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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Devon House Undergoes Major Upgrades

Kingston Jamaica; November 18, 2015: Kingston’s iconic landmark Devon House has been undergoing major renovations, over the last few years, to develop and preserve the heritage site. Following a tour of the facilities on Tuesday November 17, 2015, the Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill announced that the ministry, through its agency, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has funded projects at Devon House to the tune of $128 million from 2012-2014.
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TEF Provides $100 Million to Repair Mountainside Main Road

Kingston, Jamaica: November 20, 2015 – Residents in the rural community of Mountainside St. Elizabeth and surrounding areas are set to benefit from improved road conditions following the signing of a multi-million dollar contract to effect extensive repairs to the Mountainside main road. The contract was signed in the community recently and was met by applause from scores of residents who welcomed the project.
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September 2015 the Best Ever for Visitor Arrivals to Jamaica

Kingston, Jamaica: November 23, 2015 – Jamaica this year recorded the best ever September for stop over arrivals, up 7.0% (114,280 arrivals) when compared to September 2014. This record September was announced by Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, who was the guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Kingston’s weekly luncheon held recently at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston.
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Model Community Tourism and Heritage Site Opened at Maidstone, Manchester

Kingston Jamaica, November 23, 2015 – Effort to boost community tourism along the island’s South Coast has received a major boost as the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment through its agency the Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo), officially opened the Maidstone Museum in Nazareth, Manchester on Wednesday November 18, 2015. The project, that formed part of the Ministry’s Tourism Improvement Programme (TIP) is situated on the premises of the Nazareth All-Age School located in the Manchester community.
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Moon Palace Seeks to Increase Hotel Investment in Jamaica

OCHO RIOS, Jamaica, Sunday, December 6, 2015: Tourism and Entertainment Minister, Hon. Dr Wykeham McNeill, has welcomed news that Palace Resorts plans to increase investment in the island’s hotel sector. Information on the plan was provided by Executive Vice President of Palace Resorts, Gibran Chapur, at the recent official opening of Moon Palace Jamaica Grande, the first resort property outside of Mexico to be opened by that country’s largest hotel chain.
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