Montego Bay, Jamaica, February 28, 2014: The Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment is pumping millions of dollars from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) into upgrading the resort towns of Montego Bay and Falmouth.

The projects are being monitored by the Montego Bay Resort Board and yesterday, Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, accompanied by State Minister for Transport and Works, the Hon.  Richard Azan, received an update on work being done and future plans at a specially convened meeting of the Resort Board at the Sunset Beach Resort and Spa.

Minister McNeill stressed that the collaboration and work being done were against the background of the reality that “to be competitive we have to be constantly upgrading that product.” He also asserted, “what makes us different is our culture and our heritage and the more we can unearth the different things we have is the more the visitor who gets a chance to go into the communities will get to see that.”

He underscored that part of the ministry’s and the TEF’s role “is to preserve this history” and that it brings ordinary Jamaicans into tourism, thereby making a huge difference.

In that regard, Minister McNeill said a programme involving members of parliament identifying a tourism project in their respective constituencies for implementation, is being extended to parish councils and non-government organizations (NGOs) in the next budget year.

 He said these were very important projects as they allow for visitors to learn about the country’s heritage as they drive round the country.

Chairman of the Montego Bay Resort Board, hotelier Evatt Bloomfield, said through consultation, the board was helping to chart the course for the wholesome development of the tourism product, and by extension, the benefits to be gleaned by the broader society.

Mr. Bloomfield outlined a list of items on the Resort Board’s agenda, many of which are in varying stages of development.  The list includes beautification of the Sangster International Airport round-about, work on the Ironshore Fire Station and lighting of the Elegant Corridor.

The Resort Board is also looking at the redevelopment and expansion of the St. Augustine Prep School in Coral Gardens; addressing the desperate need for public sanitary conveniences in downtown Montego Bay; acquiring and installing garbage receptacles in both Montego Bay and Falmouth; and constructing adequate sidewalks from the cruise ship pier at Freeport “as a matter of priority.”

Mr. Bloomfield also pointed to “the need to see to the revitalization of some critical locations, including along the Hip Strip and areas of downtown Montego Bay, both for access and activities for our visitors and what Jamaicans enjoy of Montego Bay.”

Under the linkages programme being pursued between the ministries of Tourism and Agriculture, the Resort Board is also looking into the development of farmer’s markets “to better deepen and expand the relationship and the linkages between agriculture and tourism, and in addition, the various crafts and trades that can benefit from it.”

The first of a monthly series of farmer’s markets in Montego Bay is set for late March.

 There is also the beautification and redevelopment of Falmouth as well as lighting and additional signage at the Martha Brae Bridge to mitigate accidents and the loss of lives.

Collaboration between several key government agencies is helping the parish of Portland to regain pride of place as a sought-after tourist resort area.

With $48.5 million allocated by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), in keeping with a promise made in 2012 to improve tourism assets in Portland, the parish capital, Port Antonio, now has a rehabilitated park, while craft traders have a craft village by the seashore. Rafters can now embark safely and the drive into the Rio Grande Valley via Berrydale Road is much more comfortable due to improvements under the joint initiative.

Spearheaded by the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), the projects were implemented through a partnership with the TEF, the Portland Parish Council and the National Works Agency, with support from the Parish Development Committee and the Portland Chamber of Commerce. All four completed projects were formally handed over to their respective agencies yesterday, April 2, 2014, by Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, with ribbon cutting ceremonies conducted during a tour.

The Berrydale Road, which bypasses the loading bay for patrons interested in rafting on the Rio Grande, has been rehabilitated at a cost of $20 million. The project involved resurfacing sections of the road from Fellowship to Berrydale, installing curb walls and the construction of drains and retaining walls.

Concurrently, loading passengers onto rafts has been made easier and safer with the installation of an embarkation platform, replacement of damaged gabion baskets, construction of concrete steps and the installation of protective boulders, at a cost of over $2.8 million.

In the heart of the town, the residents can now stage a range of outdoor community activities at the Neville Antonio Park which had been in a state of disrepair. With an expenditure of over $13 million, it now has a rehabilitated stage and amphitheater, bathrooms, gazeboes, perimeter fencing and a repaired walkway. Additionally, there was construction of a sewage system, minor landscaping and restoration of electrical lighting to the park.

At the handing over ceremony, Minister McNeill said, “we recognize that this park is a vital recreational facility for the community and a decision was taken to upgrade it.” He said this was done in the context of a determination that, “the mandate of this government is to encourage development that will improve the quality of life of the people.”

The TEF has been enabling fulfillment of this mission and Minister McNeill said, “we fully appreciate that we cannot grow the tourism industry unless the Jamaican people are feeling its impact and that is why we are committed to ensuring that when we ask the TEF to spend money on a project, the Jamaican people, and in particular the community in which a project is carried out, are primary beneficiaries.”

He was particularly pleased with the Portland Craft Village, which had languished for some ten years because it was incomplete and vendors were unhappy with its original state. The work done on it has also been welcomed by Mayor of Portland, His Worship Councillor Benny White, and President of the Portland Craft Traders Association, Joan Shaw.

Renovation of the craft village was at a cost of $12.5 million, and included; installation of partitions and doors, improved flooring, bathrooms, kitchen areas, upgrading electrical and sewage systems, construction of a bar, as well as the installation of wheel-chair access and a roof over the amphitheatre.

Minister McNeill said the projects had been undertaken, “in a concerted effort to reawaken the once vibrant township of Port Antonio and renew its place as an enchanting resort town.”

For his part, Executive Director of the TEF, Mr. Clyde Harrison, said “I am pleased that the TEF was able to assist in making good on a promise to assist in the renovation of these key tourism facilities, which will enhance the tourism product of Portland and Jamaica overall.”

Executive Director of TPDCo, Mr. Dennis Hickey underscored that “the mission of TPDCo is to enhance and diversify our tourism product and the handing over of these four projects will definitely contribute to that end.”

Kingston, Jamaica: April 4, 2014 - Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, is set to travel to Beijing, China, to attend the China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market (COTTM) event, which will be held from April 9-11, 2014.  The Minister departs the island today, April 4.

The COTTM is considered the leading platform to access the Chinese travel market and is a prime marketplace to meet Chinese trade buyers, leading outbound tour operators and travel agents.

Jamaica is moving to attract more Chinese visitors to the island and it is expected that participation in the COTTM’s seminar programmes and the event overall will assist the Ministry and its agencies in positioning Jamaica to better cater to this market. The travel and tourism exhibition is viewed as an excellent forum for conducting business and exploring opportunities that will benefit the island’s tourism sector.

In 2012, China’s expenditure on travel abroad reached US$102 billion. In 2013, the United Nations World Tourism Organization declared China the number one international tourism source market in terms of spending.  In a bid to better tap into the Chinese market, the Jamaican Government in February approved the conditional waiving of visa requirements for Chinese nationals travelling to Jamaica for tourism purposes for periods of 30 days or less in order to facilitate ease of travel between the two countries.

Minister McNeill returns to the island on Sunday, April 13, 2014.  

Statement by

Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill

                                congratulating former Director General, Carrole Guntley                                            

                               on Receiving the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s                                              

Lifetime Achievement Award

 

June 6, 2014

Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill has congratulated former Director General in the Ministry, Carrole Guntley on receiving the coveted Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ms. Guntley received the award today, June 6, 2014, during CTO’s Caribbean Week in New York activities. Minister McNeill said “I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Carrole Guntley on her latest recognition by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) with its Lifetime Achievement Award.  Her work and dedication to Jamaica’s tourism industry as well the wider Caribbean region is exemplary and makes her a most deserving candidate for this special award.

The award is testimony to her long and distinguished service in the industry, having served in the private and public sectors in a variety of capacities: Area Manager for Jamaica, St. Maarten & Western Caribbean for BWIA, European Marketing Manager for the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Jamaica’s first female Director of Tourism and more recently Director General in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment.

It was during her tenure in the late eighties as Jamaica’s Director of Tourism that the island achieved the landmark target of hosting one million visitors.

Over the years Ms. Guntley has demonstrated an insight which I am confident will continue to be of benefit to the region. Her accomplishments over the past few decades span not only the airline and accommodation sectors, where she has consistently demonstrated great vision and perseverance, but have been admired by the Jamaican government as well as industry colleagues.

I commend her for her hard work, high standards and true commitment to the hospitality industry and towards ensuring its sustainability. Once again, I am very pleased to extend my sincere congratulations on this prestigious and most deserving award and I wish her every success in her future endeavours.”

Kingston, Jamaica: May 30, 2014 –   Effective Monday (June 2, 2014) the operation of commercial Personal Water Crafts (PWCs) will be re-opened at the UDC beach in Ocho Rios Bay, St. Ann.
The announcement was made by Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in Parliament, on Tuesday, May 27, 2014. This as he informed Parliament of his intention to table a water sports policy as a Green Paper shortly to address and provide a framework for the management of all water sports in Jamaica.  A major part of the policy concerns motorized water sports and PWCs.

An island-wide suspension of all PWC operations and a ban on the importation of PWCs into the island has been in place since February of this year. The measures were applied in the wake of three accidents involving PWCs between August 2013 and January 2014.

Minister McNeill told Parliament that the Marine Police has indicated that they are sufficiently resourced with vessels and personnel to ably enforce regulations in the bay upon resumption of commercial activities. “If the Ocho Rios Bay commercial PWC operations are successful, they will provide a template for guiding commercial operations in other resort areas,” he stated.

A Task Force, which was established to bring PWC activity under stronger management and enforcement, is now looking at the other areas of operation. The ban on importation will remain in place until further notice.

The PWC Task Force is being guided by the Maritime Authority of Jamaica and  the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), with enforcement by the Marine Police Division.

Clear rules and regulations have been established  by the Task Force for the operation of PWC’s both commercially and privately. All PWCs must have the appropriate decals affixed or be liable for seizure by the authorities.  In addition, all operators of commercial PWCs must receive training in the operation of the vessel and meet all requirements for licencing, including insurance in order to be eligible for a Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) water sports licence. PWCs should enter and leave the shore using the designated launch area at a slow speed of 3 knots; and occupants of PWCs must operate at least 200m from the shore.

Advertisements were recently placed in the media to advise all owners of PWCs (“jet skis”) who wish to be licenced to operate their PWCs commercially that they must have them registered with the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) by May 21, 2014.

Minister McNeill said “while it must be emphasised that registration does not guarantee that a licence will be granted, owners must have registered their craft by that date.”

Kingston, Jamaica: May 31, 2014 - Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill is set to participate in the 98th Session of the Executive Council (EC) of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), to be held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, from June 4-6, 2014. The Minister departs the island on Sunday, June 1.

Delegates from all across the globe are slated to attend the summit. Among the issues to be addressed at the high-level meeting are efforts aimed at mainstreaming tourism in the global agenda, an assessment of international tourism in 2013 and the outlook for 2014.

Jamaica, represented by Minister McNeill, has been elected chair of the UNWTO Executive Council (EC) for the year 2014-2015. The election took place during the UNWTO's 20th Session of the General Assembly in August 2013. Jamaica will assume its position as chairman in September 2014 and will preside over several important meetings, including the next UNWTO General Assembly. It is the first time that an English-speaking Caribbean country will hold the position of chair.

The island currently serves as first Vice-Chairman of the EC for 2013-2014, after being re-elected to that position in August 2013.

Before travelling to Spain, Minister McNeill will visit New York, where he will attend several crucial meetings and participate in the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO), Caribbean Week in New York activities.

Minister McNeill is being accompanied by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, Mrs. Jennifer Griffith and returns to the island on Saturday, June 7, 2014.

Kingston, Jamaica: May 29, 2014 – Jamaica’s tourism sector continues to register growth with preliminary figures for the just ended winter tourist season indicating an increase of about 2% in stopover arrivals over the same period in 2013.  Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, made this announcement during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in Parliament, on Tuesday, May 27, 2014.

In addition to the increase in stop over arrivals, Minister McNeill said the sector was seeing a number of positive industry trends, including an increase in occupancy rates by 9.1% in all categories of properties over the last year. “This is influenced by a number of factors, including longer stays from the stopover visitors, in particular the European market, and more Jamaicans vacationing at home as the industry is more aggressively courting the domestic market,” he stated.

Another positive industry trend is an increase in room rates. “As a matter of fact our largest tour operator to Jamaica has confirmed that our average daily rate is up by some 13 - 15%,” said Minister McNeill. He noted that Jamaica is poised for further growth, “last year, we had a really good summer with growth of 3.6% helped significantly by increased visitor arrivals out of Europe and we are poised for continued growth.”

The Minister also indicated that cruise passenger arrivals are projected to increase to a record 1.4 million passengers this calendar year. The first four months of 2014 have shown an increase of 3.6%, representing an impressive recovery from a decline of 4.2% last year.

Minister McNeill also adds that “we expect cruise arrivals to continue to escalate with the arrival of the largest of Disney’s ships, the Fantasy. This, in addition to MSC’s Divina, will be calling throughout the summer.”

In addition, at year end 2014, three cruise ships, the Louis Crystal, the Aida Bella and the Thomson Dream, will home port in Montego Bay.  Minister McNeill emphasized that home porting will create more opportunities for local businesses as these ships will require produce as well as goods and services which can be purchased locally. 

“While home porting there the Thomson Dream will also call on the port of Falmouth on the final night of each cruise, allowing Jamaica to get two calls from this cruise ship. This means that cruise passengers will fly into Montego Bay and board the ship there to commence their vacation,” he explained.

The Minister said “the visitors will need to fly into the airport in Montego Bay and this will generate more airlift.  In the case of the Thompson Dream, TUI will add four additional flights out of the UK to service this ship.”  The Minister added that “the other great possibility is the tremendous opportunity for sail and stay, as historically passengers coming this distance for a cruise, up to 30% of them stay for a stopover vacation in the home port country.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica, May 29, 2014: As growth continues in the tourism sector, resulting in more and more beach space being taken up by hotel construction, the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment has embarked on a  programme to  saferguard at least one major beach in each parish for locals.

The initiative is being undertaken by the Ministry in collaboration with Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and the National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA).

Outlining that the aim was to ensure  that Jamaicans were able to enjoy their patrimony through access to beaches, Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill said in his Sectoral Presentation to Parliament yesterday, “it is an imperative that suitable quality space for recreation must be made available for Jamaicans.”

Selected beaches will be transformed into sea parks to make quality recreational spaces available to residents and visitors alike.

Dr. McNeill said those beaches will operate at the best international standards. Each will provide the basic facilities of  children's play area, seating with tables, picnic area and gazebos, restrooms and changing room facilities.

There will also be adequate parking, lifeguard towers and utilities.

The first six beaches under the programme will be  improved in the current financial year (2014/2015) with an expenditure of  approximately $252 million. 

Minister McNeill told the House that work was already underway on some of these sea parks with Burwood Beach in Trelawny being the most advanced.

Providence Beach Park in Montego Bay is at the tendering stage and design work is being completed on the Norman Manley Beach Park in Negril.

He said Great Bay at Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, Salem in St. Ann and Boston in Portland have been identified for similar upgrading.

The Ministry of Tourism and Entertianment will be working with NEPA and TPDCo to identify  and secure leases for additional beaches.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, May 28, 2014: The Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment and its agencies will be spending close to one billion dollars over the next three years to enable residents of the town of Falmouth, Trelawny to benefit directly from tourism.

“We are sensitive to the cries from members of the community about their inability to attract business from the cruise passengers,” said Tourism and Entertainment Minister, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill in his Sectoral Presentation in Parliament yesterday.

Ever since the opening of the multi-million dollar Falmouth Cruise Ship Pier, two major concerns of the community have been that the local people were not benefiting and the contrast between the appearance of the town and that of the pier was unacceptable.

Declaring that “a transformative solution is required,” Dr. McNeill said the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has signed MOUs with the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) to undertake development works in Falmouth.

The focus will be on the Hampden Wharf Development and a Streetscape Improvement Project.

Giving details, Dr. McNeill said Hampden Wharf will be developed at a projected cost of $585 million, to create an entirely open experience, accommodating craft vendors and other business people from the town.

“It will feature restaurants, an entertainment centre and shops in an inviting environment that harmonises with the development at the pier. It will be completely open to visitors and locals. Improvements to heritage assets like the wharf building, the Dome and Foundry and the Tharpe House will be included in the development,” he announced.

In the other project, $330 million have been earmarked for the Falmouth Streetscape Project which will entail aesthetic and structural improvement to roads and lanes in the vicinity of Water Square, to enhance the ambiance of the town.

Dr. McNeill told Parliament, “we have made certain, as in all our developments to date, that consultation with the stakeholders has been central to the development of the projects. This is done to ensure that there is buy-in from the broader community into all the work that is undertaken.”

The total expenditure on the projects is close to a billion dollars and completion is expected in three years.

 

KINGSTON, Jamaica, May 28, 2014: Legislation is now before Parliament to position Jamaica as a strategic player in the worldwide timeshare vacation scheme.

Making his Sectoral Presentation on Tuesday, Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill said a Timeshare Vacations Bill for Jamaica had been tabled before the House.

“The bill is designed to formally introduce the option of timeshare vacation schemes into Jamaica’s product offering,” he said.

Timeshare is a vacation product which was conceptualised in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s and has since developed internationally as a driver for tourism in destinations that have embraced it.

It operates on the basis of joint ownership of a resort room with owner having about two weeks each year for repairs and upgrades.

Timeshare partners must abide by an occupancy schedule which they may use themselves or make available to a family member or friend. Some businesses also buy into timeshare which they use as a production incentive for staff.

Minister McNeill told Parliament, “Timeshare has been shown to have many positive economic impacts in areas where it has been developed. Owners of time in a residential unit tend to vacation for a week or more at a time in groups of two or more. Timeshare owners become constant repeat visitors and behave more like members of the local community, in that they shop for groceries, dine out often and use local services more directly than hotel guests. “

He has therefore welcomed the fact that after some delay in the bill being tabled, timeshare vacations stand to become part of Jamaica’s  tourism product mix and offers “very positive implications for generating new economic opportunities for Jamaicans in many areas of enterprise.”

This move comes at a time when Jamaica is being transformed into a year-round tourism destination instead of a traditional seasonal industry.

Minister McNeill said the transformation would create increased job opportunities and greater job security for our workers.

“What I want to emphasise is that while the winter remains the period of highest occupancies and the best rates, it is the growth of summer arrivals that is ensuring we have a stronger year-round performance,” he said.

Concurrently, Dr. McNeill endorsed what is termed a “Shovel-ready” project initiative which pre-packaged a number of investment opportunities that will streamline and expedite the process of investment in the country.

Noting that the project will target local and foreign investors, Minister McNeill said, “We are confident that this will add further momentum to the flow of investment into our economy. We expect it to further encourage investment in hotels and attractions in Jamaica.”