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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.

More news about Jamaica.

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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: Adequate systems in place for reopening of Jamaica’s tourism sector

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Bartlett: Adequate systems in place for reopening of Jamaica’s tourism sector

Bartlett: Adequate systems in place for reopening of Jamaica’s tourism sector

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has expressed confidence that adequate systems have been put in place for the reopening of Jamaica’s tourism industry. This, as he lauded the efforts of tourism partners and stakeholders for the preparations that have been made at the Sangster International Airport to facilitate the smooth reopening of the sector on Monday (June 15).

Minister Bartlett and key stakeholders had a walk-through of all areas of the airport through which the passengers will travel, with special emphasis on Immigration and Customs, before being tested for signs of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) prior to departing the airport for their respective vacation spots.

Minister Bartlett said the logistics were in place to enable as seamless a process as is possible for the dawning of a new era in tourism. He commended all partners and players who have been working overtime to make sure all parts come together effectively.

He underscored that the airport team had introduced numerous changes to facilitate social distancing consistent with stipulated health protocols. Furnishings within the airport have been arranged, technology to capture the temperature of passengers and sanitization stations installed to satisfy health requirements under COVID-19.

While maintaining that the processing of arriving passengers on Monday “will not be an insurmountable task,” Minister Bartlett said: “We’re really hoping that our locals and visitors alike will have an experience that they will be comfortable with bearing in mind the many challenges posed by this pandemic. This is a very unique situation and we are doing our best to manage it properly.”

He said while everything was being done “we also ask for understanding that this is not perfection where everything will necessarily go as we planned but certainly what we have done is to put in place that which will enable a start on which we can now work to achieve perfection.”

Included in the high-level team that toured the facility were Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health & Wellness, Dunstan Bryan; Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jacqueline Bisasor-McKenzie; Regional Technical Director, Western Regional Health Authority, Dr Diane Campbell-Stennett; Director of Tourism, Donovan White; Senior Advisor/Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright, President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Omar Robinson; Director of Projects, Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Stephen Edwards; JTB Regional Director, Odette Dyer and JDF Captain Jevan Brown, in charge of logistics.

The airport team was led by Chief Executive Officer, Shane Munroe and Chief Operations Officer, Peter Hall.

The reopening of the sector will commence with some six flights landing at the Sangster International Airport from Jetblue, American and Delta Airlines. Passengers will be a mix of tourists and Jamaicans returning home.

#rebuildingtravel

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

Spanish Jamaica Foundation Makes US$200,000 Donation to the Government’s COVID-19 Recovery Program

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The Spanish Jamaica Foundation has donated US$200,000 (J$28 million) to the Government of Jamaica’s COVID-19 Recovery Program. The donation will go towards the procurement of well-needed protective gear and ventilators. The announcement was made during a digital press briefing hosted by the Ministry of Tourism earlier today.

The Spanish Jamaica Foundation includes members from various Spanish-owned hotels and companies that hold investments in Jamaica. It is a non-profit organization objective is to foster partnerships between both countries through projects and initiatives of educational, cultural and social character.

“This donation is very important to us because the Tourism industry is a critical part of the whole recovery program for COVID-19. We are impacted greatly by it, as you know, but we also must be a central part of the management and recovery activities,” said Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.

Ambassador of Spain to Jamaica, His Excellency Josep Maria Bosch, stated that “The members of the foundation have expressed a will to cooperate with the Government of Jamaica… Almost every dollar that was in their accounts has been allocated for special donations to the Ministry of Health to support the fight against the virus. Spain will try to be closer to Jamaica, it may be a small part of the fight, but we are very happy to be contributing to this effort. The amount will be US$200,000 and some of the companies are thinking of doing special new donations. So maybe the figure will be increased in the future.”

Minister Bartlett added that this donation is one of many donations and gestures being done by the sector. He shared that in some instances, workers who have been laid off have been given care packages to help sustain them through this period among other incentives.

“The donation from the Spanish Jamaica Foundation now brings us to over US$1.2 million from our hotels to various aspects of the recovery program for COVID-19,” said Minister Bartlett.

Senior Advisor and Strategist, Delano Seiveright noted that many stakeholders are doing their part to assist the Government in its aggressive efforts to manage COVID-19.

“Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) members are collaborating with the Ministry of Health and Wellness to provide well-needed rooms for recovery/quarantine of COVID-19 patients. Sandals Resorts International has provided rooms, transportation for healthcare workers, hand held thermometers and ventilators in excess of J$20 million; the Issa Trust Foundation has donated J$32 million in critical supplies; Round Hill Hotel and Villas is working with Hanover Charities to use all perishables to support soup kitchens in Lucea, where they will continue to feed up to 700 persons on a frequent basis; the Hendrickson group are putting together major support and many others have or are coming on board,” Seiveright noted.

Media Contact:

Corporate Communications Division

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Bartlett: Ministries of Tourism and Health, JHTA partnering to provide rooms for COVID-19 patients

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Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has announced that his Ministry along with the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), will be partnering to provide rooms for COVID-19 patients, should the need arise.

“I am in discussions with my colleague Minister of Health and the president of the JHTA to identify suitable rooms in the event they may be required to deal with recovery cases with COVID-19. Right now it is all hands on deck and tourism stands ready to support in any way it can to mitigate against the impact of this pandemic,” said Minister Bartlett.

The COVID-09 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on several countries globally. To date, there has been over 400 thousand cases with over 18 thousand deaths associated with the disease.

“Partnerships at the local, regional and global levels are critical at this stage to help manage this disease and this is just one such example,” added Minister Bartlett.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon Christopher Tufton has welcomed the initiative, which he says will help to ease the burden on the already limited public health resources.

Speaking on the response by the JHTA, President Omar Robinson said, “The JHTA has requested from our members with closed properties to enter into a partnership arrangement with the Ministry of Health & Wellness in the provision of rooms for quarantine/isolation purposes. We have also requested of our members to donate linens and other soft goods for use at hospitals, and isolation/quarantine rooms.”

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

African Tourism Board on COVID19: Act Now!

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A leading voice of tourism development on the African continent, the African Tourism Board (ATB) is of the position that the “wait and see period on Covid-19” is over for Africa and the time to “ACT NOW”. Going forward, ATB will be releasing industry updates to keep African Tourism stakeholders informed and advised on mitigatory measures we must all take to ensure we survive the damages of the Corona Virus pandemic. It is important to note that for the continent to respond effectively to the threat and damage of Covid-19 a coordinated approach is required. We must all consult, share ideas and advice on recovery measures.

In today’s edition ATB proposes to the African Union Member States and industry stakeholders the following:

• ATB commends those Member States that have constituted National inter-sectoral or inter-ministerial a Corona Virus Committees or Task Forces. It urges those that have not done so to establish such national structures as a matter of urgency. The purpose of such national structures is to ensure that all sectors are able to feed into the national discussions on the impacts of the pandemic and decisions on priorities for mitigating and recovery.
ATB further urges the Tourism Sector to ensure that both its private and public players
• are adequately represented on these national structures.
• ATB advises on the importance of sharing information and experiences particularly in these situations where countries may have to close their borders to foreign travel and to quarantine sections of the population.
• ATB, therefore, urges the National Tourism Authorities to establish National Tourism Task Teams with a resourced research and information dissemination function. Such task Forces should continuously, gather information and relevant intelligence on the impact of the virus at national level and to feed into the National Task Force.
• ATB is at advanced stages in its discussions with Strategic Partners including NEPAD-AUDA and UNWTO to establish a focal point/desk to collect and collate all information from the national structures to facilitate free flow and sharing of vital intelligence to counter the damages of the pandemic.
• ATB recommends that National Task Teams must already be planning for mitigation and rapid recovery. It is equally important that we all as a continent, share such plans.
• In the meantime Member States, Tourism Task Teams responsible for intelligence gathering can share information by contacting ATB at info@africantourismboard.com. The ATB will use such information responsibly and process it for sharing with all Member States and key stakeholders.
ATB continues to advise that the pandemic is already impacting on the health systems and economies of the continent. All countries must be on high alert, taking necessary measures to protect the lives and health of people of the continent and all its visitors. Travel and tourism is a frontline industry in the fight against this pandemic and as we have seen in other parts of the world, it is being hit first and it is being hit hard. Again as reported in affected countries, once in the community, the virus spreads fast and across geographical areas, impacting hard on the health sector and the rest of the economy. Travel and Tourism are affected almost immediately.
The proposed measures are meant to ensure no section of the industry must be caught unawares, all players must be alert to the developments and operators should not go for short term gains or measures but to look at the bigger picture, building resilience and creating measures for a rapid recovery
ATB continues to advise African Governments that post the immediate health and economic impacts, Transport and Tourism are the strategic and frontline sectors with the capacity to pull other sectors of the economy to recovery. But to do that these sectors must be resourced. Therefore the structures proposed in this article must be taken seriously to inform and be a strategic vehicle for crafting and implementing effective management, mitigation, and rapid recovery plans. Resource allocation must prioritize transport, travel, and tourism as strategic to rapid economic recovery.

More information on the African Tourism Board: www.africantourismboard.com

Media contact:
www.africantourismboard.com/contact
CCO Juergen Steinmetz : +1-808-536-1100 jts@africantourismboard.com

Spanish hoteliers to buy more local products in Jamaica

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Spanish Hotel interests this morning, while noting the importance of quality, good pricing and consistency, committed to expand their purchasing and support for local products and services as Jamaica’s tourism industry continues on a strong growth path that will see the build out of thousands of new hotel rooms over the coming months and years.

They also indicated strongly a willingness to work with the Government of Jamaica in collaborating with local businesses on the establishment of efficient and well run farming operations to better supply the growing industry.
The commitment came from owners and Senior Executives of the largest Hotels and resorts in Jamaica under the Inverotel umbrella, an association representing Spanish Hoteliers and Operators, who this morning met with Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and other tourism officials in Spain’s capital city, Madrid.

Representatives included the owners’ of three of the largest hotels in the Jamaica: Grupo Pinero owners of Bahia Principe, Mrs. Encarna Pinero, who also Chairs Inverotel; Iberostar’s, Mr. Miguel Fluxa and Grand Palladium’s, Abel Matutes.

The commitment came as Minister Bartlett detailed major findings of a recent demand study illustrating Jamaica’s tourism sector’s total value of demand for agricultural products amounted to J$39.6 billion and a whopping J$352 billion for manufactured products.

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.

Spanish Hotel Investors have pumped approximately US$1.7 billion or J$238 billion into the Jamaican economy in recent years and represent 25 per cent of Hotel rooms.

A further US$750 million or J$105 Billion in investments representing an additional 3,000 rooms is already in motion with the continued development of the new Spanish owned H10 resort in Trelawny and the planned development of the island’s largest resort by Princess Resorts in Hanover.

Owner of Iberostar, Miguel Fluxa, commended Bartlett’s leadership noting that it “is the very base of Jamaica’s outstanding tourism product over the years.”

Among other matters discussed at the high-level engagement are work permits, beach protection, workers training, the Government’s new pension plan and enhanced coordination and integration with civil society.

Jamaica’s Minister Bartlett is currently in Spain participating in FITUR, the largest International Tourism Trade Fair for inbound and outbound Ibero-American markets.

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

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation joins forces with VIP hotel and tour operator delegation for largest media blitz in BTO Canada history!

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The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation delegates lead by Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar, as well as numerous industry partners took media outlets and tour operators in Canada on a whirlwind tour of the Islands of the Bahamas, solidifying the messaging of the Bahamas being a viable destination for the Canadian tourists, despite the impact of Hurricane Dorian. “Following Hurricane Dorian, we felt that it was absolutely critical to come and let the Canadian market know that we are open for business and to introduce The Bahamas to new aspects of the Canadian market,” remarked Bahamas Ministry of Tourism Director General, Joy Jibrilu, “as far west as Vancouver, there is huge potential to market the country.”

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation joins forces with VIP hotel and tour operator delegation for largest media blitz in BTO Canada history

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation joins forces with VIP hotel and tour operator delegation for largest media blitz in BTO Canada history

Canada is the second largest country in the world and the second largest source market for visitor arrivals to The Bahamas next to the United States. Throughout the first seven months of 2019 an estimated 3.7 million Canadian arrivals to the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America representing a YOY increase of 4.3%. Canadian visitor arrivals to The Bahamas increased by 14% YOY in 2017-2018. During the months of January through September, Canadian arrivals paced 10.5% ahead of the same in 2018. “The tourism industry had an historic year in 2018 and has maintained momentum right up to Dorian’s arrival. International arrivals to the Bahamas increased by just over 13% in August, including 2.1% growth from Canada. Air capacity from Canada was up 7% and fall bookings were looking strong,” remarked D’Aguilar, “it’s not business as usual in the Bahamas- that will be years away but this is a major step to be present in the Canadian market to regain momentum.”

Joining this promotional expedition with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation included Fred Lounsberry, CEO, Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board, Karin Salinas, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Baha Mar, Ana Cerna, Director of International Marketing for Rosewood Baha Mar, Bryan Gay Sr. Vice President of Sales at Atlantis Paradise Island, Sydney Engel, Director of Public Relations for Atlantis Paradise Island, Amy Mecl, Vice President Leisure Sales for Atlantis Paradise Island, Franco Pill Vice President of Business Development for Atlantis Paradise Island, Yasmine Strachan Director of Sales, Comfort Suites Paradise Island, Sobieda Feliz, Director of Sales Warwick Paradise Island, Phillippe Gringas, Associate Director of Sales, Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, Lilly Carr, Leisure Sales Manager, Rosewood Baha Mar, Cristina Diaz, Leisure Sales Manager, Melia, James Burrows, Group Sales Manager, SLS Baha Mar, Robert Garzaroli, Principle, Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant, Elaine and Brent Carnegie, Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board, Regia Knowles, Director of Operations Sunrise Beach Club, Hedda Smith, Sales Manager, Superclub Breezes, L’Oreal Sweeting, Out Islands Promotion Board, Jeff Todd, Communications Manager, Grand Isle Resort & Spa, Barbara Dirnberger, National Sales Manager, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Lines, Carmel Churchill, Sales Manager, Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board, Barbara Spychalla, Operations Manager, Valentines Resort & Marina, William Saunders Jr. Director, Majestic Tours Bahamas, Juan Moss, CEO Leisure Travel and Tours, Michael Symonette, CEO, Bahamas Experience Tours, Juan Carlos Ruiz, Sales Manager Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach, Craig Thomas Director of Sales and Marketing, Margaritaville Bahamas, Donne Nixon, Business Development Manager Sandals Resorts, Krista Cardona Sales Manager, Air Canada Vacations, Emily Spadafora, Andrei Losinski and Christopher Brothers, Sales Managers WestJet Vacations, Lorraine Brisbois corporate manager, Sunwing Vacations and Nancy Drolet Business Development Manager, Caribbean Tourism Organization.

Ministry of Tourism officials are hopeful that the media blitz will strengthen sales efforts and add an intimate appeal to the Canadian tourist to visit the Bahamas. “We’ve had a record-breaking year with the Canadian market, and we are looking to continue that trend.” stated Jibrilu.