Bartlett to Meet Key Tourism Stakeholders to Discuss Entertainment Concerns

KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 13, 2018:  Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett will, starting today, meet with key tourism stakeholders as part of efforts to discuss concerns raised about entertainers hired within hotels.

"I will be meeting today with members of the Tourism Linkages Council with a specific focus on the Sports and Entertainment Network. The meeting is to review, clarify and discuss concerns raised regarding entertainers hired within hotels," said Minister Bartlett.

Minister Bartlett added that "It is important that any misleading information is resolved and that every tourism worker feels empowered and included within the Tourism value chain. We will also be looking closely at the demand for entertainers within the sector, the number of local entertainers, and challenges being faced among other things."

Discussions with the Tourism Linkages Council will also include transportation providers, craft entrepreneurs and the current island wide programme of sensitization of workers regarding the new tourism workers’ pension scheme that will come on stream later this year.

Minister Bartlett, will also meet with Spanish Hotel Group Invotel on Thursday June 14, 2018, to discuss data collection to help inform the Tourism Demand Study and cooperation on a number of matters including but not limited to local purchases of goods and services.

“I have always been an advocate of providing more economic opportunities for small and medium sized tourism businesses and enterprises, which includes entertainers, within the tourism value chain. This is why my Ministry established five Tourism Linkages Networks, one of which is Sports and Entertainment, to drive programmes and projects that create more of these economic opportunities.” Said Minister Bartlett.

The Ministry of Tourism has also established $1 billion dollar revolving loan through the Tourism Enhancement Fund and the Exim Bank to further to assist with investment for micro and small Jamaican owned businesses to build capacity to create and compete. This programme continues to be successful.

Minister Bartlett also noted that efforts will be followed up with engagements by Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister, Hon Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange with entertainment stakeholders and Labour and Social Security Minister, Hon Shahine Robinson to dissect the broad range of issues and ultimately address all concerns.