Tourism Outlook Seminar Rescheduled to the New Year

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 09, 2016:  In light of the impending local government elections on November 28, 2016, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that the much-anticipated Tourism Outlook Seminar (TOS), slated for December 6-8 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, has been postponed.

“We recognise the significance this monumental event will have, not only on our country’s tourism product but also on our region. It was therefore very important for us to have the event at a later date to ensure that it is not overshadowed by the outcome of our local elections on November 28,” said Minister Bartlett.

The TOS, which was launched on October 27 at Kingston’s iconic Devon House, is to be rescheduled to a date to be determined in the new year. It will be held under the theme: ‘Tourism: Navigating Global Changes for Continued Growth’.  It is being hosted by the Ministry of Tourism and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) with funding from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

“The 2017 Tourism Outlook Seminar will be one for the history books. I encourage everyone – policy makers, representatives of government ministries and agencies, hotel owners and senior managers, investors, academics, airline executives, travel agents, travel media, tour operators and other business partners – to mark your calendars as this will definitely be beneficial to you,” he added.

 The Tourism Outlook Seminar will see contributions from global experts on critical topics, such as managing communications in the face of issues such as pandemics, terrorism and natural disasters; establishing multi-destination tourism; travel facilitation and connectivity and packaging destination experiences among other topics.

It will feature presenters and panellists from renowned local and international organizations, such as: the UNWTO, Airbnb; TUI; Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health; the World Travel & Tourism Council; the Caribbean Tourism Organization; the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA); and Sandals Resorts International.

“The Tourism Outlook Seminar will still feature our Summit of Tourism Ministers from the region, which is something I am very excited about. We are going to discuss how we can change the game from the highly competitive tourism strategies that have not given us growth, to a new more collaborative approach.  We have extended invitations to tourism ministers from the Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Aruba, the Turks & Caicos Islands, St. Martin, St. Maarten and the Cayman Islands,” explained the Minister.

Registration for the event will remain open and persons are being encouraged to register online and access additional information at www.visitjamaica.com/tourismseminar .

“I want to use this opportunity to thank everyone who has already registered to participate in this event as well as our loyal sponsors. Your support and interest in the development of our nation’s tourism industry has certainly not gone unnoticed. I eagerly anticipate sharing ideas and information with you at the event so that we can all play our part in the development of our country,” said Minister Bartlett.