updates
  • Event Calendar
  • Contact

Tourism recovery being driven by unity – tourism partners

May 19, 2021 by PressEditor

Stakeholders in the tourism sector have expressed that the recovery of the industry is being driven by the unity among tourism partners, which has been further concretized following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many emphasize that the sector has never been more united.

“I believe that the way that we have been pivoting is due to the fact that the sector has never been as united,” said Managing Partner, Chukka Caribbean Adventure Tours, John Byles. He adds that all subsectors, inclusive of the airports, ground transportation, hotels, attractions, shops, to name a few, “have never communicated at the level that we’ve communicated” to restore the industry.

His view was endorsed by Anup Chandiram, Chairman of the Shopping Network of the Tourism Linkages Network (TLN); Brian Thelwell, President of the Jamaica Co-operative Automobile and Limousine Tours (JCAL) and Vernon Douglas, Chief Financial Officer of the Jamaica Public Service (JPS). They were featured presenters in a virtual forum, held recently, on: “How Tourism has Impacted Other Sectors.” The moderator was Lisa Bell, Managing Director of the Exim Bank. The session is the latest in a five-part online forum series, spearheaded by the TLN’s Knowledge Network.

It was revealed that over 70 licensed attraction operators and more than 5,000 ground transport operators have been impacted negatively by the COVID-19 pandemic. In shopping, many once thriving retail establishments have gone out of business. 

Mr. Byles said after suffering major fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, attractions were now tracking at about 45 percent of 2019 levels. He said the sector is recovering steadily, with a sense of confidence returning to the industry, generated by high levels of vaccination in Jamaica’s main source market, the United States, and Jamaica having a strong tourism product.

Sounding an optimistic note for the way ahead, Mr. Byles said the key to success was “coming together and finding ways to improve the overall value of the product. We all are going to win and more importantly, the guests are going to want to come back,” he explained.

In the case of the transportation sector, Mr. Thelwell said it has been forced to scale down drastically. With income for nine months being totally wiped out, many operators have dropped out of the sector, parked or sold their buses and have turned to other activities to survive.

Nevertheless, Mr. Thelwell sees positive signs on the horizon, but said for the sector to be fully prepared when the industry begins to open up more, banks needed to be more lenient with clients with outstanding loans. “Even when the sector comes back it will not be all flourishing right away, it’s going to be gradual progression and persons have obligations that they can’t meet now,” he said.

Speaking for the shopping subsector, Mr. Chandiram said when the industry gets back on its feet “our product must be better than when we closed in March of 2020.” He pointed to strengthening the linkages framework as one of the paths to success in the future. “The fact that we want our visitors to spend their money on services and goods produced in Jamaica that employ Jamaicans, have value added in Jamaica, I see a lot of that happening,” he said.

Mr. Chandiram said standards had to be raised, with many of the shopping centers providing an experiential offering, “so instead of just going to buy goods you go there to experience something unique.” He said this was happening with Main Street Jamaica in Rose Hall, along Montego Bay’s Hip Strip, Island Village in Ocho Rios and was conceptualized for the Artisan Village in Falmouth.

More news about Jamaica

#rebuildingtravel

Media contact:

Corporate Communications Division

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Telephone: 920-4924,

Fax: 906-1729

Or

Kingsley Roberts

Senior Director, Corporate Communications

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Tel: 920-4926-30, ext.: 5990

Cell: (876) 505-6118

Fax: 920-4944

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: tourism

Jamaica Wins Top Accolades at World Travel Awards 2020

December 1, 2020 by PressEditor

Efforts by various government ministries and tourism partners to introduce robust COVID-19 health and safety protocols to facilitate the safe re-opening of the tourism sector continue to bear fruit as Jamaica has been named the World’s Leading Family, Cruise and Wedding Destination at the 27th annual World Travel Awards. Several leading Jamaican tourism entities have also won major accolades.

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, expressed appreciation for the accolades secured by the destination, stating: “We are indeed quite pleased that Jamaica has been recognized by the World Travel Awards for three top honors and that several local tourism entities have won big as well. This year has been a very challenging one and these awards are a testament to the hard work our industry has put in to safely re-open our destination with strict protocols to safeguard the health and well-being of our citizens, industry workers and visitors alike.”

“I was particularly heartened to learn that we received the World’s Leading Cruise Destination, as we are currently working with our regional and international stakeholders to see how we can safely re-start cruise, which is an integral part of the local economy,” he added.

The winners were announced at a virtual ceremony on November 27, 2020, from Moscow, after a one-year process of voting on the world’s top travel, tourism and hospitality brands.

During the virtual ceremony Graham Cooke, founder of the World Travel Awards, said the winners, “have all demonstrated remarkable resilience in a year of unprecedented challenges…The World Travel Awards 2020 program received a record number of votes cast by the public. This shows that the appetite for travel has never been stronger. With hope with the tourism bounce on the horizon, our industry can look forward to a resurgent and bright future.”

This year, more than 270 nominations were put forward across categories including best hotels, airlines, tour operators, cities, resorts and attractions.

The awards won by Jamaica and its tourism partners at the World Travel Awards are:

  • World’s Leading Family Destination 2020 (Jamaica)
  • World’s Leading Cruise Destination 2020 (Jamaica) 
  • World’s Leading Wedding Destination 2020 (Jamaica)
  • World’s Leading Luxury Hotel Villa 2020 (Fleming Villa at GoldenEye)
  • World’s Leading Villa Resort 2020 (Round Hill Hotel & Villas)
  • World’s Leading All-Inclusive Company 2020 (Sandals Resorts International)
  • World’s Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort Brand 2020 (Beaches Resorts)
  • World’s Leading Caribbean Attraction Company 2020 (Island Routes Caribbean Adventures)

World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. It is recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence. Its annual program is renowned as the most prestigious and comprehensive in the global industry.

More news about Jamaica

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

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: airlines, Caribbean, cooking, Edmund Bartlett, minister, sandals, tourism

Jamaica’s Tourism Recovery on the Horizon says Bartlett

October 31, 2020 by PressEditor

Buoyed by the success of the resilient corridor in safeguarding Jamaica’s tourism against the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), discussions have begun regarding the return of cruise ships to the port of Falmouth.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett disclosed that as recent as Wednesday, he was in was discussion “with Disney Cruise about their plans for coming back to Falmouth shortly. They made reference to our resilient corridor as the signature statement of how destinations can make their areas safer for travel and tourism in the future.”

Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new development at The Shoppes at Rose Hall, St. James, on Thursday (Oct 29), Minister Bartlett said, “Although concerns continue in our major markets, we are already seeing positive signs of buoyancy which offer encouragement as we rebuild the tourism economy and continue to contribute meaningfully to the rebuilding of the national economy.”

He said preliminary figures from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) indicated that since reopening on June 15, Jamaica has recorded a little over 200,000 passengers to the country with June to September earnings amounting to just over US$250 million.

Meanwhile, he noted that with the reopening of global economies, air travel was being restored “and we are cautiously optimistic that we will see a 40 percent increase in arrival over the winter season when compared to the preceding period before the massive downturn.”  Also, “airlift continues to increase and this is a good indicator that there is demand by travelers, waiting or indeed making bookings to travel.”

Mr. Bartlett said the JTB,  the Ministry of Tourism’s marketing arm, was maintaining strong engagements with operators and airline companies to drive bookings for the winter “and already seat support out of key markets include the US 567,427, Canada 166,032, the United Kingdom 1,801 and continental Europe overall, 45,311 seats.”

The Tourism Minister publicly thanked Jamaicans both at home and in the diaspora for their contribution to the occupancy levels hotels have been enjoying. To date, there has been no known case of the COVID-19 virus among hotel guests or staff and about 30 percent of tourism workers were back on their jobs.

Strides are being made in laying the groundwork for the full reopening of the tourism sector in Jamaica, in a safe and responsible manner, he said.

“We understand the eagerness of all our tourism workers to get back on the job to support their families and the industry, and assure them that every possible effort is being made to expedite the recovery of the industry. In the meantime, however, they can play their part by encouraging those with whom they come in contact to practice the protocols laid down by the Ministry of Health that will facilitate an early  recovery from COVID-19,” said Minister Bartlett.

He noted that while Jamaica’s health and safety protocols were working and stand out as testament to the high level of compliance by tourism stakeholders, so much so that other tourism destinations were seeking to follow suit, there is no room for complacency.  “But there is a measure of comfort in the fact that the united effort taken in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders, is paying off handsomely as we take bold and decisive steps to safeguard everyone,” he said.

Earlier this week, another layer was added to existing health and safety measures to reassure visitors of Jamaica’s resilience against the coronavirus with the launch of an end-to-end health insurance, repatriation, and logistics program branded as “Jamaica Cares.”

#rebuildingtravel

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

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: airlines, Bartlett, cooking, Fraport, minister, nbsp, tourism

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Bartlett breaks ground for iconic shopping experience

October 30, 2020 by Forimmediaterelease

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett yesterday lead in breaking ground at The Shoppes at Rose Hall, signaling the start of the development of Montego Bay’s most iconic shopping experience.

The in-bond shopping mall is undergoing a major transformation and will be rebranded into a new concept reflecting a “Linkages Centre of Excellence” that will showcase the best of Jamaica in various creative ways.

Minister Bartlett welcomed the concept being created to reimagine, repurpose and rebrand the mall, noting, “The new tourism paradigm calls for innovation and the development of concepts such as this to provide elements of authentic Jamaican experiences.”

Mr. Bartlett said, “Shopping is a huge part of the attraction that Jamaica has that is under-utilized, under positioned and under presented, and we think that the cultural values and the cultural assets of Jamaica exemplified in the products manufactured by our own people are at the level where they can be showcased effectively and have world responses.”

He noted, however, that there was an absence of the arena that would enable this level of merchandising and showcasing to provide the impact that it must have.

Jamaica’s tourism is being built on a linkages concept that embraces the pillars of Agriculture & Manufacturing, Gastronomy, Sports & Entertainment, Health & Wellness, Shopping and Knowledge. Minister Bartlett said he is particularly pleased that the centre being developed by the Chandiram family, “Will create an experience to include the best of Jamaican gastronomy, local entertainment, authentic made-in-Jamaica products that showcase the talent of local designers, health and wellness offerings, immortalize outstanding local and international leaders, such as Martin Luther King, who chose Montego Bay as his place of refuge and our first national hero, Marcus Garvey, and   will also be knowledge based.”

Chief Executive Officer of Chandiram Limited, Anup Chandiram, said there was hope despite the setback caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, “there is a rainbow beyond the horizon and we will soon see this in Jamaica’s tourism industry.”

He said his company was creating a product designed to pull visitors out of their all-inclusive hotels. “We want to enhance their experience here in Jamaica so that when they go back home they go on Trip Advisor and speak highly of beautiful Jamaica.”

The new experience is being developed in phases with the first phase set for completion in time for the 2020/21 winter tourism arrivals. Completion is expected in 2021.

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

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release, Travel & Tourism Tagged With: Bartlett, Compliance, The Shoppes at Rose Hall, tourism

Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica and Jamaica Tourism Minister Meet

October 29, 2020 by PressEditor

Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica, Her Excellency Laurie Peters (see left in the photo) on Tuesday, October 27, 2020, paid a 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 her contribution in strengthening relations between Jamaica and Canada. He also engaged her in discussions on the development of a possible “air bridge” to ease travel between Jamaica and Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following their discussions, the Minister presented her with a token of appreciation.

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

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: Jamaica, Laurie Peters, minister, New Kingston, tourism

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 129
  • Next Page »

Search




Recent Articles

  • What’s New in the Bahamas in April 2023
  • Webasto Adds Two New Wallboxes to EV Charging Portfolio
  • Book Your Own White Lotus Inspired Italian Vacation
  • Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee to Be a Key Driver of Experiential Tourism – Says Bartlett
  • Sandals Foundation & Beaches Ocho Rios Resort Support Moms
  • Malta, a World Class Diving Destination, to Open the World’s First Ever Deep-Water Archaeological Park at Xlendi Bay in Spring 2023
  • Bartlett Presents PM Holness’ Vision and Plans for Negril
  • Gay-Friendly Malta Hosts EuroPride Valletta 2023
    September 7 to 17, 2023
  • Destination Assurance Key to Tourism Success – Bartlett
  • The St. Regis Venice Triumphs at Marriott’s EMEA General Manager’s Conference 2023

Subscribe to daily email update

RSS eTN Articles

  • British Airways loves Trinidad again
  • Hawaiian Airlines Commits to New Milestones on Path to Net-Zero
  • New Miami to British Virgin Islands Flight on American Airlines
  • St. Eustatius and Saba Work to Save Coral Reefs
  • A Guide to Making The Most of Your Family Vacation
  • US Citizens Told to Leave Russia ‘Immediately’
  • Maximizing Efficiency and Minimizing Stress with Across State Movers
  • Travelport Secures $200 Million Investment
  • From City to Countryside: A European Road Trip Through Contrasting Lan …
  • Pegasus Airlines Names New Chairman of the Board

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • August 2016

Content

and Breaking Travel News Business CEO experience first free hotel Hotels in including Industry International International Travel News IT minister most New News articles only over People s said sandals The World through time to TO BE tourism Tours Transportation News Travel Travel & Tourism Organizations News Travel Destination News Travelwire News up We were WHO World World News year years

Copyright © 2023 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in