MONTEGO BAY, St. James, March 30, 2014: Plans to place the regulation of the craft industry under one governing body have taken a significant step forward as Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, has revealed that the initiative was recently discussed by the Economic Development Council, which is chaired by the Prime Minister, paving the way for the establishment of a Craft Authority.

Minister McNeill outlined the framework for a Craft Policy, which will be administered by a legally constituted Craft Authority, to representatives of the island’s craft traders and producers at a consultation held recently at the offices of the Jamaica Tourist Board, (JTB) in Montego Bay. 

Craft vendors and producers were unanimous in their endorsement of the proposed Craft Authority and Craft Policy; which has four main objectives. These are to streamline the craft sector by facilitating incremental improvements in quality, variety, value, sales, customer satisfaction and profits; facilitate the sustainable growth of the craft industry in Jamaica to enable a successful enterprise; and promote greater local identity of finished craft and souvenirs, innovation, better packaging, regulation and production and distribution facilities.

In addition, the policy will outline strategic objectives, including the sourcing of raw materials, the packaging and branding of an ‘Authentic Jamaica’ brand, and ensuring that local craft producers and traditional artisans benefit from the marketing and commercial opportunities provided by the tourism industry.

Minister McNeill told the craft traders that while the legal aspects of establishing the Authority are being addressed, a Craft Council will be put in place in the interim to start streamlining the industry as a matter of urgency. The Council will include representatives of local craft traders and producers as well as other stakeholder groups.

He said the establishment of the Craft Authority will take governance of the craft industry out of the hand of the political directorate and place it before a board on which the traders and producers will have adequate representation. Through the Authority, he said they will help to determine what they want done and how resources earmarked for improvement of the sector will be disbursed.

Minister McNeill stressed that “it’s really going to be run like a company and you are going to have to make decisions that are for the greater good of the industry as everyone has to work together.”

The Minister said the Authority would maintain control and discipline in the craft markets and emphasised that, “the majority of people in the craft markets want a craft market that is a place where everyone can visit and enjoy themselves.”

Echoing the sentiments of members who described the introduction of the Craft Authority and Craft Council as “a very, very good idea,” President of the National Craft Traders and Producers Association, Mrs. Melody Haughton-Adams, said lack of unity was a major obstacle for the sector. However, she expressed that, “I am thankful for the Council. We and the producers’ association met and the very same thing was recommended.” She added that, “I am really delighted and can say that we are getting somewhere.”

Meanwhile, a representative of the craft producers, Secretary of the Jamaica Indigenous Artisan Co-operative Society (JAMIA), Michael Senior, said “the presentation was everything I imagined it to be and I’m happy.” He reiterated that JAMIA had been in dialogue with the traders association about forming a Council.

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.  

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.”