Government of Jamaica

Tourism Minister to Sign Major Agreement with Airbnb

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 14, 2016:  Honouring his commitment to develop new tourism-partnerships, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett today (November 14, 2016) announced that the Ministry of Tourism is set to sign a major agreement with Airbnb to augment and drive growth within the tourism industry.

The Minister, who made the announcement during a meeting with Airbnb executives, at the Ministry’s New Kingston offices, is very optimistic about the potential impact this will have on community tourism and is eager to finalize a memorandum of understanding to concretize the partnership.

“We are very happy to be partnering with Airbnb and know that it will be mutually beneficial to both entities involved. Once drafted, I know that the agreement will take into account our goal of destination assurance, which ensures our credibility in the marketplace. It will also allow us to utilize analytics across their social platforms. This will be a great tool for us to build a better collective resource management platform for our destination,” said Minister Bartlett. 

According to Airbnb’s executive with responsibility for Public Policy in Latin America and the Caribbean, Shawn Sullivan, the market for Airbnb in Jamaica is rapidly growing and is extremely lucrative. The site currently accounts for 2,300 active hosts and 4,000 active listings in the past year from Jamaica.

“Generally in the Caribbean people will rent their entire homes. Here in Jamaica, we are seeing a mixture between private homes versus a private space in someone’s home. We were responsible for bringing in roughly 32,000 tourists within the past year and we believe that this collaboration will allow this to grow exponentially,” explained Mr Sullivan.

Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world online or from a mobile phone or tablet. It connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and 191 countries. With a growing community of users, Airbnb is one of the easiest ways for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.

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Appleton Investment Timely as Tourism Remains on Growth Path

APPLETON, St. Elizabeth; Jamaica, November 20, 2016: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has welcomed as timely, a US$7.2 million investment that will make the long established Appleton Estate Rum Tour the gateway for tourism on the Jamaica’s South Coast. Minister Bartlett headed a list of dignitaries who broke ground recently for the Appleton Estate Visitor Centre which on completion, will be a showpiece surrounded by vast fields of sugar cane and home of Appleton, one of the world’s top rum brands.

The Tourism Minister was particularly pleased that the project was being undertaken in an area of Jamaica where investment of that magnitude has not been a common feature and he saw it as “the beginning of a new chapter in employment opportunities for a large number of people in the Siloah, Appleton and Maggoty area and to build out with you a seminal and aspirational experience that will bring millions of people to these parts over the coming years.”

Appleton Estate is owned by J. Wray & Nephew (JWN), a subsidiary of Gruppo Campari and the investment project was outlined by JWN’s Chairman, Clement “Jimmy” Lawrence, who noted that it will provide “a unique visitor experience.” It will involve upgrading of the existing facility and its expansion by another 25,000 square feet by October 2017.

The main building will be the welcome centre with a theatre, luxurious bar, five-star restaurant and other amenities preceding the historical tour of the estate’s distillery and its ageing warehouses. It is highly anticipated that the rail service which ground to a halt many years ago, will be rolling again around 2017 or shortly thereafter and form an integral part of the plan to more than double the 50,000 visitors who currently take the Appleton Rum Tour.

Minister Bartlett lauded JWN for “going beyond manufacturing to expanding the range of offerings that Jamaica provides as a destination and helping to make us a much desired place that people want to visit.” He was also pleased that elements of the exciting expansion plan, namely food and music, were two of the passion points that will attract visitors. “So you have a complete offering here that will excite everyone who wants to come to Jamaica and within that frame will encapsulate all that a visitor needs when he gets into a destination,” said Mr. Bartlett.

With the inclusion of a state of the art restaurant under the project, Minister Bartlett said “we see this as a bold statement that Jamaica is about to make to the world as a centre of gastronomy.” Also, work is progressing by the Ministry’s newly formed Gastronomy Network to, among other things, create a gastronomy mapping platform with easily accessible information on the best food offerings island-wide; foster the development of food tours across the country, including elements of food preparation and building out festivals as a product for gastronomy tourism. The Appleton Rum Tour will be the centrepiece of that gastronomy arrangement for the South Coast.

He implored Appleton to aim for a level of increase in visitors to the attraction way beyond its own projection, “because we are growing the industry at a rate that will enable you to do that. Cruise is going to grow exponentially and you must prepare yourself for the post 2017 arrival of the Appleton Train again. And you must prepare yourself for the expansion of the highway within these areas that is going to create connectivity in this Appleton area through Accompong and back into Montego Bay.”

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Cruise Ship Crew Members to be Engaged in Promoting Jamaica – Minister Bartlett

FALMOUTH, Trelawny; November 23, 2016: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has embraced a suggestion from Captain Johnny Faevelen, Master of the world’s largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, to strategically engage crew members on cruise ships to aid in promoting the destination to attract more passengers to the island.

The cruise ship with a maximum capacity for some 6,780 guests and 2300 crew members, was launched just five months ago by Royal Caribbean and made its inaugural visit to Falmouth on Tuesday November 22, 2016. At a welcome reception onboard, Captain Faevelen strongly suggested that while focus must be placed on passengers the crew “are the people you must take best care of.”

He pointed out that it was the crew members who helped to promote the various destinations to passengers, which informed their decision to get off the ships to see for themselves. He said they are the persons telling the guests about the different locations and being treated well by the people on land at the different ports augured well for how they promoted the island.

“The crew members are the most loyal customers you have,” he noted, reaffirming that “the most loyal people are the ones who come back not every other week on board the ship, not two months, not four months but eight months of the year and we love Jamaica. We love the friendliness, the happiness, the ‘no problem man’ attitude; we love Jamaica,” declared Captain Faevelen.

Underscoring the point, Minister Bartlett said “the Captain gave us a very interesting addition to the core of key first instance contact which we knew was there before but really it has not been brought to our consciousness in the way that the Captain did today, that the crew are indeed your first point of contact for the visitor coming into your destination.”

He endorsed the fact that “a lot of these visitors, while they are on board the ship, get their feeling about the destination, get their desire for the destination, get their allurement to the destination from the expressions and statements of the crew and the manner in which the destination is presented by them.”

The Tourism Minister added that “we take the guidance that he has given us and we will seek to engage the crew members in a more strategic way. I want to implore Jamaicans that wherever you see a crew member, take the best care of them because that’s truly your first point of contact to your destination.”

Minister Bartlett emphasised that cruise was a very essential part of the tourism offering that Destination Jamaica provided and the partnership with Royal Caribbean was very significant, resulting in the establishment of Falmouth as the largest port in the Caribbean. This development he said had made cruise tourism “rise to new heights” with 1.2 million arrivals last year in Falmouth alone while Montego Bay and Ocho Rios shared 500,000.

“This year, so far, we’re right on target; we’re actually 9 percent above last year and earnings have also grown. The period January to September 2016 saw a 9.6% increase in cruise passenger arrivals, with 1,223,608 recorded passengers, when compared to the same period last year,” he explained.

“We recorded cruise passenger earnings of approximately US$111 million, up from some US$98.3 million for the same period last year,” disclosed Mr. Bartlett.

Two other Royal Caribbean cruise ships, namely Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas are already berthing in Falmouth and Captain Faevelen said a fourth ship, not yet named, was under construction and expected to also come here after it has been commissioned.

In welcoming Harmony of the Seas, he noted that it was joining its sister ships and Jamaica was happy to be the destination in the Caribbean to have the pleasure of welcoming the three largest cruise ships in the world. “So we’re excited about the continued partnership and the relationship with Royal Caribbean and to see continued growth. To have all three major ships coming here is very significant and will enhance the growth of the industry in Jamaica and by extension the Caribbean,” he said.

Mr. Bartlett gave an assurance that “we are committed to building out the experiences that the cruise visitors require,” adding, “we are dedicated to ensuring a safe, seamless and secure destination.” Consequently, “we have been investing along that line; our partners the Port Authority of Jamaica and the UDC (Urban Development Corporation) they have been collaborating to build out creative experiences that will enable not only the over 8000, including crew, that come on the Harmony of the Seas to have fun along the port but to be able to radiate throughout the town of Falmouth and to benefit from the culture of the people.”

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Tourism Outlook Seminar 2016 to Focus on Navigating Global Changes to Drive Growth

KINGSTON, Jamaica; October 27, 2016:  Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett is urging his fellow Ministers of Tourism and other tourism partners across the region to use the forum which will be provided at the upcoming Tourism Outlook Seminar (TOS) 2016 to develop a model that will drive growth in regional tourism, despite numerous global challenges.

Speaking at the press launch for the event on October 27, 2016, at Kingston’s iconic Devon House, Minister Bartlett, outlined that while tourism is undoubtedly one of the world’s largest and fastest growing sectors it faces many complex challenges. These include terrorism, pandemics, natural disasters, catastrophes, economic uncertainty in source markets and the ever-changing demands of travelers; all of which pose serious threats to the sustainable growth of tourism.

He emphasized that TOS 2016, which is slated for December 6-8 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, will provide the ideal opportunity for national and regional tourism policy makers and stakeholders to examine these and other issues and discuss ways to address them in order to foster continued growth.

“The seminar will also look at how we in the Northern Caribbean space can develop a model that is going to make us grow at rates that are higher than the current position – because the Caribbean is arguably the slowest growing destination in world tourism,” said Minister Bartlett.

“At the seminar, I will be hosting a Summit of Tourism Ministers from the region. 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 and the Cayman Islands,” Minister Bartlett added.

The event will be held under the theme: ‘Tourism: Navigating Global Changes for Continued Growth’. This year’s staging is being hosted by the Ministry of Tourism and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The seminar is being funded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

It 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.

TOS 2016 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 Resort International.

The Minister also announced that Caribbean Airlines has thrown its support behind the initiative and is the preferred airline partner for the seminar. 

Registration for the event is already open. Persons are being encouraged to register online and access additional information at www.visitjamaica.com/tourismseminar .

“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 go to the JTB website and register for TOS 2016 today,” Minister Bartlett emphasized.

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Minister Bartlett to Participate in International Timeshare Conference

Minister Bartlett to Encourage Investment in Timeshare Vacations Subsector
 

KINGSTON, Jamaica; October 25, 2016:  Efforts to foster investment in island’s timeshare vacations subsector, will be further boosted as Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett departs the island today (October 25, 2016), to attend the International Shared Ownership Investment Conference on ‘Timeshare’s Economic Impact on Destination Markets’ in Miami. 

“I am very excited to attend this important conference on timeshare vacations. I strongly believe that it is important for us to continuously diversify Jamaica’s tourism product and the introduction of timeshare vacations to our product mix is a key way for us to achieve this. It is a unique form of tourism which has the potential to create new economic opportunities for Jamaicans while fuelling investment and enhancing Jamaica’s international appeal,” shared Minister Bartlett.

The conference, which is scheduled to run from October 24-26, 2016, is a major event which provides a forum to educate potential entrants, developers and destination representatives who want to learn more about the opportunities and future trends in the vacation ownership industry.  While there, Minister Bartlett will participate in a high level panel discussion. He will outline details including the objectives of introducing the timeshare legislation act in Jamaica, the potential economic impact and the importance of investing in the island.

“I will use this unique opportunity to urge international interests to examine timeshare as an area of our tourism sector to invest in as the returns can be very lucrative.  The recent introduction of Timeshare Legislation now makes this a viable are for investment. Vacation ownership is one of the fastest-growing areas of the global tourism sector and there is significant potential for further growth and development of the timeshare product in the Caribbean and especially in Jamaica,” he said.

The Minister is scheduled to return to the island on Wednesday October 26, 2016.

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Over $1 Billion Tourism Investment Made in Ocho Rios - Minister Bartlett

OCHO RIOS, Jamaica; Thursday, October 20, 2016: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that over $1 billion has been invested in Ocho Rios in recent years to enhance the resort town. He also noted that except for commercial developments, all significant improvements taking place in Ocho Rios were being driven by the tourism dollar. “Billions of dollars have been spent in Ocho Rios over the last ten years in attempting to build out the destination and to ensure destination integrity,” Minister Bartlett said.  

The Minister was addressing tourism stakeholders at a joint meeting of the Ocho Rios Chapter of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association and the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce, at the Moon Palace Jamaica Grande Resort yesterday (October 19).

He pointed out that the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), have pumped huge amounts of funds into the town in partnership with other government agencies such as the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ).

The Tourism Minister listed some of the contributions. In continuation of its significant support for national security, in the last two months a further $100 million have been committed to the Jamaica Constabulary Force to acquire new vehicles and repair disabled ones.

In solid waste, TPDCo has a $500 million programme with the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) for the rest of the fiscal year to ensure resort areas are cleaned and maintained.

Additionally, under the Ocho Rios Improvement project, some $400 million has been allocated to the town for this redevelopment project, some of which has already been spent including; $68.2 million on the Turtle River Road and $29 million refurbishing the cruise ship pier. Another $13 million has been spent enhancing from the pier gate to the marina and $97 million on the terminal building and parking lot.

Minister Bartlett disclosed that “a further $286 million will be spent in the coming months as we continue our efforts to renew and improve the visitor experience in Ocho Rios.” From that sum, $102 million has been earmarked for redevelopment of the boardwalk/promenade from the Marina to the parking lot at Ocho Rios Bay Beach and $184.7 million for redevelopment of Main Street from Turtle River Road to the Ocean Village Shopping Centre.

Ocho Rios is also to be the site of one of three artisan villages which will help to streamline the business “of how ‘craft entrepreneurs’ are positioned, accommodated and enabled to produce their goods” with the focus being on indigenous art and craft. Mr. Bartlett said the design process for the villages had started and funding identified.

With the Ministry of Tourism, through its agencies, allocating such large sums to the infrastructural development of Ocho Rios, he made an appeal to the people of the resort town to shoulder some responsibility for its sustainable development and for them to be more proactive in this process.

“We are holding all the agencies accountable but who is holding the town accountable for keeping these things in pristine condition after we have delivered it to them?” asked Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett.

He was responding to questions raised by some stakeholders who felt enough was not being done to sustain the image of the town as a major tourist resort. Their concerns were presented to Minister Bartlett and his colleague Minister of Labour and Social Security Hon. Shahine Robinson.

However in underscoring the need for stewardship, Minister Bartlett said the people of the town also needed to be held accountable “because putting more and more money into the town only to come back and to be told that this is to be done and that is to be done again is a waste of time and money.”

On a broader level, Minister Bartlett also said, TPDCo was being repositioned and “the review of the Tourist Board Act had been completed which will allow for a stronger sense of quality control and licensing to enable greater responsibility, not just from our side but from your side as stakeholders.”

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Minister Bartlett Outlines Plans to Use Gastronomy Tourism to Transform Key Cities

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Thursday, October 13, 2016: Two of the busiest streets in two of the island’s key cities could become major tourism hubs, based on the vision outlined by Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett. He also foresees the town of Buff Bay in Portland being transformed by cottage industries utilizing coffee.

Montego Bay’s St. James Street and Kingston’s Knutsford Boulevard have already taken on certain characteristics of their own but Minister Bartlett believes so much more can be done to make them appeal to the growing gastronomy or food-based tourism market.

The Minister explained his vision while addressing journalists at the first gastronomy seminar on fats and oils, hosted jointly by the Ministry’s Tourism Linkages Network and Seprod Group at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa yesterday (October 12, 2016). The event was dubbed; The Gastronomy of Fats and Oils - The Art of Choosing, Preparing and Cooking Good Food. It entailed a series of presentations by chefs and experts on how to effectively use fats and oils to further enhance culinary delights within the tourism sector.

Minister Bartlett said in the context of a development strategy, “while we talk about gastronomy in the broad sense of consumption, it is also a development tool because it gives an opportunity for infrastructural development.”

Regarding Montego Bay, he said the city had to be looked at in that way. “We need to reinvent the tourism product in Montego Bay and to create a new vista for expansion and growth.” Mr. Bartlett is adamant that for Montego Bay to grow, a new destination needs to be created. “I think that the new destination can definitely revolve around food and entertainment.”

His vision is that from City Centre, running the length of St. James Street in the heart of the commercial district to Barnett Street “is a perfect area that literally invites itself for that kind of development.” In pursuit of this initiative Mr. Bartlett said he would be having talks with the Prime Minister and his fellow Members of Parliament in the city “to see how we can move this process forward because it can redefine Montego Bay in so many ways.”

He is aware that a number of elements must come together to create this new experience and is hoping for buy-in from other stakeholders including the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Parish Council and the Urban Development Corporation.

“Where I have seen these things work well it’s a mix of commercial activity and dormitory with people living on the upper floors along the corridor and at the base there are the restaurants and shops,” he added.

Numerous examples exist in various countries on how this can be achieved but the will is needed, noted Mr. Bartlett, adding “we will get investment; investors will come in to do it.”

Regarding Kingston’s Knutsford Boulevard, this would complement Devon House which is being positioned as a major centre for gastronomy tourism. “Knutsford Boulevard right now offers itself because we have all the key hotels along the strip, and then we have high-rise buildings and a number of restaurants already on the ground floor,” noted the Tourism Minister.

He added, “it’s an opportunity for us to think it through a little deeper and to bring the stakeholders together. I can see it happening and I believe that is something that we definitely are going to be pursuing.”

Minister Bartlett then outlined that the proposal for Portland’s Buff Bay Valley takes into consideration that only 20 percent of the coffee bean it produces goes into the production of the world famous Blue Mountain brand beverage. Minister Bartlett envisages the remaining 80 percent being the raw material for a range of cottage industries.

“In other countries people use the unused portion of the coffee beans to make products such as colognes, coffee oil and even fabric.  I am excited about that because I think Buff Bay is the right place for it and it will create a new vista of hope for people and jobs and it is not only those who plant coffee or the big producers who will benefit, but the average man in the street can have the chance to benefit also,” said Minister Bartlett.

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Tourism Minister Names New National Cruise Council

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; September 26, 2016: As part of efforts to boost visitor arrivals the National Cruise Council (NCC) has been resuscitated in the Ministry of Tourism with a mandate “to guide and grow the local cruise economy in a steady and sustainable manner moving forward.”

The 13-member NCC was named recently by Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett at the Hilton Rose Hall Beach Resort and Spa.

Chaired by Michael Belnavis, the cruise council reflects a partnership between private and public sector interests.

The other members are: Harry Maragh, CEO of Lannaman and Morris (Shipping) Ltd.; Marilyn Burrowes, President, Dolphin Cove; Judy Shoenbein, of Braemar Tours; John Byles, CEO, Chukka Caribbean; Michael Drakulich, of Mystic Mountain Rain Forest/Mystic Ridge Hotel; Stephen Facey, Chairman & CEO, Pan-Jamaican Investment Trust Ltd.; William Tatham, Vice President, Port Authority of Jamaica.

Verna Lugg, General Manager, Verna’s Creation; Lee Bailey, CEO, Caribbean Cruise and Shipping Tours; Denney Chandiram, Bijoux Jewelers Montego Bay; Denton Edwards, Director of Tourism Relations, Ministry of Tourism with the other member to come from the Jamaica Tourist Board.

Outlining the rationale for the council, Minister Bartlett said the cruise industry had become the fastest growing segment in the travel industry around the world. Jamaica’s experience was in line with that as cruise passenger arrivals grew by 23.5% for the month of June, bringing 110,086 passengers from 25 cruise ship calls. 

Of significance is that historically June has not been a good month for cruise shipping to Jamaica and since the opening of the Falmouth Pier in 2010, attracting mega liners, “the growth has been phenomenal.”

However, noted Minister Bartlett, “what has not grown apace is the expenditure, even though it has moved slightly” from US$74 per passenger to US$87. He said the target was to move it to US$100, gradually increasing to US$200 per person at the minimum over the next five years.

Responsibilities of the National Cruise Council include advocating for the cruise business in Jamaica, monitoring global cruise shipping trends and strategically safeguarding relationships with cruise shipping lines and enhancing the experience of the cruise ship passenger. 

Additionally, the council will make recommendations that will result in Jamaica’s cruise shipping industry embracing principles of sustainable tourism for development through appropriate policies, also for the improvement of the onshore experience of cruise passengers.

In his first comment as chairman, Mr. Belnavis said he recognized that the cruise shipping business was very important to the growth and development of the national economy and expressed his commitment to helping to develop cruise tourism.

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Minister Bartlett Praises Tourism Sector for Hurricane Response

KINGSTON, Jamaica; October 5, 2016:  Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has expressed his deepest gratitude and appreciation to local tourism partners for their active role in the sector’s emergency planning and response efforts during the period when Hurricane Matthew posed a threat to Jamaica.

Minister Bartlett remains thankful that the island was spared the brunt of Matthew, which never made landfall in Jamaica, but passed offshore the island. He singled out the Ministry’s Tourism Emergency Operations Centre (TEOC), which provided important and timely information to tourism stakeholders around the clock. 

As Jamaica braced for the possible impact of Hurricane Matthew, the Ministry activated the TEOC at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston to coordinate emergency services for the local tourism sector. Tourism entities across the island also took precautionary measures to safeguard life and property.

“I am truly grateful to the staff and volunteers who devoted many hours of their time to ensure that the industry and our visitors were kept safe and fully informed about the impending weather system. Their support provided valuable reassurance to the tourism community. I also wish to thank all our tourism partners for the important role they played including the management and staff of the Jamaica Pegasus for accommodating our Tourism Emergency Operations Centre,” said Minister Bartlett.

“We have a well developed tourism disaster preparedness and emergency management infrastructure that can handle these types of threats. I am extremely pleased that there was no damage to the island’s tourism sector and that our tourism entities such as our resorts and attractions are operating as they normally would,” pointed out Minister Bartlett. He emphasized that “Jamaica is open for business and I encourage persons to continue to visit our island and experience a unique and memorable vacation that only Jamaica can provide.”

While being grateful that Jamaica was spared the brunt of Hurricane Matthew, Minister Bartlett urged Jamaicans to keep the people of Haiti, Cuba and other countries that have been or that are likely to be impacted by Matthew in their prayers.

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National Community Tourism Portal Officially Launched

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 28, 2016:  As the Ministry of Tourism continues to celebrate Tourism Awareness Week, officials from the Ministry, its agencies as well as tourism partners today (September 28, 2016) participated in the official launch of the National Community Tourism Portal, at Kingston’s iconic attraction, Devon House.

“It is fitting that the portal is being launched during Tourism Awareness Week, which this year is being observed under the theme ‘Tourism for all: Promoting Universal Accessibility’, as it underscores our commitment to broaden Tourism’s reach to positively impact the lives of as many Jamaicans as possible,” said Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Mrs. Jennifer Griffith.

She emphasized that “through community-based tourism the sector will be accessible to more Jamaicans and deliver greater economic benefits to a larger percentage of the population, particularly at the grass-root level.”

The portal forms part of the government’s US$15 million Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) project, which is being implemented by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), with funding from the World Bank.

“On the community tourism side, J$250 million has been invested. This is a part of the direct strategy to have both the Ministry of Tourism and JSIF really look at this business of community tourism head-to-head. What that means is direct assistance for: product development; capacity building infrastructure; and the upgrading of 11 community tourism enterprises,” said JSIF’s Managing Director, Mr. Omar Sweeney.

The National Community Tourism Portal will act as a hub which supports community based tourism in all its forms. A booking engine has also been integrated to not only give vendors additional exposure but to also provide a means for the target market to conveniently procure the services of the tourism entities from the site. 

“This portal is an excellent marketing tool which will help local community-based tourism enterprises keep pace with the competition by: building awareness of community tourism in Jamaica; providing comprehensive and engaging information on Jamaica’s community tourism product; providing an easy means for making community tourism bookings; and providing Community Based Tourism Enterprises (CBTEs) with affordable and cost effective e-marketing services,” stated Mrs. Griffith.

JSIF is currently engaged in a three year programme with the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) to establish the portal and conduct market-ready development and marketing for CBTEs — with the assistance of the Jamaica Tourist Board who will market the Community Tourism Brand. As of June 30, 2017 TPDCo will be charged with the responsibility to fully oversee the operations and maintenance of the portal.

“The introduction of this portal is a move in the right direction. It will provide: quick turn-around time for payment to the operators; a clear and comprehensive policy on cancelations thereby protecting the vendor; multi-language support for all major tourism markets; and marketing support to increase business and drive traffic to the portal,” added TPDCo’s Acting Executive Director, Mrs. Joy Roberts.

To access the portal, the public is being invited to log on to http://www.moretojamaica.com/.

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