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.”

 

Kingston, Jamaica: April 15, 2014 – Distinguished poet and academic, Professor Emeritus Mervyn Morris, OM, has been selected to serve as the new Poet Laureate of Jamaica, becoming the first person to hold this eminent title in 60 years.  The national honour was announced today (April 15) by Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, at a press conference at the National Library of Jamaica, Downtown Kingston.

In making the announcement, Minister McNeill said Professor Morris “remains arguably the most resourceful and technically brilliant of Caribbean poets.”  Jamaica’s new Poet Laureate studied at Munroe College, the University College of the West Indies and, as a Rhodes Scholar, at Oxford University.  He worked at the University of the West Indies from 1966 to 2002, retiring as Professor of Creative Writing and West Indian Literature. He received the Order of Merit in 2009. 

Alongside his own collections, including The Pond, Shadowboxing and Vestiges, Professor Morris has written extensively on West Indian literature, and edited various anthologies, as well as the selected poems of iconic Jamaican poet and performer, Louise Bennett-Coverley.

Minister McNeill said Jamaica’s Poet Laureate programme would help to positively position the island as a key cultural tourism destination by helping to revitalize the arts and preserve our rich literary history.
“The project dovetails perfectly with our efforts to use programmes such as Arts in the Park, 90 Days of Summer and Reggae Month, its Kingston for February to increase support for and give greater exposure to our local art forms, while using Jamaica’s cultural strength as a tourism attractor,” the Minister said.

“We are therefore pleased to be giving an even greater voice to Jamaica’s literary arts though our support of the Poet Laureate Programme.  Developing the literary arts remains a key component of our strategy moving forward and this new programme will help to further bolster this initiative,” Minister McNeill added.

In commending the initiative the Principal Director of Culture in the Ministry of Youth and Culture, Dahlia Harris, noted that “the Poet Laureate Programme is a significant part of how the government not only intends to preserve and archive national memory but will also be instrumental in how we develop and encourage the talent of poets islandwide.”
In his response, Professor Morris said “I am keen on helping to put more poets in contact with the potential Jamaican audience.”  Citing this as his priority, he explained that the media is extremely important in this regard.  “If we can put Jamaica’s poems in front of a wider public than is currently available this will be of major service to culture and entertainment,” he said.

The Poet Laureate of Jamaica is a national honour that recognizes a distinguished Jamaican poet for his/her significant contribution to the literary community. The Poet Laureate is expected to stimulate a greater appreciation for Jamaican poetry, write poems for national occasions, and preserve and disseminate the island’s cultural heritage through prose.

The Poet Laureate Programme is a joint initiative of the National Library of Jamaica, the Entertainment Advisory Board of the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, and the Ministry of Youth and Culture. It is being financed by the Tourism Enhancement Fund at a cost of $3.4 million. The National Library will serve as the secretariat for the programme.

Chairman of the Entertainment Advisory Board, Kingsley Cooper emphasized that “the selection process was a very inclusive one as the public was invited to submit nominations for the post of Poet Laureate, with nominations closing in December, 2013. A nine member Steering Committee then made the final selection which will see Professor Morris serving in the capacity of Poet Laureate for three years.”

Kingston, Jamaica: April 29, 2014 - Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, has revealed that demand for destination Jamaica is growing in some markets that were previously unresponsive or unreachable, due to visa requirements or lack of airlift. Speaking at the opening of Jamaica's newest hotel Minister McNeill underscored that with efforts to boost airlift and relax visa restrictions, “we’ve changed that and markets are responding in a very positive way.”

Minister McNeill was addressing tourism partners including executives from TUI, Karisma, Thomson and Sunwing at yesterday’s (April 28) official opening of the 140-room Azul Sensatori Jamaica by Karisma.

The new 5-star hotel, located on Negril’s famous 7-mile beach, is the first Sensatori hotel in the English-speaking Caribbean and is operated as a partnership between Karisma Hotels and leading holiday company, TUI Travel PLC.

The Minister noted that "our partnership with TUI has grown from strength to strength and as Europe's largest tour company they have multiplied the number of seats into Jamaica and now they are complementing that arrangement with the opening of their premium brand hotel which will provide additional rooms."  He added that “this investment also comes at a time when we are seeing market response to our visa relaxation initiatives and when air-lift to Jamaica is arguably the best it’s ever been.”

“This development adds a significant dimension to the island’s tourism product and this valuable partnership with TUI adds formidable muscle to Jamaica’s tourism team,” said Minister McNeill. “It is good that we are attracting such premium brands that complement brand Jamaica. Recognition of the Azul Sensatori brand will resonate with an important and discerning demographic in the travel market," he explained.

“We are obviously delighted to welcome such a prestigious brand to the family. We greatly appreciate the opportunities offered for employment and, in turn, we undertake to work with TUI and look forward to a continued relationship,” Minister McNeill stated.

In his remarks, Chief Executive of TUI Travel PLC, Peter Long, said, “your success at the London 2012 Olympics has helped to re-awaken Jamaica as a destination, in particular for our UK customers, where this year we will see some 100,000 of those customers coming to the island, a 60% increase year-on-year.”

“Being able to offer not only a wonderful destination but an unrivalled flight experience on our Boeing 787’s is putting Jamaica high on the wish list for our customers. In fact, Thomson Airways operates more direct flights to Jamaica than any other European airline - five times a week,” Mr. Long outlined.

TUI has increased air service out of the UK from 50,302 seats in 2013 to 90,832 into Jamaica in 2014. In November 2013, Jamaica was the first country in the Caribbean to welcome the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft through a partnership with Thomson Airways and its parent company, TUI Travel PLC.

The growth in customer numbers from TUI Travel is not coming only from the UK but also from TUI’s other markets such as Canada. “In total, during the upcoming Summer and Winter seasons 120,000 TUI customers will holiday on the island and our joint-venture with Sunwing will bring a further 100,000 Canadian customers,” Mr. Long revealed. “Based on length of stay for 120,000 TUI customers, we are talking about 1.4 million bed nights. That’s substantial and delivers great value to the island,” he added.

Mr. Long emphasized that for TUI to maintain and grow its capacity in Jamaica, it is going to have to develop its unique and exclusive hotels, like the Sensatori Resort Jamaica further, and he also outlined plans to add another 150 rooms to its tally in Jamaica. TUI regards Jamaica as a volume mainstream destination and will look to work with its hotel partners to grow the company. In the winter of 2014/15 it will operate the first British cruise ship to home port in Jamaica - the Thomson Dream.

TUI Travel PLC is one of the world’s largest leisure travel companies serving more than 30 million customers in over 31 source markets.

Karisma Hotels & Resorts is a renowned leader in hospitality management and enjoys worldwide recognition for its creative approach to hospitality management and innovation. Their collection of award-winning properties is known, in particular, for offering a gourmet-inclusive product.
 

Montego Bay, Jamaica, April 29, 2014: The first cohort of students from a Russian and Spanish Languages Skills Training Programme introduced in November by the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment through the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), are already seeing positive results from their interaction with visitors.

President of the National Craft Traders and Producers Association, Mrs. Melody Haughton-Adams, says participants in the training programme have been able to use their newly acquired language skills to make more money in their trade.

The six-week programme targeted front-line tourism sector workers who have to interface with visitors from emerging Russian and Spanish speaking markets. Another objective was to sensitize service providers to the various cultures of these visitors.

The 262 craft traders, tour operators, drivers and tour guides from Negril, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios who participated in the programme were trained free of cost through funding from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF). Their graduation ceremony was held yesterday (April 28) at the Western Jamaica Campus of the University of the West Indies and graduates were able to show off their newly-acquired language skills as the ceremony was conducted in English, Spanish and Russian.

Keynote speaker, Executive Director of TPDCo, Dennis Hickey, said the training programme would continue but “those who participate after this will have to see it as a small investment in their future.” Mr. Hickey said, “we will endeavour to keep the costs at the minimum to make it affordable for those who wish to pursue it. Some graduates have also expressed an interest to pursue level 2 of the programme and we will be examining this in the immediate future.”

He disclosed that "the number of arrivals from Russian and Spanish markets has been trending upwards. Mr. Hickey also noted that the number of Spanish managed hotels had risen to some 12 properties and account for a substantial number of the total inventory of rooms in the country.

“The relaxation in visa requirements and increased airlift spearheaded by the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment and its agencies, have had a positive impact. We also know that these visitors stay for longer periods of time, typically ten days. They are interested in experiencing the Jamaican culture, not just sand, sea and sun and they have high purchasing power,” said Mr. Hickey.

Outlining the role of TPDCo, he said part of the company’s mandate was “to build the capacity of workers in the industry.”

Noting that the language training initiative would help to better cater to the needs of visitors from emerging markets, Mr. Hickey said, “as a destination we are moving to diversify our markets and our products; this programme forms part of our effort to make the necessary adjustments to diversify our skills to meet this new wave. It requires breaking down the language barriers through consistent interactions and immersing ourselves to ensure a better understanding of the culture of these groups.”

For participant Lewin Haughton, a Red Cap Porter for the past 14 years, being able to communicate with Russians in their own language “is an eye opener.” He described the experience as “a life changer for me, in terms of improving my service to visitors; it helps you to interact with them, because sometimes they need the service and if you don’t know even a little bit of their language you seem cold.”

Having had the opportunity of using what he has learnt, he said “the people are happy I’ve been able to assist them.”

Althea Bennain, an employee with TPDCo who took the Spanish course, said, “it has helped me a whole lot because in conversing with the Spanish speakers it has helped me to assist them more with the directions and information on places to go... making them feel more comfortable that they are welcomed in Jamaica.”

Valedictorians Byron Chung and Kameisha Douse skillfully displayed their newly acquired language skills by addressing the audience in Russian and Spanish respectively.

The graduates were also addressed by other stakeholders including Executive Director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), Clyde Harrison; Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Martha Corbett-Baugh; and Vice President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Vanna Taylor.

Kingston, Jamaica: May 22, 2014 – Distinguished poet and academic, Professor Mervyn Morris, was officially invested as Poet Laureate of Jamaica at a ceremony at King's House yesterday, May 21, 2014, under the patronage of their Excellencies the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, Governor General and the Most Hon. Lady Allen.

At the investiture ceremony, Professor Morris received the insignia of the Poet Laureate, becoming the first person to hold this eminent title in over 60 years and the third Poet Laureate to be appointed in Jamaica.  The others who held this distinguished position were Thomas MacDermot, commonly known as Tom Redcam (posthumously in 1933), and John Ebenezer Clare McFarlane (in 1953).

The Governor-General, in his remarks, said he was pleased that the history of the King’s House Ballroom, which has been the site of so many significant events, was now being enriched by the momentous investiture ceremony. “My dream is that Professor Morris will not only help our people to understand and appreciate the work of existing poets, but he will also encourage that spark of creativity which bubbles in so many of our young people,” the Governor-General said as he lauded the re-institution of the office of Poet Laureate.

Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, called the occasion “a red letter day in Jamaica’s cultural history, the significance of which will not be lost on those who understand and appreciate the immense value of the written and spoken word to the expression and retention of a nation’s evolution.”

He described Professor Morris as a fitting literary ambassador whose vast resume as a poet had carved a noteworthy imprint on both the local and regional literary landscapes.

The Minister said the Poet Laureate initiative is an important programme that will showcase Jamaica’s literary arts to the world and likened it to the Jamaica Tourist Board’s ‘Genius of Jamaica’ campaign, which in former years celebrated giants in the island’s musical, social and cultural history.“Similarly, this programme is a celebration of genius, literary genius, which says to the world that our poets can stand on the world stage with our athletes and musicians,” he said.

In congratulating the new Poet Laureate, Principal Director of Culture in the Ministry of Youth and Culture, Dahlia Harris, lauded him for his outstanding work over the years. She said “Professor Morris represents a generation of distinguished Jamaican poets and thinkers including Claude McKay, Louise Bennett and the Rt. Excellent Marcus Garvey, whose words have propelled us to global recognition.”

In his response, the newly invested Poet Laureate said he was deeply grateful for the honour bestowed upon him. Outlining initiatives he hopes to implement during his three-year tenure as Poet Laureate of Jamaica, Professor Morris expressed his commitment to,  among other things, arranging poetry reading sessions across island as well as establishing self-financing workshops to promote the development of Jamaican poetry.

The Poet Laureate Programme is a joint initiative of the National Library of Jamaica, the Ministry of Youth and Culture and the Entertainment Advisory Board of the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment. It is being financed by the Tourism Enhancement Fund at a cost of $3.4 million. The National Library will serve as the secretariat for the programme.