MONTEGO BAY, St. James: July 13, 2014: The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has invested over $100 million in the creation of Montego Bay’s first cultural centre.

Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, disclosed at the official opening of the Montego Bay Cultural Centre (MBCC) in the historic Sam Sharpe Square on Friday (July 11), that to date the TEF has contributed some $109 million to its development.

The Minister also hinted that more was in store for the square which has played an important role in several stages of national development. The former civic centre stands on the site of the old courthouse. In 1832, it was in that very court house that the trial of national hero, the Rt. Excellent Samuel Sharpe and hundreds of other slaves, who were accused in the slave rebellion of December 1831, were conducted.

Labelling it “an iconic spot in its own right,” Minister McNeill said, “discussions are already underway involving the parish council, the TEF, owners of businesses in the area and other stakeholders to transform Sam Sharpe Square into the architectural jewel I know it has the potential to become.”

With details to be worked out, Minister McNeill said this will be a major logistic and planning undertaking, but given the status of the square in national life “it certainly has the potential to be an attraction in its own right.” He has urged civic leaders and private sector interests to support this initiative.

Originally named Charles Square, the city’s commercial centre was later renamed Sam Sharpe Square in honour of Samuel Sharpe, whose life was taken on the gallows in the square for his leading role in the rebellion. A monument to the hero and the many other slaves who were also hung graces the square beside the building known as The Cage, which during that era, was used as a slave lock up.

Minister McNeill lauded the pivotal role other ministers, government officials, as well as public and private sector entities played in transforming the facility into Montego Bay’s long desired cultural centre. He noted that “over the years there have been cries from the people of Montego Bay for the transformation of the city into; not merely a tourism centre which focuses on sun, sea and sand, but a cultural tourism centre.” The Minister added that “people also want to see visible signs that represent the city’s contribution to tourism and the Tourism Enhancement Fund has been responding in a very big way.”

He asserted that the TEF is dedicated to fulfilling its mission “of promoting growth and development in the tourism sector, recognizing that tourism does not exist in a vacuum but is closely linked to various other sectors important to national development and improving the quality of life of Jamaicans.”

The Montego Bay Cultural Centre will house the National Gallery West, National Museum West, facilities for the performing arts and a bistro and will also have a gift shop and an artisan village. These are complemented by an impressive cenotaph bearing the names of slaves who were killed in the 1831 rebellion.

Montego Bay, Jamaica, July 8, 2014: A process of transformation is underway in the resort city of Montego Bay, driven by funding from the Tourism Enhancement Fund. The former civic centre in Sam Sharpe Square exemplifies this process as it becomes the Montego Bay Cultural centre housing the National Art Gallery West, a museum, a space for the performing arts and a bistro. The centre will be officially opened to the public on Friday, July 11.

Through its funding of this and other developments that enhance the city’s character and preserve its cultural heritage, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) is assisting Montego Bay’s civic leadership in achieving a transformation of the city.

In the past year alone, the TEF has underwritten several multi-million projects in Montego Bay. The list includes conversion of the Civic Centre, restoration and beautification of the historical Dome, and renovation of the Harbour Street and Fort craft markets.

Close attention is also being given to the city’s landscape and to this end the TEF is also funding beautification of the AGS Coombs Highway (Bogue Road) and Montego Bay’s Elegant Corridor which spans the hotel development area.

The Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) performs the role of implementing agency for these projects and where appropriate, partners with other agencies, among them the St. James Parish Council, the National Works Agency and Western Parks and Markets with oversight by the Montego Bay Resort Board.

A Montego Bay Arts Council chaired by hotelier Josef Forstmayr is monitoring the $42 million conversion of the Civic Centre to give the resort city two new art galleries and its own museum displaying artefacts mounted by the Institute of Jamaica and the National Heritage Trust.

In a complementary move, the TEF has partnered with the parish council in a $9-million rehabilitation of The Dome, preserving it as a landmark of Montego Bay’s first domestic water supply source. The spring from which the water sprang, was discovered by two little girls chasing a crab over 200 years ago. The sound of a splash as the crab bolted into a hole under a huge rock alerted the children who took the good news into their community.

TEF is an arm of the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment and according to the minster, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, the agency’s funds are being expended on areas such as Montego Bay because “we need to ensure that our product is the best it can be.” He is cognizant that “to be competitive you have to be constantly upgrading that product.”

Minister McNeill is also clear that “What makes us different is our culture and heritage.”

It is with this in mind that the projects being funded by the TEF have been approved and are being implemented.

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Glendon Harris is pleased with the impact the TEF has been making on the city and looks forward to a continued partnership.

“Montego Bay being the tourism capital of the Caribbean the Tourism Enhancement Fund is truly enhancing the tourism product here in Montego Bay and St. James on a whole. Some well needed injection has been given by the TEF and we have to say a big thanks to  the Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the chairman the TEF, the executive director and his team; they are truly partners in bringing Montego Bay to the level that it ought to be at,” says Mayor Harris.

Going forward, Mayor Harris says “this partnership can only grow from strength to strength. What we have been doing is utilising the fund to the best of our ability to avoid any waste and any overruns so that we ensure value for money. “

He is also particularly pleased that while the Fund targets tourism related areas, it seeks to ensure that there is benefit for the local people and to that end, disclosed that tender is out for design of the development of Providence Beach Park “so they are really looking out for the resort areas and for the people in the area to make them comfortable because if they are not, the tourist will not be comfortable either.”

Lloyd B. Smith, Member of Parliament for St. James Central which encompasses a large portion of Montego Bay, notes, “Overall, I think that the interest in terms of the actualization of these very meaningful projects will help to enhance the aesthetics of Montego Bay as well as to provide a certain level of civic pride and indeed economic empowerment in the case of the craft markets and the civic centre which will create job opportunity.”

Smith adds, however, that a certain amount of public consultation and education should accompany these projects so that people can have a greater level of appreciation for them and protect them from vandalism or unnecessary anti-social behaviour because we have seen in the past when we establish these structures and these entities, that they do not enjoy the full support of the citizenry who may just see them as governments and certain people benefitting by way of getting a contract or a job but they do not look at the bigger picture of what these projects will do in enhancing the socio-economic and cultural life of the city.”

In that context, Smith says it is up to the citizens “to ensure that we get value for money.” He adds, “As Member of Parliament one of my concerns taxpayers money must be well spent; too often we have seen overrun or short cut measures so when the project is completed you do not get what you really had anticipated. So I think it’s important as a community that we monitor these projects and ensure that at the end of the day we get value for money and what were the objectives are in fact achieved.”

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica: Wednesday, July 2, 2014: Efforts to bolster destination Jamaica’s standing in the global arena have received a major boost with the move by Southwest Airlines to choose Jamaica as the destination for its inaugural flight, as it rolled out its international service yesterday (July 1).

In welcoming Southwest Airlines to Jamaican soil Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill said it signals the start of a partnership that will increase Jamaica’s penetration of the US tourism source market. As the largest carrier of domestic passengers in the US, Southwest covers 48 States and links Jamaica through four major gateways.

Speaking at a luncheon hosted by the Jamaica Tourist Board and Southwest Airlines at the Half Moon, A Rock Resort, on Tuesday, Minister McNeill lauded the airline’s success. He noted that having started as a small regional carrier in 1971, the fact that Southwest has grown to become the largest carrier of domestic passengers in the USA, is a major achievement.

The Minister expressed joy at the fact that having succeeded in the US domestic market, Southwest in entering the international travel market chose Jamaica as its first international destination. “I think it is something that all of us as Jamaicans should take great pride in,” said Dr. McNeill, adding that “you could have chosen to go anywhere else in the world but you chose Jamaica, which is truly a vote of confidence in our magnificent destination.”

Minister McNeill said with 63 percent of all visitors to Jamaica coming out of US gateways, “we need to ensure that we remain strong in that market; now with Southwest as the strongest domestic carrier in the United States, it opens up the entire market and allows Jamaica to expand across the length and breadth of the United States.”

Dr. McNeill explained that Jamaica has already recorded one million stopover visitors for 2014, adding that with additional airlift the country was poised to surpass the historic two million stopover visitor milestone achieved last year.

The inaugural flight from Baltimore to Montego Bay, one of three for the day, brought in some 145 passengers; many of them repeat visitors to the island.

Senior Director of International Business Management at Southwest Airlines, John Kirby, said the airline has had 41 years of profitability with last year being the most profitable. He outlined a significant growth strategy for Southwest, including acquisition of new aircraft which will increase its fleet by 45 percent come November and add some 650 seats to flights into Jamaica.

Chief Executive Officer of MBJ Airports Limited, which operates the Sangster International Airport, Anthony Alicastro hailed the arrival of Southwest Airlines to Jamaica as a major development. “Often in events such as these we try to overstate the importance of an inaugural flight, this is not the case today; today is a really big deal in the aviation world. When the US largest domestic carrier decides to venture overseas it’s a big deal,” he said.

KINGSTON, Jamaica: June 25, 2014: Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, today announced  that the Ministry will be strengthening its partnership with  the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET)  in undertaking a $34 million environmental awareness initiative called the ‘Clean Coasts Project’.  

The one-year project, funded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF),  is intended to encourage Jamaicans to engage in sustained clean up activities throughout the year instead of on just one day. Currently, the Ministry and its agencies partner with JET to promote  and execute annual  International Coastal Cleanup Day activities throughout the island.

Minister McNeill made the announcement to an audience of  students, teachers and environmental stakeholders at JET’s 2014 awards ceremony for the Jamaica Environmental Action Awards (JEAA) and the Schools’ Environment Programme (SEP), held today, June 25, 2014, at the Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston.

“The programme has evolved out of the need to encourage sustained behaviour change among Jamaicans and our visitors alike to issues relating to marine litter,” Minister McNeill noted in outlining components of the project. The programme has two components: land-based and underwater.

The land-based component will target 10 – 15 schools in resort areas as well as adult education.  The project is also expected to form synergies with the JET’s Schools’ Environment Programme (SEP) –which already uses the curricula in schools to spread the message of environmental stewardship. It will also work in tandem with our Tourism Action Clubs, which are in schools islandwide, and other applicable groups. 

Tourism stakeholders will be included in the selection of the schools, which are to be recruited over the summer and sensitized to ensure their readiness to participate beginning in September 2014.

The underwater component will comprise the co-ordination of 32 dives across select resorts to clean up underwater environments and will engage stakeholders such as fisher-folks in communities to ensure their involvement in the project.

Heavy emphasis will be placed on mitigation as the effect of garbage that is washed from gullies and drains during the rainy season will be reduced by routine cleaning. Cleaning will also be done at the start of the winter tourist season.  The project will be supported by a public education campaign and community consultations to obtain buy-in and participation.

Minister McNeill called on the support of Jamaica’s students and encouraged them to play their part by not littering their surroundings.“For programmes of this nature to succeed we need the support of every Jamaican. We all need to be more responsible in how we dispose of our garbage to reduce the amount of garbage which ends up in our harbours and along our coastlines due to dumping in our gullies and drains,” he added.

Commending JET and its encourage the protection of our environment and by extension our tourism product, Minister McNeill said, “We at the Ministry are very serious about protecting the environment and JET is one of our key allies in the fight against environmental degradation.”

Kingston, Jamaica: June 12, 2014 - Plans are afoot to force overseas producers to clearly identify imported products as government moves to safeguard indigenous Jamaican craft.

Delivering his Sectoral Presentation in the Parliament on Tuesday, June 10, Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Damion Crawford said, “As soon as we achieve a critical mass of craft producers and artisans we intend to move for the introduction of a law that forces imported craft to conspicuously bear the country of origin.”

The State Minister said the craft industry and the tourism sector were inextricably linked and “craft holds the potential to generate significant earnings for Jamaica.”

In recognition of the potential of this sector the Ministry has developed a Concept Paper for a National Craft Policy, which has been approved by Cabinet.

The policy is currently being developed and will be implemented by a Craft Council, which according to Mr. Crawford, will facilitate inclusion, and enable craft practitioners to have a say in the management of the industry.

The Craft Council will include elected representatives from local craft practitioners as well as other stakeholder groups and will be mandated to ensure the competitive viability of the craft sector. A chairman is to be selected soon to steer the Council, which will ultimately transition into the Craft Authority.

As part of the overall strategy to lift the standard, brand products and boost sales, the Ministry has promoted the creation of an “Authentic Jamaican” brand of craft that will only be sold in craft markets.

Minister Crawford said efforts are being made to get artisans on board to hasten the day when Jamaica’s craft markets and gift shops are no longer dominated by imported craft items.

Kingston, Jamaica: August 4, 2014 – State Minister in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Damion Crawford, has been invited to deliver the keynote address at the Jamaican Canadian Association’s (JCA) 52^nd Anniversary Gala in Toronto, Canada, on Saturday, August 9.   He will depart the island on Friday, August 8, 2014.

The gala will commemorate Jamaica’s 52nd year of independence and the JCA’s
52^nd anniversary of serving various communities including persons of Jamaican and Caribbean nationalities. It is being held under the distinguished patronage of Jamaica’s High Commissioner to Canada, Her Excellency Mrs. Sheila Sealy Monteith.

The JCA is a non-profit charitable organization that celebrates the cultural heritage of Jamaica in all its forms and seeks to improve life for Caribbean people of all nationalities, people of African descent and all persons who subscribe to their core values and goals.  

State Minister Crawford will return to the island on Sunday, August 10, 2014.

KINGSTON, Jamaica: August 28, 2014: Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill has expressed deep regret at news of the passing of his colleague, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Hon. Roger Clarke.

In extending sincere condolences to Mr. Clarke’s family, colleagues and friends, Minister McNeill, described the late Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries as “a giant of a man with a giant personality.” Minister McNeill added that “he was blessed with a unique sense of humour and was always able to lighten even the saddest of moments.”

Minister McNeill outlined that “Roger was my colleague Member of Parliament (MP) in Westmoreland along with the Hon. Luther Buchanan, and over the years we worked assiduously together in developing the parish and improving the welfare of the people.”

Minister McNeill described Mr. Clarke as an excellent Minister of Agriculture who was quite suited for the role, seeing he was one of Jamaica’s largest farmers.  “In recent years we had been working hand in hand to strengthen the linkages between tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, entertainment and other key sectors through the Tourism Linkages Hub, which is housed in my ministry,” he expressed.

Minister McNeill also emphasized that Minister Clarke has made a significant contribution to the development of Jamaica, both at the local level in Westmoreland as MP and at the national level, as a Cabinet Minister and one of Jamaica’s longest serving parliamentarians.

“He was a friend and a colleague who will be missed immensely. On behalf of the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, I wish to express my profound sadness at the passing of this outstanding public servant,” said Minister McNeill.

 

KINGSTON, JAMAICA - August 27, 2014 - Jamaica’s Gabrielle Pratt of St. Andrew Preparatory School has topped the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Foundation Children’s Essay Contest. She emerged the winner among contestants from nineteen participating nations, effectively elaborating on the competition’s topic: ‘Why is it important that the cruise ships come to my destination.’

Entering in the junior division of the competition, Gabrielle posited solid arguments in support of the importance of cruise ships to destination Jamaica. Among the key points, she argued that cruise ships, also called floating cities, are a significant source of foreign exchange from passenger spending. She also elaborated that the ships are a source of employment, hiring many of her countrymen in various capacities such as engineers, captains and chefs. The development of resort towns as in the case of Falmouth in Trelawny, as well as the cultural exchanges between the visitors and Jamaicans that the ships facilitate, were equally important areas of discussion that she highlighted in her essay.

Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, said, “I am very pleased that Garbrielle has emerged the winner of this very important essay competition. She has truly done Jamaica proud and has built on the successes of the many Jamaican students who have excelled in this competition in the past.” He added that, “Her success is proof that she is an outstanding scholar who is poised for great things in the years to come. I congratulate her on this victory and wish her continued success in the future.”

“Heartiest congratulations on a job well done, Gabrielle. We knew that your essay was an excellent piece of work, and your triumph over your peers in the region confirms our conviction,” said Paul Pennicook, Director of Tourism.  “You masterfully illustrated the critical role that the cruise shipping industry plays in Jamaica’s tourist industry. We are extremely proud of you. You are definitely one for the future,” he added.

As the champion in her division, Gabrielle will be awarded a scholarship, and her alma mater, St Andrew Preparatory School will also receive a monetary prize.  She along with a chaperone will travel to St Maarten to receive the award during the FCCA Caribbean Cruise Conference in October later this year.

Each year the Jamaica Tourist Board organizes the national leg of the FCCA Foundation Children’s Essay Contest and students are selected from the junior and senior divisions to represent the island. The competition aims to encourage children’s creative expression on the importance of cruise tourism, thereby generating awareness of the vital role that cruise shipping plays in the Caribbean.

Kingston, Jamaica: September 15, 2014 - Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, is set to travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands to attend the Meeting of the Council of Tourism Ministers and Commissioners of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), which will be held on Wednesday, September 17, 2014. The Minister departs the island tomorrow, September 16.

This is one of a series of business meetings that will precede the CTO’s annual State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC), which is being held in collaboration with the government of the US Virgin Islands from 17 – 19 September 2014.

The SOTIC is the Caribbean’s leading tourism conference which brings together Caribbean tourism practitioners, policy makers, strategic partners from the public and private sectors, academics and travel professionals, at the highest levels, to discuss issues, identify solutions and generally develop courses of action that will benefit the Caribbean’s tourism industry.

Minister McNeill returns to the island on Thursday, September 18, 2014.

 

The National Library of Jamaica (NLJ) will present another in its Distinguished Lecture series on Sunday, September 21 with renowned Jamaican author, Olive Senior.  The lecture will take place at the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) Lecture Hall at 10-16 East Street at 2:00 p.m.; and is being hosted in association with the IOJ and the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, Western Jamaica Campus.

The lecture, titled Colón Man and the Panama Experience, is expected to be well supported as it focuses on the experience of Jamaicans and other West Indians who worked on the construction of the Panama Canal.  Ms Senior’s lecture coincides with the centenary of the opening of the Panama Canal. 

Ms. Senior’s research on the subject led her to write her newest book titled, “Dying to Better Themselves: West Indians and the building of the Panama Canal.” Ms Senior will be available to autograph the book, which will be available for sale at the event.

National Librarian/ Chief Executive Officer, NLJ, Winsome Hudson emphasised that the distinguished lecture series is in keeping with the mission of the National Library of Jamaica to facilitate access to Jamaica’s history and heritage.  “With this lecture, the NLJ hopes to bridge the information gap about the historical interactions of Jamaica and Panama and highlight the ties that now bind these two countries,” Mrs. Hudson explained.

She expressed the hope that more Jamaicans will come to discover the contents of the resources at the NLJ, and with that, connect with their own culture and history; some of which was ferried back to Jamaica by our forefathers from Colón.

The Executive Director of the IOJ, Anne Marie Bonner said that the Institute is pleased to be associated with this lecture and launch of Ms Senior’s book on the Panama Canal.  According to Ms Bonner, “like many Jamaicans, I have relatives who have made Panama their home and I’m proud of the contribution they have made to the development of Panama and its culture.”

“The UWI, Mona Western Jamaica Campus is honoured to collaborate with the National Library of Jamaica and the Institute of Jamaica in bringing Olive Senior’s distinguished lecture on the Panama Experience to the people of Jamaica in the East and in the West.,”  Director of UWI Mona, Western Jamaica Campus, Dr. Luz Longsworth stated.

UWI, Mona Western Jamaica Campus will host the Western leg of the lecture on Wednesday October 1, at 5:30 p.m.