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Tourism recovery being driven by unity – tourism partners

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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.

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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

Jamaica Wins Top Accolades at World Travel Awards 2020

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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.

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

Jamaica’s Tourism Recovery on the Horizon says Bartlett

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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.”

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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’s Tourism Minister Bartlett breaks ground for iconic shopping experience

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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

Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica and Jamaica Tourism Minister Meet

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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.

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

Minister Bartlett committed to ensuring tourism entities are COVID compliant

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Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has indicated his commitment to ensuring that tourism entities, especially the small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs), are COVID compliant.

Minister Bartlett, who gave the assurance during a recent tour of tourism entities in Hanover and Westmoreland, said: “My Ministry in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, has been devising initiatives to ensure that all stakeholders particularly the small and micro enterprises are COVID compliant.

The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), through the Linkages Network, has been at the forefront of ensuring that these small players in the sector have the gadgetry and personal protective gear available to them.”

The Tourism Linkages Network (TLN) has been donating tourism protective kits, that include infrared thermometers, touchless hand sanitizers, touchless garbage bins, buckets retrofitted with pipes as well as masks.

“These protective kits, which are valued at J$20Million, will be distributed across the island to 500 small tourism entities, such as the vendors who sell fish and bammy at the border of Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth, to ensure they are operating within COVID guidelines.

This is part of our overall product assurance, so visitors and locals feel confident that what they are buying is safe, especially in this new COVID-19 era,” added Minister Bartlett.

SMTEs, through a mixture of loans and grants facilitated by the TEF and its partners, have also been given a lifeline with access to over J$ 2 Billion in funding to help them retool and rebound amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

Minister Bartlett pleased with COVID-19 protocol compliance in Westmoreland

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Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett says he is satisfied with the level of compliance with established COVID-19 protocols among tourism entities in the parish of Westmoreland.

“I’m very pleased with what I have seen,” said Minister Bartlett following an extensive tour recently to examine large and small hotels and villas and concluding that: “The properties are fully compliant.”

The tour, was the latest in a series of onsite inspections of properties located along COVID-19 Resilient corridors led by Minister Bartlett to examine properties that are certified in terms of requirements under Jamaica’s health and safety protocols. The tour entailed stops at Riu Palace Tropical Bay and Rondel Village in Negril as well as Zimbali Culinary Retreats; Bluefields Bay Villas and Whitehouse. The Minister also handed over an ambulance valued at $18 million to the Negril Fire Station, which was financed by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

Defending the push to reopen the industry while managing the coronavirus, Mr Bartlett said Jamaica wanted to establish that health security was at the foundation of the country’s tourism destination assurance framework. He is pleased that in this regard, “Jamaica has excelled and I’m excited at how the rest of the world is looking at us and viewing the way in which we have managed this pandemic.”

The Minister said there was a determination “to make sure that tourism toes the line” and supported the call by the Ministry of Health & Wellness that if there are constant cases of breaches “that we must take action, and strong action and we are at the forefront of seeing to it that that happens.”

Minister Bartlett also expressed delight that tourism would soon have a COVID security insurance plan, noting that: “We are in the closing stages of it now and hopefully within the next few weeks we will be able to have the first of that programme established.” This insurance is to provide another layer of coverage to Destination Jamaica, while ensuring that visitors are compliant, in a cost-effective manner.

In response to calls for Jamaica to diversify its economy and not be so heavily dependent on tourism for economic sustainability, Minister Bartlett agreed but pointed out that: “We see tourism in the context of driving a wider and deeper, bigger market for production of goods and services through linkages.”

He highlighted the value of a tourism economy having a huge link with various areas of economic activity, citing for instance: “If we bring more visitors to Jamaica, it means an expanded market for more agricultural produce, for instance, requiring larger plantations or more technologically advanced methods that produce higher quality and greater levels of output, then employ more people and generates more.”

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

Jamaica Tourism Minister to Hospitality: Comply or shut down

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Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has warned that tourism entities that fail to comply with health and safety protocols designed to facilitate the phased reopening of the tourism sector, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, will be shut down.

Speaking at the Golf View Hotel in Manchester, during a tour of the newly opened South Coast Resilient Corridor on the weekend, the Minister stressed that: “If you are not COVID compliant we are going to shut you down and whether you’re big or you’re small, because we cannot compromise on health security.”

The new corridor was introduced on July 15. Similar to the North Coast Resilient Corridor, which was introduced in June, this area will welcome visitors with robust health and safety protocols.

Minister Bartlett said: “The start of the South Coast phase of the reopening is very important to us,” noting that “this is a really popular region for Jamaicans and some international visitors because this is country style tourism.”

Mr. Bartlett underscored the importance of tourism interests working in collaboration with various ministries and agencies, including the Ministries of Tourism and Health and Wellness, in ensuring adherence to the protocols and effectively managing the process of containing the virus “to keep Jamaica safe, secure and seamless for ourselves first and our friends and visitors.”

A team is in place, comprising government personnel and private sector stakeholders, to monitor and ensure compliance. “So, the message to the South Coast is that this corridor is going to be managed as tight, if not tighter, as we are trying to manage the Northern corridor and breaches within this corridor are going to be met with very strong action,” said the Tourism Minister.

Comply or shut down: Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism warns hotels and resorts
TREASURE BEACH – Chairman of the South Coast Chapter of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and owner of Jakes Hotel, Jason Henzell (3rd right), brought Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (2nd left) up to date on the preparedness of tourism stakeholders along the newly opened South Coast Resilient Corridor, when he toured recently to see and hear first-hand from them. Behind Mr Bartlett is Executive Director of Jamaica Vacations Ltd. (JAMVAC), Joy Roberts and at centre is Destination Manager for the South Coast, Jonathan Bamidele.

He continued that “I’m not going to mince words on it, the instruction from me is to shut them down if they don’t comply. This is not just a South Coast edict, this is a Jamaica edict, it’s for every tourism facility that is operating in Jamaica.”

Minister Bartlett said: “So if you are a little man and you’re not compliant if you’re a medium-sized man and you’re not compliant if you’re a big man and you’re not compliant, any man you are and you are not compliant, you’re going to be treated the same.”

Minister Bartlett outlined that Jamaica has to be strong in its resolve “because we recognize that we’re operating in a global community that is still not compliant fully” with the spread of the virus being seen in Jamaica’s source markets “in a manner that is frightening to some of us.”

The South Coast Tour also entailed stops in Black River and Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, including visits to Jakes Hotel; Jack Sprat Restaurant, and the Lashings Boutique Hotel, as well as a stakeholder meeting.

Visit Jamaica shows the current requirements.

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

183 Local Producers Apply to Participate in Virtual Christmas in July Tradeshow

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One hundred and eighty three (183) manufacturers and artisans, have capitalized on the opportunity to display their locally-made corporate gift items for assessment, as they seek to secure their spot among the exhibitors at the first-ever virtual staging of the Jamaica Christmas in July Tradeshow. The local producers all participated in the assessment process at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, over a three-day period, beginning on July 7, 2020.

Candidates were given an opportunity to present products to a panel of assessors, including representatives from the Ministry of Tourism; Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO); Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC); Bureau of Standards; Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA); Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO).

The items were judged based on design and aesthetics; functionality; pricing; cultural connection and use of local raw-material.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett outlined that: “Successful candidates must show evidence that their products have been made with materials sourced locally; with at least 70 percent of it locally manufactured or assembled. The products should also highlight strong Jamaican cultural influences and themes, ranked favorably in accordance with the guidelines stipulated.”

Director of Pure Chocolate Company, Rennae Johnson (centre) proudly discusses her artisanal chocolate with the Tourism Linkages Network’s Analyst of Productive Sectors, Tisheecka Clarke (right) and Assistant Manager of Marketing Services at the Jamaica Business Development Corporation, Vivette McFarlane. The occasion was an assessment session for the Christmas in July Tradeshow on July 08, 2020 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

Products can be from the categories of fashion and accessories; the arts; processed foods; aromatherapy; and souvenirs, such as desktop solutions and décor. Following the assessment, an evaluation and final selection session will be conducted ahead of the main event, slated for July 23 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

In keeping with social gathering restrictions, that have been introduced to help contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be hosted virtually, with only a small group of persons present at the venue. However, the public will be able to watch a 2-hour live stream of the event from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm, hosted by Emprezz Golding and Christopher Daley, on the social media pages of all the partner entities.

The annual Christmas in July event is hosted by the Tourism Linkages Network of the Ministry of Tourism, in partnership with the JBDC, JMEA, JAMPRO and JHTA. It seeks to provide Jamaican producers of corporate gifts and souvenir products with the opportunity to access a key market segment, while adding uniqueness and creativity to product offerings.

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

Bartlett Launches Free Online Training for Tourism Workers

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Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has officially launched free online training for tourism workers. The initiative, which is being driven by the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI), a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), is geared towards assisting tourism workers, who were laid off as a result of the closure of hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the program, tourism workers are being offered 11 free courses of online training for tourism workers to hone their skills and improve their qualifications.

The Ministry is reporting that so far, 2,279 users have registered since the program launched yesterday afternoon, with several candidates placed a wait-list, given the high demand for specific programs (such as certification in Hospitality Team Leader, Restaurant Servers, Hospitality Supervisor and Spanish).

Speaking after the digital launch, Minister Bartlett said, “We are very proud that the program is so well-received by our hospitality workers.  In fact, the portal crashed moments after our launch, due to the influx of interest, but I am happy to report these technical issues have been addressed. So, I encourage all hospitality workers to take advantage of this opportunity.”

The Minister added that this initiative was very important because he wanted the workforce to be more qualified after the period of this pandemic, than when it started.

“The COVID-19 crisis has hit our tourism sector hard. As hotels and attractions have shuttered operations and borders have closed all of the 160,000 workers directly employed in tourism have been impacted in one way or another. Forty thousand remain employed while 75% [120,000] have been laid off.

“Therefore, I am pleased to announce that we will be offering our tourism workers a lifeline. There is no better time than now for them to retool and upskill. It is a smart investment in staying resilient, which will pay handsome dividends when the tourism sector returns to normal.”

The online training for tourism workers program is being administered in collaboration with our major partners.  HEART/National Service Training (HEART/NSTA) Trust, will be offering courses free to candidates and paying all the tutors.

The National Restaurant Association (NRA), the owners of the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), will be offering their signature ServSafe Certification, and the Universal Service Fund (USF) will be supporting individuals who need access to the Internet.

“The USF in particular is a critical partner as we seek to ensure access for those who do not have the technology at home. The USF has 193 functional Community Access Points (CAPs) throughout Jamaica, each with 25 computers with internet access,” said Minister Bartlett.

He further added, “The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), will be partnering with the USF to use select CAPs in Trelawny, St. James, St. Ann and Westmoreland so that students without access to a smartphone will be able to utilize the CAPs in these parishes to participate in the courses and access course material.”

The JCTI initiative includes 11 free online certifications, which will ensure the continued advancement of local tourism workers despite the challenging circumstances.

The online training for tourism workers courses are as follows: Laundry Attendant, Guest Room Attendant, Kitchen Steward Porter, ServSafe Training in Food Safety, Certified Hospitality Supervisor, Introduction to Spanish, Public Area Sanitation, Hospitality Team Leader, Certified Banquet Server, Certified Restaurant Server, and DJ Certification.

These are certification programs, which means that only candidates with actual work experience are eligible.

All courses will include certification examinations and successful candidates will receive certificates from certifying institutions, including the National Restaurant Association, the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute or HEART Trust/NSTA.

Registration continues at www.tef.gov.jm/jamaica-centre-of-toursm-innovation  

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