KINGSTON, JAMAICA: October 22, 2014 – Efforts to diversify the island’s tourism offerings have received a major boost as timeshare vacations are set to be added to Jamaica’s tourism product mix with the passage of the Timeshare Vacations Bill. The Bill was passed in the House of Representatives yesterday (October 21) after being piloted by Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, who said the legislation, will further expand Jamaica’s accommodations offering, while adding another tool to the island’s investment portfolio. 

Timeshare is a form of joint ownership or lease of a vacation property by several people who take turns occupying the premises for fixed periods; often one week. These properties are typically resort condominium units but can also be single family homes. From the purchasers’ point of view, timeshare or vacation ownership allows the acquisition of future holiday accommodation at today’s prices.

Minister McNeill said “Jamaica is keen on developing a more sophisticated tourism product, one that also embraces the timeshare/vacation ownership market.” He pointed out that research has shown that Vacation Ownership is one of the fastest growing sectors of the global hospitality industry. “There is  huge and significant potential for further growth and development of the timeshare product in the Caribbean and especially in Jamaica,” he said.

Noting that currently investment in Jamaica’s tourism sector is high, Minister McNeill emphasized that “prospective investors have shown an interest in developing timeshare in Jamaica and this can be of particular benefit as it includes a mix of accommodation such as integrated leisure resort facilities with luxury condo resorts.”    

Listing the benefits of timeshare, Minister McNeill said that in the last decade timeshare has been viewed as a significant driver of business in the hospitality sector.  “It has the potential of further fuelling the dynamic growth which Jamaica’s tourism sector is currently enjoying,” the Minister added, noting that timeshare schemes also provide employment and can readily inject funds into multi-purpose projects.

The potential benefits of timeshare to Jamaica’s tourism industry also include a reduction in the seasonality experienced in the accommodation sector; improvement in the quality of tourism accommodation as timeshare offerings tend to be high end; maintaining increased occupancy levels as timeshare guests are usually repeat visitors; and attracting some of the world’s most celebrated hospitality brands that are involved in timeshare.

Minister McNeill noted that the Timeshare Vacations Bill is designed to achieve two main objectives. First, it will give legal recognition to timeshare vacation schemes in the form of right-to-use agreements, which are timeshare contracts and deeds issued in respect of these agreements.  Second, it also regulates the marketing, promotion and provision of timeshare accommodation and will entail the establishment of a Timeshare Vacations Registry. The Real Estate Board will serve as the Timeshare Registrar.

During the brief debate on the Bill the legislation was amended to include specific reference to vacation clubs, which Minister McNeill said “is an important marketing tool used by the sector and which is growing in popularity.”

In lauding the many individuals, ministries and entities which helped to develop the Bill Minister McNeill said the passage of this legislation is timely in light of the government’s growth agenda and the fact that global trends show tourism to be one of the fastest growing sectors in the global economy.  He emphasized that the Timeshare Vacations Bill has the ability to help to propel the industry into an even more competitive position. 

 

OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA: October 19, 2014 – The multi-million dollar renovation of the Ocho Rios Cruise Ship Terminal is now complete and already visitors and local tourism interests are benefiting from the work done by the relevant authorities.

The rehabilitation of the facility includes the upgrading and expansion of the parking area and the renovation of the terminal building.

This will facilitate the provision of better service in a more comfortable environment for both incoming and outgoing cruise ship passengers. It forms part of an overall transformational project, which is funded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), and will help to enhance the appeal of the resort town and benefit visitors and locals alike.

The road leading to the marina and the promenade also has a brand new look. The upgrading work on the cruise ship terminal and the adjoining facilities represent the second phase of a $400 Million Ocho Rios Improvement Project initiated late last year by the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, with support from the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ).

The first phase, which was completed in March of this year, resulted in the transformation of the Turtle River Road (from Main Street to the terminal) into an attractive corridor. The road now has a dual lane with one section accommodating the usual flow of vehicular traffic, while the other lane is dedicated solely to safe pedestrian use.

A new feature of the upgraded terminal is improvement in the service for the disabled and elderly. Porters with wheelchairs are now employed by the PAJ to ensure easier movement by these individuals in and around the terminal area.

With the completion of both phases one and two, efforts will now focus on completing works on the promenade and Main Street. The promenade  runs east along the coast starting from the port to the Ocean Village Shopping Centre and upgrades along Main Street will target the area from the Ocean Village Shopping Centre back to Turtle River Road and include pedestrian, drainage, aesthetic and similar features.

The promenade will be adorned with small shops to facilitate the sale of food and beverages.

NEGRIL, Westmoreland, October 5, 2014: Work on several improvement projects in Negril are to be ramped up to improve conditions in the resort area as the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment pursues its programme of transforming resort towns for the benefit of both residents and visitors.

Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, and State Minister for Tourism and Entertainment the Hon. Damion Crawford, were recently accompanied by representatives of several stakeholder government agencies on a follow-up tour of the western resort town.

Minister McNeill explained that the tour was the latest move in an effort to bring all stakeholders together on site “to take ownership of projects” and involve the wider community to get buy-in from those who stand to benefit. 

In-keeping with recent discussions the group visited the sewage treatment plant which serves Negril and surrounding communities with officers of the lead agencies, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and the National Water Commission (NWC).

Although some representatives outlined that based on its design “the sewage plant is functioning as they expected it to,” Minister McNeill said he and others had “certain concerns in terms of how the sewage is being treated.”

Following further discussions the NWC and NEPA are to provide Minister McNeill with a plan for tertiary treatment that he will discuss with relevant Cabinet colleagues for speedy action. “The law that has been recently passed indicates that all the sewage plants have to be at a certain compliance level by December 2015, therefore there is not a lot of time to address this issue,” he said.

Minister McNeill stressed that with the emphasis on sustainable tourism, there has to be community involvement in the process to foster environmental protection.

The touring party also examined work to be done on Norman Manley Boulevard regarding drainage, the shared pathway, as well as improvement work to the Sheffield main road. Among the officials involved were representatives from the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo); the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF); the National Works Agency (NWA); the Urban Development Corporation (UDC); and the Westmoreland Parish Council.

Speaking specifically about the main thoroughfare in the town, Minister McNeill said Negril has had a number of problems with medians erected in the road causing challenges for drivers and sidewalks not being properly built. Also, with the expansion of structural developments over the years blocking outlets, drainage has become an issue.

Minister McNeill said it was important that the agencies “see what the challenges are” adding that, “I want to engender a culture where the technocrats and people at all levels of government take ownership of the things that need to be done in the different communities across the island.”

There were several discussions enroute, which Minister McNeill said sought to determine the final outcomes of the various projects as work progresses as “sometimes there may be slight deviations and what we want to ensure is that what we intend as a policy actually comes out as the final product.”

While the NWA is to addess the road issues, attention is also to be paid to ensuring that the town does not lose its aesthetic appeal.

Three of Jamaica’s finest contemporary voices and performance poets, Mel Cooke, Yashika Graham and Richard “Dingo” Dingwall, are gearing up to participate in Jamaica Rising, a series of poetry readings across Bristol, a rising cultural epicentre in the UK. But before starting the trek they will present Colonization in (Re)VERSE at Redbones the Blues Café.

Colonization in (Re)VERSE will give Jamaican audiences a taste of the performances in Bristol (October 10 & 11) which will surround Professor Mervyn Morris’ delivery of the annual poetry reading at the Bristol Poetry Institute.

Cooke, Graham and Dingo are included in Jamaica Rising to bring greater attention and exposure to the wealth of talent emerging from Jamaica by showcasing newer voices alongside the poetic patriarch, Prof Morris. These three poets, who have been making a positive name for themselves on the local market, got on the international radar via the Ministry of Tourism & Entertainment’s initiative “Arts in the Park – the Spoken Word Edition.” The Reggae Month event featuring a range of Jamaican poets was held at Devon House as part of the Ministry’s thrust to promote the cultural industries. 

Unfortunately, the organizers of the Bristol series of events were not successful in raising sufficient grant funding to cover international travel costs of the three poets. The Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment has further cemented their commitment to the initiative and promoting Brand Jamaica by underwriting 50% of the outstanding sum. The poets will be raising the additional funds through the aptly titled night of poetry Colonization in (RE)VERSE, where they will be joined by some excellent guest performers including poet Velma Pollard, comedian/poet Michael Abrahams and singer/poet Jah9.  

Colonization in (Re)Verse gets underway at 7pm on October 6. Entry to the fundraiser is $1000.

Kingston, Jamaica: October 1, 2014: Efforts to position Jamaica as the leading sports tourism destination in the Caribbean got a major boost today (October 1) with the official launch of ‘JAMAICA Sport’ at the Courtleigh Hotel & Suites, New Kingston.

The technical working group is a spinoff of the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment’s Sports Tourism Implementation Committee (STIC), which was established in 2012, to provide the framework to sustainably develop sports tourism as well as leverage local and international sports events to increase visitor arrivals to the island.  The STIC will now be replaced by JAMAICA Sport.

Addressing tourism and sports stakeholders, Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon.  Dr. Wykeham McNeill, said Jamaica has an abundance of assets that need to be harnessed and marketed for the greater good of the country and its people. “Sport is one of those assets,” he emphasized.

Minister McNeill pointed out that his ministry “is committed to ensuring that all areas that complement our growing tourism industry are tapped to reap maximum benefits. This forms part of our ongoing effort to diversify our tourism product.”

Minister McNeill emphasized that the potential for developing sports tourism as a viable market segment in Jamaica is tremendous, especially in light of Jamaica’s dominance in track and field at successive Olympic Games and World Championships. “Now is the time to capitalise on this potential,” he added. 

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for Sport, the Hon. Natalie Neita Headley said, “It is the synergies between tourism and sport which will drive us to attain new heights and allow each sector to make greater contributions to Jamaica’s GDP.” She added that “this is the hallmark of Joined-up Governance! A true reflection of partnership and collaboration and a proud moment for Jamaica!”

JAMAICA Sport, which is chaired by businessman and former Managing Director and CEO of ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, Christopher Dehring, will explore the commercial opportunities provided by sports tourism; leverage Brand Jamaica and sporting events held locally and internationally to ensure that Jamaica maximizes marketing and promotional opportunities; and attract additional visitors to our shores.   

In addition, the entity will anchor and execute the objectives of a Major Events Attraction Programme (MEAP), which was commissioned by Jamaica Trade and Invest (JAMPRO) and outlines the blueprint for establishing Jamaica as the major sport tourism destination in the region. It will also spearhead the implementation of the National Sport Policy of Jamaica.

JAMAICA Sport will focus on several key areas including working in tandem with the National Council on Sport to develop mechanisms to bid on or host strategically important sport events, and developing  a methodology and system to identify and select indigenous sport events to be endorsed and facilitated by JAMAICA Sport with the aim of boosting tourist arrivals and raising the stature of Jamaican athletes and Jamaica as a major sport destination in the region.

In endorsing JAMAICA Sport, President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Nicola Madden-Greig, described sports tourism as a natural fit for Jamaica.  “It leverages all our built

facilities, our long proven talents in the field, the expertise of our support staff who have honed their skills locally, regionally and internationally and provides the opportunity for visitors to Jamaica to enhance their vacation experience either as a participant and/or spectator,” the JHTA President said.

In declaring JAMAICA Sport officially open for business Mr. Dehring emphasized that “content is king, sports is the king of content, and Jamaica is the King of sports.”

Kingston, Jamaica: September 25, 2014 – The library at the New Kingston offices of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) was today (September 25) renamed the ‘Clive Eugene Taffe Information and Resources Centre’, in a fitting tribute to the late public servant who gave 50 years of outstanding service to the JTB in various capacities, both at home and abroad.

The announcement was made to an audience of former colleagues, tourism stakeholders, family and friends at the official opening of the Clive Eugene Taffe Retrospective Exhibition at the JTB’s offices located at 64 Knutsford Boulevard.

Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, said it was fitting that in honour of Clive’s memory the JTB was hosting a retrospective exhibition that reflects on 20 years of marketing Destination Jamaica.

“I say this because much of Clive’s life was dedicated to the development and promotion of the island’s vibrant tourism sector; and his significant contribution to Jamaica’s tourism industry is reflected in much of the successes we are experiencing today,” said Minister McNeill. 

Director of Tourism, Paul Pennicook said there was no better way to observe the extended Tourism Awareness Week (TAW), which runs from September 21 to October 1, than by remembering Mr. Taffe.   Hailing him as a professional and dedicated worker, Mr. Pennicook said Taffe was “easily one of the most dedicated and passionate salespersons Jamaica has ever had.”

Mr. Taffe, who passed away in June of this year, had the distinction of being the only JTB employee to have served with every Director of Tourism.  The retrospective tourism exhibition, which honours his memory and many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry, will be taken across the island following its run at the JTB. The official opening of the exhibition is one of a slate of activities that the ministry, its agencies and tourism partners are hosting as part of TAW 2014 in an effort to raise awareness of the vital contribution that the tourism sector makes to Jamaica’s social and economic development.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica September 24, 2014: With cruise arrivals at Jamaica’s three cruise ship ports showing increases, in a month’s time Montego Bay will become home port to the Thomson Dream vessel.

Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, says with the home porting of the cruise ship here, “we will be having four extra flights (out of Europe) a week” to service the ship.

Speaking at a JAPEX Press Luncheon at the Half Moon on Monday (September 22), Minister McNeill expressed an eagerness to see this happen, stating, “The fact of the matter is we know that when the Thomson Dream comes, our estimate is that about 30 percent of the passengers will do a sail and stay so we are looking also to increase our stopover numbers.”

For the eight-month period, January to August this year, the port of Montego Bay received 59 cruise ship calls with 162,120 passengers. These numbers represented increases of 1.7 percent and 0.8 percent respectively over the corresponding period in 2013.

Combining all three major ports, there were 267 calls for the same period this year bringing 938,844 passengers, in comparison to 238 calls last year accounting for 853,072. Statistically, the number of calls increased by 12.2 percent and the passengers moved up by 10.1 percent.

Noting that Falmouth handles some 700,000 passengers per year, Minister McNeill says “in a few short years (it) has been transformed into our leading port of call for cruise ships.”

A programme of transformation funded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has been underway in resort townships. The Ocho Rios project is halfway to completion. The next stage is the redevelopment of a seaside boardwalk leading to Main Street which will also be rehabilitated to include a cobble stone lane devoted to pedestrian traffic.

Major upgrading work is taking place in Negril and the Falmouth transformation is also underway while Montego Bay now has cultural centre housing an art gallery, a museum, space for theatrical productions, a  bistro and gift shop.

At the same time, Minister McNeill said his ministry was pressing ahead with plans to acquire and fully develop ten beaches across Jamaica to be used by both residents and visitors alike. A network of rest stops is also being established to provide well maintained restroom facilities and ancillary services for travellers throughout the island.

 

Kingston, Jamaica: April 17, 2014 –   The Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment hosted the first in a series of national consultations on the Community-Based Tourism Policy green paper yesterday (April 16) at Lovers’ Leap in St. Elizabeth.  The aim of the consultations, which will be held in parishes across the island, is to elicit valuable feedback from community stakeholders and tourism partners.  

The Community-Based Tourism Policy green paper, a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), was tabled in Parliament in February of this year. The consultations represent the final step towards making the policy a white paper.

Giving the main address at the consultation, State Minister for Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Damion Crawford, said that in keeping with its mandate of “Tourism for All”, the ministry has been working to diversify the tourism products to ensure that every Jamaican has the opportunity to benefit from tourism.

Continuing his message of diversification, the state minister said that product diversification was as important as market diversification, as not all tourists come to Jamaica to see the same thing.   “If you don’t diversify your product you cannot diversify your market.  “You can’t sell Jamaica’s best beaches to a Brazilian because the Brazilians believe they have the best beaches,” Minister Crawford said.

“We also have to diversify tourism’s beneficiaries.  It cannot be perceived as only for the few and only for the wealthy as not everyone is capable of making an initial high level investment,” he said.  The Community Tourism Policy and Strategy is intended to add depth and diversity to the tourism product by encouraging a more widespread community participation in the sector.  It will lay the foundation for an equitable and sustainable community tourism sector in Jamaica that benefits communities through economic development, job creation, and infrastructural development.  Minister Crawford said that St. Elizabeth is best posed to be an example for community tourism that Jamaica and others will follow.

JSIF’s General Manager of Infrastructure & Civil Works, Andrew Neita, said his organization was happy to facilitate the “linking of communities in the dialogue for creation of a national policy with the intended end result of guiding tourism development at the level of underserved communities and groups.”  JSIF’s Rural Economic Development Project (REDI), provided J$6,230,00.00 in grant funding for the development of the policy and strategy, made possible through loan funds from the World Bank.

“We believe this investment will support the development of entrepreneurship with communities, spawning sustainable livelihoods, income generation and employment within our underserved populations,” said the JSIF general manager added.

The community consultation was also attended by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, Jennifer Griffith; Member of Parliament South East St. Elizabeth , Richard Parchment; Executive Director of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Dennis Hickey; Chairman, St Elizabeth Parish Development Committee, Jason Henzell; and the ministry’s Senior Director, Tourism Policy and Monitoring, Elecia Myers.

 

LUCEA, Hanover, September 23, 2014: The Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment has rallied several government agencies to work with the Tourism Enhancement Fund to transform the town of Lucea into a town attractive to visitors.

Following a walking tour of today, Minister McNeill said on passing through the town recently he was disappointed.

Lucea is the only parish capital between the resort towns of Montego Bay and Negril. According to the Tourism Minister, “When you consider that possible in excess of 200,000 visitors pass through here as well as the people who live in the town, it really is unacceptable.”

He consequently communicated his thoughts with Member of Parliament Ian Hayles and Mayor Wynter McIntosh “and we determined that we were going to come and take a look at it because it cannot remain in the way it is.”

Agencies represented on the extensive tour included the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), the National Works Agency (NWA), National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA), the Hanover Parish Council and Lucea Development Initiative.

While recognizing that there are some reasons for the town‘s shabby appearance, a major one being the $1.2 billion pipe laying work by the NWC, Minister McNeill said “how it was going to be fixed up is not enough so we are going to come in with the TEF to give some assistance so the road can be done   properly.”

, Issues with drains and sidewalks will also be addressed and something done to improve landscaping and the beauty of the town. That will include erecting signage at strategic locations, upgrading Look Out Park and creating a rest stop where people can sit and enjoy the scenic beauty of the Lucea Harbour.

The main thoroughfare, Seaview Drive, will be rehabilitated with a pedestrian walk linking into a Bailey bridge to be erected at adjacent to the existing Johnson Town Bridge. Its two-fold purpose is to enable the large water mains to be laid and provide a safe path for pedestrians. The old stone bridge is to be repaired.

Minister McNeill insisted that serious attention be given to the cleanliness and beauty of the town, noting that its aesthetic assets were being squandered. “The technical teams are going to do some work and at the end of it, we are going to see if we can get this up to a standard that we would be proud of,” he said.

The Tourism Minister and his team also visited the historic Fort Charlotte which has been falling into a state of ruin. “If we do not fix it up now every day it loses something to the elements. We are going to be working with the parish council to do some work to protect it and get it back into the condition that it should be,” he said.

To ensure it does not degrade any further, he said that work should start now. “They have a proposal on the table and we are going to see how we can do a phased restoration of it. In effect what we are doing is the same way we have done transformative programmes in Ocho Rios, Falmouth, Negril we are looking to see what can be done for Lucea,” he stated.

The plan outlined by Minister McNeill has been endorsed by MP Hayles and Mayor McIntosh.

MP Hayles estimated that “this town is going to need over a billion dollars.” He stated, “Just take  a look at the town, it’s going to take a lot of money but I am happy to see that the Minister is here and he has made commitments and we have work to do and we are going to follow through on the commitments and ensure that we can have something good going forward.”

For his part, Mayor McIntosh also expressed appreciation for the intervention by Minister McNeill and said he would be rallying the business community and the people of Lucea to play their part in cleaning up the town.

“A lot of the buildings are in a dilapidated state and we must improve the status of Lucea,” he declared.

He said Minister McNeil had asked for estimates to put in a proper drainage system and for a maintenance team to be assigned to avoid a recurrence of the ugly scenes that have built up with blocked drains and stagnant water throughout the town.

Kingston Jamaica: October 26, 2014 - In a bid to stimulate discussion around issues affecting the tourism industry the Tourism Product Development Company Ltd (TPDCo) will stage its Tourism Essay Competition 2014.  Among the objectives of the competition are to increase awareness of the importance of the industry to national development, encourage participation in the discussion of the issues affecting the industry; enhance the academic component of the school curriculum through collaboration with the Ministry of Education, improve the attitudes of the target group to our domestic and international visitors while developing a service culture and to promote the all-inclusiveness of the industry.

The competition is now open to Jamaican nationals and there are two categories.  A junior category for students between the ages of thirteen (13) and seventeen (17); and a category for seniors between the ages of eighteen (18) to twenty-five (25).

According to Executive Director of the TPDCo Dennis Hickey, “this competition is expected to stimulate youngsters not only in the resort areas but across Jamaica to think about the value of the industry, the importance of ensuring that our visitors have a great experience, see what value they can add to the industry and encourage families to discover Jamaica while vacationing at home, in order to sample our product and retain well needed foreign exchange.”  He added that “I must extend heartfelt thanks to the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), which has provided funding for this venture and to our partners from the industry which have provided the prizes.”

Industry players have been very generous in providing exciting prizes which will give winners a chance to see some of what Jamaica has to offer as a vacation destination and to be a tourist in their own country.  The prizes include family weekends from Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa, Sunset Beach Resort Spa and Water Park, Beaches Resort, Iberostar Hotel, Jewel Runaway Bay, as well as a weekend for two at RIU Ocho Rios, a day pass for a family of four at Grand Bahia Principe and a day spent shadowing the General Manager of that property.

Prizes have also been provided by some of our most exciting attractions across Jamaica. Namely Chukka Adventures; Dolphin Cove; Mystic Mountain Adventure Tours; Black River Safari; YS Falls; Prospect Outback Adventures; Green Grotto Caves and Dunn’s River Falls.     

The Gleaner Company and ZIP 103FM have also thrown their support behind the competition. There will also be individual cash prizes, winning plaques and a cash prize of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) for the winning school’s hospitality programme.                      

The questions selected focus on important tourism related issues, as follows:

For the Juniors: “Staycations allow us to explore the diversity of Jamaica’s natural and cultural heritage.  Why is it important for Jamaicans to experience the Jamaican tourism product?”  For the Seniors:  “Sometimes visitors feel harassed when interacting with providers of goods and services – How can we ensure that visitors have great experiences while conducting business?”

Persons wishing to enter the competition must fill out an entry form; send it along with proof of age and their essay to tpdcoessay@tpdco.org or contact 979-7987-8 or 968-3441, 968-8894 for further information. Entry forms are available online at www.tpdco.org or at any of our offices in Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Mandeville.  Essays will be judged on organization and grammar, creativity, content, research, facts and analysis and must be submitted by latest November 21.  The competition is endorsed by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

The Tourism Product Development Company is the central agency of the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment which is mandated to facilitate the diversification, development and improvement of Jamaica’s tourism product.