KINGSTON, Jamaica: Wednesday, March 18, 2015: After participating in what is viewed as an innovative business development initiative, several hoteliers and suppliers have termed the second Tourism Linkages Speed Networking Event as a major success. The session was held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel yesterday (March 17), and was a follow-up to the larger inaugural speed networking event, which was held in Montego Bay on January 21.

The latest venture saw senior hotel managers meeting with representatives from some 40 supplier companies. Businesses offering a wide range of goods and services participated in the event, including suppliers of cosmetic and spa products, furniture, bedding, craft, toiletries and guest amenities, chemicals and cleaning products, food and beverage, meat and fresh produce and uniforms.

The session entailed a series of fifteen-minute meetings between Managing Directors, General Managers and CEOs of local companies which supply products and services and owners and Managers of properties who are in a position to make purchasing decisions.

Koen Hietbrink, General Manager of the Court Yard by Marriott hotel, which is currently under construction, had high praise for the event. “I think it’s a fantastic initiative especially for us as a new company to meet suppliers and to see what they can do for us and what we can do for them, because it’s about building relationships.”

Mike Bauer, Company Director of Hotel Four Seasons said “it is well organized and it facilitates short discussions which work well for us. We have set up follow-up meetings to build relationships.”

General Manager of Melia Jamaica Braco Village, Demitris Kosvogiannis noted that “I have gathered a lot of contacts. It is a good way for tourism to affect the wider economy and not just the visitor. I would like to see more of these initiatives and I look forward to enhancing these relationships.”  

Suppliers also lauded the initiative. Chief Executive Officer of Boss Furniture, Omar Azan said “I think it is a positive for Jamaica and a positive for the tourism sector. When more farmers and manufacturers produce more for the tourism sector it creates more jobs. We currently have contracts with several hotels...to refurbish or provide new furniture. Jamaica needs this now more than ever to enable the producers to benefit from the sector.”

Managing Director of Irie Rock Yaad Spa, Racquell Brown said “the response has been excellent, we are seeing real interest in our products and we have been able to set up follow-up meetings. We have to just build on the relationships to follow through.”

In addressing participants during the opening exercise Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, and President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Nicola Madden-Greig, both underscored the importance of the programme.

The organization of the Speed Networking Event was spearheaded by the JHTA in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association (JMA) and other key partners. These include the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), and the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC).  

Kingston, Jamaica: March 12, 2015 – The Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment on Tuesday (March 10) outlined proposals to redevelop Montego Bay’s popular ‘Hip Strip’ and return it to the vibrant hot spot that it was in its ‘glory days’.

The ‘Hip Strip’ is a two mile coastal route adjacent to the Sangster International Airport that encompasses Gloucester Avenue and Kent Avenue.  It has featured prominently in Montego Bay’s tourism product. 

Speaking to a group of the city’s business owners, representatives of government and partner agencies at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, the Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, said that it was time to move from “talk and policy to action”.

“We have the plans and now we have to decide on what are we going to achieve and how are we going to achieve it,” Minister McNeill said, pointing out that the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Jennifer Griffith, has been charged with the responsibility of coordinating all stakeholders that are integral to the redevelopment process.  This will include getting agreement on a plan of action, prioritizing agreed actions and determining roles and responsibilities.

“This is the second meeting in two months.At the last meeting (in February) we came to the conclusion that some issues are priority areas that need to be addressed.Investment is critical; we need to upgrade the existing product; and we need to ensure that what’s on the ground is productive,” said Minister McNeill. He singled out traffic congestion, Close Harbour Beach (Dump-up Beach), the ‘closed’ hotels, the rebuilding of groynes to prevent further beach erosion, and infrastructure improvements to Montego Freeport as areas needing special attention.

Permanent Secretary Griffith gave an overview of a number of identified projects needed to improve the overall physical appearance and create a distinctive character for the ‘Hip Strip’.  The area targeted for revitalization is the strip that extends from Dead End Beach on Kent Avenue, along Gloucester Avenue to the Pier One restaurant complex. The plan includes physical improvements; new product development; specific concepts to address safety and security, patron access and mobility; and themed entertainment and recreation.

Chairman of Montego Bay’s Wexford Court Hotel and Aquasol Beach Park, Mr. Carlisle Allan, described the meeting as a very important step in the right direction for to the development of Montego Bay’s tourism product.“It was not just talk; there were practical solutions to the problems we business owners are facing.As a stakeholder I am impressed and I commend the organizers of the meeting,” Mr. Allan said.

Integral to implementation of agreed action areas will be the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCO),  and partner agencies including the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), and the National Works Agency (NWA).   For the vision of the ‘Hip Strip’ to be realised, it is critical for the private sector stakeholders to see themselves as change agents and commit to the necessary financial investment in their properties.

Montego Bay, Jamaica: March 4, 2015: The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has thrown its full support behind the upcoming MoBay City Run, describing the charity event as an asset to the development of sports tourism and the education of young Jamaicans.

Speaking at the event’s launch yesterday at the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort, JTB Chairman, Dennis Morrison said the event fitted admirably into the growing niche market of sports tourism which can be of tremendous benefit to the country’s tourism earnings and education.

The event, now in its second year, takes place on Sunday, May 3, 2015. It encompasses both a 5k and 10k road race throughout downtown Montego Bay to raise funds for youth education in Jamaica. Chairman of MoBay City Run, Janet Silvera, said the target is $5 million. The proceeds will support students attending institutions such as the University of the West Indies and University of Technology western campuses, Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College and the Montego Bay Community College. Over 4,000 sport enthusiasts, including 20 travel agents from Canada, are expected to participate in this year’s event. 

From a tourism standpoint, Mr. Morrison said, “the news in our tourism sector is good these days as we continue to enjoy a positive image as a leading Caribbean destination and our arrival figures and occupancy rates continue to be robust and surpass last year’s.” 

However, he said The Jamaica Tourist Board along with the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment as well as the private sector are partnering to find ways to increase earnings in the sector and to capitalize on all areas that complement the JTB’s marketing efforts in order to reap maximum benefits from the industry.

Noting that the multi-billion dollar business of Sports Tourism is one such aspect, and is one of the fastest growing areas in the global travel and tourism industry, the JTB Chairman said Montego Bay should aim to have a marathon on its agenda.

He said “we see great potential for developing sports tourism as a viable niche market segment. Jamaica is able to leverage the international acclaim that our best musicians enjoy worldwide to become the Mecca of popular music. The same competitive advantage exists for us as a recognized superpower in athletics – thanks to the hard work and dedication of our talented and high achieving athletes.   This makes the development of sports tourism a viable growth segment on which to capitalize.”

Mr. Morrison stressed that as co-sponsor, “this why the JTB has allocated additional resources as well as international marketing and promotional support to the City Run as  it admirably fits  our sports tourism model. Of equal importance is the fact that by donating the proceeds to our young people it directly impacts the development of this community which after all is the primary objective of our industry.”

He noted that access to tertiary education had improved dramatically in western Jamaica with the city leaders seeing Montego Bay becoming a true University City, contributing to the development and economic growth of the area, providing jobs, raising living standards and improving the quality of life of the citizens of western Jamaica.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica: Tuesday, March 3, 2015: The business community in Montego Bay has been challenged to invest in the resort city to rescue it from decline.

Throwing out the challenge, Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board, Dennis Morrison, said, “investment opportunities are staring us in the face. Let us take for instance the present condition of what was once a vibrant area of commerce, the Hip Strip; it is disheartening and disappointing to see the closed shutters on hotels and other tourism-related businesses on the Hip Strip.”

Reiterating that the investment climate was positive, he emphasized that, “there is no excuse and we should not wait for foreign investors to come in and then complain about their presence, which is what we tend to do.”

Mr. Morrison was delivering the keynote address at today’s launch of the second annual MoBay City Run, which provides financial assistance to young people to pursue tertiary education.

Pointing to the need for employment opportunities for young people who have achieved their goals of higher education, the JTB Chairman said that if they could not find what they wanted in the second city, they would be forced to seek it in the already overcrowded capital city of Kingston “or worse, to migrate.”

He underscored, however, that such opportunities would only open up further when the leaders, including members of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, invest in the continued development of the city. “So you invest in tertiary and higher education but you need to take the other step of increasing your involvement in the city in terms of economic activity and invest; expanding production in the city and creating jobs,” said Mr. Morrison. 

Reinforcing his challenge, the JTB Chairman called upon the Chamber and the private sector leaders to recognize that “much, much, more needs to be done and can be done.” He explained that the investment climate was right with the economy stabilizing and government facilitating investment through tax reform that provided encouragement “not just to the well connected (but) to people who have never had access to benefits for small hotels and attractions.” He also stated that financial institutions were lending for tourism projects, even to foreign investors, while Jamaicans were keeping their capital idle. 

He noted that a ready market existed for tourism businesses, pointing out that “for this Winter Tourist Season nearly every hotel is full and our average daily rates are high. So there’s much more we can do.”

The JTB Chairman implored the Chamber of Commerce to sensitize its members and encourage them to become more active investors. He hopes in the not too distant future to see a renewal of Montego Bay “which this world famous tourism city and its citizens deserve and can be proud of.”

In lauding the organizers of the Mobay City Run, Mr. Morrison said “the first Run last year was a great success and this year is shaping up to be even better.  Two thousand participants last year was a great start and the aim is to double that figure this year. I believe an event of this nature is very much a part of a world class destination.”

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) is co-sponsoring the second staging of the Mobay City Run, which takes place on Sunday, May 3, 2015. The event seeks to raise funds for youth education in Jamaica and will provide assistance to students attending institutions such as the University of West Indies and University of Technology Western Campuses, Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College and the Montego Bay Community College. Over 4,000 sport enthusiasts are expected to participate in this year’s event. 

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; April 29, 2015: The 518-room Holiday Inn, once dubbed the largest hotel in Montego Bay, has received a major boost with a US$15 million renovation and re-branding exercise, which is now underway.

With the new look comes a name-change from Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort to Holiday Inn Resort, operating as one of over 42 hotels under this new brand within the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).

The new brand was revealed yesterday (April 28) when the hotel unveiled its updated look to a select group of invited guests and the media. Heading the list was Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill who described the development as “something for which we can be proud.”

Noting that this was the fourth rebranding of hotels in recent weeks and that all the properties involved were Jamaican-owned, Minister McNeill said, “what you have happening here is part of a larger process that’s been going on now for some years where there’s an energy and vibrancy in Jamaica and in our tourism product.”

He saw this as a good move as “we are constantly reinventing … and this is something that’s progressing and getting better.” This he added, was good as it meant the eyes of the outside world were on Jamaica.

Reiterating that tourism was on a success path, Dr. McNeill credited workers in the industry for this achievement. “The real credit for the success we’re having in tourism goes to those persons in the industry who are doing work like this – rebranding, refreshing, keeping us on the cutting edge  and secondly, probably more importantly, to the strength of our hospitable workers in the industry.”

He said every survey conducted confirmed that the strength of Brand Jamaica in tourism was attributed to the workers and “their interaction with the guests is what people remember and it makes a great difference. As Minister of Tourism, in an industry that’s performing well, I want to congratulate and thank each and every one of them for the work that they are doing.”

He also had special commendation for the owners of the hotel, the Hendrickson family and in particular Managing Director of Holiday Inn Resort, Kevin Hendrickson. In addition to this property, the Hendricksons also operate other properties including The Jamaica Pegasus and Courtleigh in Kingston and Sunset Beach Resort in Montego Bay.

Mr. Hendrickson said the rebranding initiative marked a new chapter for the hotel and that the partnership with IHG since acquiring the property in 2008 has been rewarding. “Through their various programmes and services, we’ve taken the property to record revenues and profits” and with the rebranding “we are confident that the upward trajectory will continue.”

Director of Brand Experience for Holiday Inn Americas, Justin Alexander who recalled having been taken to the Montego Bay property as a child, praised staff for maintaining the hotel in good shape over the last 45 years and giving guests the warm service that makes them want to return.

Some new features have been added to the all-inclusive Holiday Inn Resort, such as the conversion of one of the several buildings into a 52-room adult only section called Rose Hall Club and offering a range of select services to club guests.

An island for sunbathers has also been created, in addition to a miniature golf course, a swim-up bar, a variety of specialty restaurants and facilities for children.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica: May 7, 2015: Western Jamaica has been given the opportunity to be better informed about the history and nature of the Rastafari movement through a historical exhibition mounted at National Museum West, located in the Montego Bay Cultural Centre.

In keeping with its efforts to foster the development of various aspects of the country’s tourism product, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) played a pivotal role in enabling the Rastafari exhibition to be mounted at the Cultural Centre, where it will be displayed for a year.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition recently, Executive Director of the TEF, Clyde Harrison described the mounting of the exhibition and the presence of members of the Rastafari community as “a journey with some distance still left to go”, but which stood out as a testament to the spirit of the Jamaican people.

From the viewpoint of Rastafari, Mr. Harrison commended “the strength of their culture, their insistence on being themselves and being accepted for who they are and what they are about.” For other Jamaican people “for the police, the government to accept them also, it’s the spirit of the Jamaican people in its full glory; the Rastafari and everybody else coming together to say welcome Rasta,” he added.

Speaking to TEF’s involvement in the exhibition, Mr. Harrison said while the Fund promoted tourism extensively, the fact was that “we promote what is good for Jamaicans and for the tourist to enjoy.” As examples he pointed to several TEF projects including the development of the Montego Bay Cultural Centre, restoration of The Dome in Montego Bay and the current installation of LED lights on the Elegant Corridor from Sangster International Airport to Lilliput, St. James.

He said, “we are funding the museum and we will continue to do so; we will not ignore the culture of the people nor what is important to us and when we do this it speaks to our spirit so we are very proud to be associated with this endeavour and all the others that we have put forward for the people of Jamaica and the tourists to enjoy.”

Member of Parliament for Central St. James, Lloyd B. Smith welcomed the exhibition as a special undertaking to pay tribute to Rastafari. “This exhibition, I am sure, will help to enlighten the general populace about the fact that Rastafari is a bona fide, genuine part of the Jamaican culture and history. It is indeed a very integral part of our national psyche and this has been embodied in the fact that wherever you go in the world Rastafari can be seen in one form or the other.”

Director of the National Museum Jamaica, Dr. Johnathan Greenland noted that it was the first major exhibition for Museum West. He disclosed that the exhibition ran at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. in the USA for many years before the Rastafari Community negotiated for it to be brought to Jamaica. Its first stop was in Kingston where it was expanded extensively.

Through artefacts, images, videos and text this exhibition seeks to explore the history and nature of Rastafari, including: the Revelation of Rastafari, the philosophy and evolution of the Rastafari movement, the visit of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie to Jamaica and the impact of Rastafari on music. It also provides a historical review of the tribulations experienced by members, in particular the events surrounding Coral Gardens in April, 1963.

Following a yearlong run in Montego Bay, it will be turned over to the Rastafari Community for it to be housed at a permanent learning centre to be established by the ethnic group.

First Man at the Rastafari Indigenous Village in St. James also applauded the collaboration of the Government of Jamaica and the Rastafari Millennium Council in bringing about the exhibition. “Especially here in Montego Bay the Rastafari Community faced one of our worst challenges; this is where the Coral Gardens incident took place, (and) right here in the centre of the city is where Sam Sharpe and all of our African people were down pressed and for us to be here eternally burning Babylon and then find that the same system now can speak of who Rastafari is and what Rastafari represents over that period of time, that is a great achievement,” he proclaimed.

Kingston, Jamaica: May 7, 2015 – A vibrant showcase of Jamaican dance, ranging from traditional folk forms to contemporary dancehall, will be on display when the fourth staging of ‘Arts in the Park’ gets underway at 3:00 p.m., on Sunday, May 17, 2015 at Hope Botanical Gardens in Kingston.

The ‘Arts in the Park’- Dance Edition is being hosted by the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment in association with the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) and the Edna Manley  College of the Visual and Performing Arts. It forms part of an ongoing effort by the Ministry to develop the local entertainment industry and give artistes international exposure.

The event will be free to the public and will feature individuals and dance companies.  In addition to a great afternoon of dance, the family event will also include exhibits by local manufacturers and a food court. 

One of the main objectives of ‘Arts in the Park’ is to provide business opportunities for local creative practitioners to network with international booking agents and talent scouts. To this end noted international intermediaries have been invited to network with the dancers, including Ms. Virginie Mecene, Artistic Director, Graham 2 and Director Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance; Mr. Troy Powell, Artistic Director, Ailey II; Ms. Fatima Wilson, Head of Commercial & Dance, Bloc NYC; Dr. Barry Burch of Dance Africa and Tanisha Scott, MTV nominated Choreographer for Beyonce, Rihanna and Sean Paul.  

A contingent of Entertainment Managers from local hotels will also be in attendance in an effort to expose them to the wealth of dance talent available to perform on the hotel circuit as well as to strengthen the linkages between Jamaica’s entertainment and hospitality sectors.

“We are very pleased to be staging a dance edition of ‘Arts in the Park’.  Jamaica has a very strong history of dance, which has been influenced by our rich history and diverse melting pot of cultures.  I encourage everyone to come out and enjoy the celebration of every genre of local dance including, Modern, Hip-Hop, Dancehall and Folk,” said State Minister in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Damion Crawford.

Chairman of the Entertainment Advisory Board (EAB), Kingsley Cooper, said, “Arts in the Park has had three successful stagings so far and we are positive that this event will be equally successful.  We cannot over-emphasize the value of the business networking opportunities facilitated by this initiative. In addition to Sunday’s event we will be hosting a special networking session on Friday, May 15, which will bring local dancers, international booking agents, talent scouts and international media representatives together in a strategic way.”

The ‘Arts in the Park’ initiative was conceived by the EAB to increase the quality of local entertainment offerings, while providing international booking agents and talent scouts opportunities to sign local acts and experience the “best of Jamaica”.  It is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and several stakeholders from the entertainment sector and creative industries.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica: June 7, 2015: As stopover visitor arrivals continue to trend upwards, the European conglomerate, TUI Group, has been helping to drive significant growth out of the European market.

This as a new direct flight from Ireland to Jamaica will be added for Summer 2016 through Falcon Holidays and Thomson Holidays, both part of the TUI Group.

Making the announcement yesterday (June 6) at the 54^th annual general meeting of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa, Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Hon. Dr Wykeham McNeill said TUI will roll out its new charter programme from Dublin using a Thomson Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Beginning June 2016, the service will run six flights weekly with holiday packages running for two weeks, thereby adding an additional 12, 222 room nights for the destination.  

“We have TUI’s assurance that should this short programme be successful they will consider expanding into the following summer,” Minister McNeill noted.

He had more good news of increased airlift out of Europe later this year. Commencing November 29, Ving, a subsidiary of Thomas Cook Nordic, will operate new service from Gothenburg, Sweden via Oslo Norway, to Montego Bay.  The fortnightly service will bring 2,907 passengers who will also be staying for 14 nights, thereby accounting for 20,349 room nights.

Also, commencing mid-December the fortnightly service which TUI Sweden operated from Stockholm to Montego Bay last winter will be doubled to weekly flights for the 2015/16 winter season. With capacity being doubled, passengers from Stockholm, Cophenhagen and Helsinki are expected to increase from 5,510 last winter to 8,671.

Visitors booking this service will also vacation for two weeks, resulting in an extra 22,127 room nights.

It was also outlined that Thomson UK has added a sixth weekly flight from the United Kingdom (UK): a third weekly operation from London Gatwick Airport. This will bring 15,132 additional passengers to Jamaica, and with an average stay of 12 nights, an estimated 90,000 room nights.

The renewed thrust in Europe is bolstered by the fact that arrivals from January to April 2015 out of that market went up by 9.1 percent over the corresponding period last year, with a total of 95,177 stopover visitors gracing Jamaica’s shores. Concurrently, the UK market registered a 27.5 percent increase, from 48,363 in 2014 to 61,670 UK visitors this year.

The Minister pointed to the fact that "these visitors stay for longer periods in small and medium sized properties, thereby helping to boost the occupancy levels of these properties."

Overall, he told the hoteliers and their purveyors that the sector continues to perform well, even amid the challenges of a harsh global environment. “We are building on the successes of 2014, which was another record year for stopover arrivals as we welcomed over 2 million visitors for the second consecutive year. Total arrivals for the last Winter Tourist Season stood at over 5 percent and we expect this positive trend to continue,” Minister McNeill noted.

Kingston, Jamaica: May 27, 2015 – The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has expended billions of dollars on tourism projects since it began operations ten years ago on May 1, 2005, in fulfilling its mandate of promoting growth and development in the tourism sector.

The Tourism Enhancement Act allows for a Tourism Enhancement Fee of US$20.00 to be charged to incoming airline passengers and US$2.00 to be charged to cruise passengers. The monies collected are paid into a dedicated Tourism Enhancement Fund.

“As our arrival figures have grown so too has the amount available for the operation of the TEF,” said Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, “allowing us to do more and more meaningful and costly projects which would not have been possible without the Fund. The tenth anniversary is a significant landmark for one of the most game-changing developments in our industry. The management and staff of the Fund are to be heartily congratulated for their record of achievement in fulfilling TEF’s mandate.”

Chairman of the Board of Directors of TEF since 2012, Senator Noel Sloley, expressed his satisfaction with the transformational projects carried out by TEF.  In the area of national heritage projects he cited the Montego Bay Cultural Centre in Sam Sharpe Square with its  National museum of Jamaica West and auditorium for live performances, carried out at a cost of J$62.5. Another major heritage project was the refurbishing of the birthplace of the Rt. Excellent Norman Manley and establishment of the Roxborough Museum at a cost of J$42.6 million.

He also cited  projects such as the Ocho Rios Upgrading Project done at a cost of J$345 million; the  J$270 million streetscape project now underway in Falmouth, which will see upgrades of roads, drains and facades in the town; and the planned transformation of the town of Negril and its town centre.

“These are just a few of the projects which directly benefit Jamaicans while fulfilling TEF’s primary mandate to carry out recommendations emanating from the Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism Development, 2002,” Senator Sloley stated. “It could not have come at a better time as we are able to upgrade our resort areas and have repeatedly heard return visitors express pleasure at seeing the visible improvements to our product.”

Executive Director of TEF since 2012, Clyde Harrison said that the work of TEF is challenging but most fulfilling as the organization has been able to see  not only completion of a number of  major projects  but also smaller ones.

He cited some other TEF projects, including funding for development and better management of environmental resources in Jamaica, enhancing the country’s overall tourist experience, and providing for the sustainable development of the tourism sector.

“Among these projects are the Montego Bay Marine Park Trust and the Clean Coasts Project, which is funded by TEF in partnership with the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET). This is making a big difference and its current “Nuh Dutty Up” Jamaica campaign is another worthwhile effort as we seek to educate the public as to the consequences of their actions in degrading the environment,” Mr. Harrison said.

“Some of the smaller projects," he said, “make a real difference to people in small communities. An example is our support for the Centres of Excellence Programme for high schools in the resort areas. TEF provides support to these schools by contributing equipment for programmes that train students in skills that are very marketable in the tourism sector. They leave these programmes ready to work and support themselves and contribute to the economy of their communities. What is equally satisfying,” he continued “is how their achievements in these programmes builds their self-esteem. This is a priceless gift.”

Another very important aspect of TEF’s work is their support for security.  In the last year or so, TEF has provided funding to the JCF for the repair and purchase of motor vehicles at a cost of J$225 million; and engines to make functional marine vessels for the marine police at a cost of J$15.5 million.

Two very popular TEF projects are the Public Beach Upgrade Programme at a cost of J$250 million and the National Rest Stop Programme at a cost of J$69 million. These programmes are underway in parishes across the island. The beaches programme is providing state of the art facilities and free access to public beaches.  TEF’s upgrading of Rest Stops across the length and breadth of the island is making road travel a much more pleasant experience for Jamaicans and visitors alike. Mr. Harrison also paid tribute to the many organizations and entities which work along with TEF in carrying out the projects they Fund, including sister agency the Tourism Product Development Agency (TPDCO), National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), the Urban Development Corporation and the National Works Agency, among many others.

Kingston, Jamaica, May 30, 2015: Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, has called on countries with strong tourism earnings to practise responsible tourism by developing critical national awareness of the ways in which tourism can improve the quality of life and welfare of their citizens. Minister McNeill was giving the Chairman’s address at the opening ceremony of the 100^th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Executive Council in Rovinj, Croatia, earlier this week.

“Over the past few years, tourism has proven to be a strong and resilient economic activity and a significant contributor to the global recovery. International tourist arrivals reported by destinations around the world reached 1,138 million in 2014, a 4.7% increase over the previous year,” the Minister stated as he addressed some 200 delegates attending the Executive Council session.

The Minister further stated that as the world’s largest industry, tourism reportedly provides a job for one in nine workers worldwide.

“In many of our member nations it employs a large percentage of our labour force. We are cognizant of the need for even greater emphasis on sustainability.

“This is essential to ensure long-term economic gains that provide benefits to all socioeconomic groups and across other sectors through strong promotion of linkages. Equally important is collaboration with private-sector stakeholders to ensure compliance and active support of regulations and initiatives designed to preserve our natural and built environment. We must ensure that community tourism efforts emphasize meaningful involvement at the grassroots,” he added.

Jamaica was elected to chair the Executive Committee of the world body for the year 2014-2015, the first English–speaking Caribbean nation to do so.

The Minister will travel from Rovinj to London where he will hold consultations with Jamaica Tourist Board representatives and other tourism interests.