Government of Jamaica

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Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (right) receives a welcome hug, one of the many he received on his tour of Royalton Negril on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Management and staff were out in their numbers to greet the Minister at the restart of operations following a multi-million-dollar restoration in the wake of last year’s hurricane.

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Workers Joyful as Royalton Negril Reopens Amid Wider Tourism Recovery

NEGRIL, Jamaica; Thursday, August 27, 2026: Pulsating music, dance and colourful dresses marked the reopening of the Royalton Negril hotel and the return of nearly 1,000 workers to their jobs. The hotel reopened at 50 percent occupancy, which is expected to rise to 80 percent over the US Thanksgiving period, and is already sold out for Jamaica’s Heroes Weekend and Christmas. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, was excited as he moved among staff members and was greeted with gleeful smiles as he toured the property to see firsthand its multi-million-dollar recovery from the impact of hurricane Melissa. “When I walked in, I saw that 960 workers were back on the job, and that by Thanksgiving, I'm told, the other 320 will be back, and we will have a full complement of 1,200 workers employed. That means families are now going to be more secure. It's coming back at the right time with back to school,” Minister Bartlett said.
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Jamaicans in the Diaspora Encouraged to be Tourism Ambassadors

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; June 17, 2015: Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, has called on members of the Diaspora to take on the role of being ambassadors for Jamaica’s growing tourism industry as a valuable means of helping their homeland. During a panel discussion at the 6 th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference now underway at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, Dr. McNeill asked members to: “Keep on being ambassadors, keep on coming back home and encourage your friends and family to come as well.”
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Ocho Rios Gets $107.2 Million CCTV Surveillance System

Kingston, Jamaica: September 6, 2015 – Lawmen in the resort town of Ocho Rios have been given added resources to aid in their efforts to maintain law and order as the parish capital became the latest area to be outfitted with a cutting edge Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system. The system was officially handed over recently at the Ocho Rios Police Station, where the monitoring centre is located.
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TEF Provides $84 Million to Repair Mocho to Arcadia Main Road

MONTEGO BAY, St James; Monday, September 7, 2015: The linkage between tourism and agriculture will begin to benefit a number of historic rural communities in southern St. James soon, with the Tourism Enhancement Fund financing the rehabilitation of a roadway in the area, to the tune of just under $84 million.
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Newly Upgraded Burwood Beach Facility Opened

TEF Provides $28 Million for Renovation FALMOUTH, Jamaica, Sunday, January 10, 2016: The parish of Trelawny now boasts one of the best public beaches in the island following an investment of $28 million in the development of the Burwood Beach on the outskirts of Falmouth.
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Rafting in Portland to get Major Boost

Kingston Jamaica; January 1 4 , 201 6 : The rafting experience in Portland is set to be significantly enhanced, with some $32 million being allocated to renovate the facilities in Berridale and Rafter’s Rest. This was revealed by Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill at a meeting which followed the second staging of the Rafter’s Rest Race on Wednesday January 13, 2016.
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TEF Allocated J$180 Million to Heritage Sites in 2015

Kingston, Jamaica: January 15, 2016 – As part of efforts to boost heritage tourism the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) allocated $180 million in funding for Jamaica’s heritage sites in 2015. This is in keeping with the agency’s mandate to create a richer tourism product and also preserve the nation's historical and cultural heritage for its citizens. Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr.
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