Kingston, Jamaica: November 7, 2014 – State Minister in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Damion Crawford, has been invited by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA) to attend the second Caribbean Exporters' Colloquium in Bridgetown, Barbados, from November 11 – 12, 2014. He will depart the island on Monday, November 10, 2014.

The two-day Colloquium, being held under the theme “Building Economic Resilience in the Caribbean”, is intended to provide Caribbean counties with a road map for future economic growth.   The forum will focus on examining among other issues, the state of regional exports, private sector advocacy, innovation and entrepreneurship, branding and intellectual property protection, and key issues affecting competitiveness.

Minister Crawford will be a panelist on one of the Colloquium’s series of interactive discussions titled “Clearing the Hurdles:   Key Issues Affecting Caribbean Private Sector Competitiveness.”   The session will identify specific challenges that may stymie the ability of the private sector to be competitive with the objective of generating recommendations that will enable them to play a greater role in regional economic development.

This event will bring together over 100 leading Caribbean business persons, policymakers, business support organizations, regional and international development organizations and political leaders from all CARIFORUM countries.

State Minister Crawford will return to the island on Sunday, November 16, 2014.

KINGSTON, JAMAICA: January 26, 2015 – In its continued bid to strengthen the linkages between the tourism industry and other sectors of the economy, the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment’s Tourism Linkages Hub is collaborating with the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA) and other partner entities to host the first ever Linkages Speed Networking event. The session will be held on Wednesday, January 21, 2015, at the Half Moon, A RockResort, in Montego Bay.

The innovative networking event will entail a series of fifteen-minute meetings between Managing Directors, General Managers and CEOs of local companies which supply products and services and owners as well as Managers of properties, restaurants, attractions and other tourism entities. Additional representatives from core areas within the hotel’s operation such as Purchasing, Food and Beverage, Housekeeping, Maintenance and Guest Services, who are in a position to make purchasing decisions, will also be in attendance.

“The initiative is in keeping with our ongoing efforts to improve the linkages between tourism, manufacturing, agriculture and other sectors of the economy to increase business with local suppliers of goods and services,” said Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill. “We are very pleased to be able to provide this opportunity to local business interests.  The strengthening of linkages between tourism and other sectors will help us to build a more lucrative industry which will benefit more Jamaicans,” he added.

Some 50 hotels and 80 businesses offering a wide range of goods and services will participate in the networking event, including suppliers of craft, toiletries and guest amenities, chemicals and cleaning products, cosmetic and spa products, furniture, bedding, food and beverage, uniforms, printing and packaging, construction, training, ICT, electrical, entertainment, meat and fresh produce.

The other entities which are partnering to host the speed networking event are the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), and the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC).

Chairman of the Tourism Linkages Council, Donavon Perkins pointed out that the event is “an outstanding opportunity for hoteliers, restaurateurs and attractions to place orders, discuss contracts and prices and other areas of interest with the producers and suppliers of a range of critical products and services used by the tourism industry.  It will also give them a chance to learn about the many novel and high quality products now being produced in Jamaica and we hope more of our local products and services will ultimately be used within the sector.”

Kingston, Jamaica: January 27, 2015 - Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, is currently in Madrid, Spain, to attend FITUR 2015, one of the largest and most important tourism trade shows on the international calendar.

The 35^th staging of FITUR, which takes place from January 28 to February 1, 2015, will see the participation of some 9,107 companies from 165 countries and approximately 200,000 visitors from around the world.  

Jamaica will be among the leading tourist destinations that will be showcased at FITUR, as the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) will be mounting a booth at the highly anticipated event. JTB’s Regional Director in charge of Europe, Mr. Gregory Shervington, and the agency’s representative for Spain and Portugal, Mr. Marc Meister, will also be in attendance to market the destination.

While in Spain Minister McNeill will also attend the 11^th United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner on January 28.  The flagship awards for the global tourism sector recognizes exceptional initiatives and individuals that contribute to advance knowledge and innovation, in line with the principles of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The event will be celebrated for the second consecutive time in collaboration with the FITUR international tourism trade fair. The minister will also participate in the VI Tourism Investment and Business Forum.

Jamaica, represented by Minister McNeill, is currently the chair of the UNWTO Executive Council (EC) for the year 2014-2015.

Minister McNeill is being accompanied to FITUR 2015 by Chairman of the JTB, Mr. Dennis Morrison. He will return to the island on Friday, January 30, 2014.

OCHO RIOS, Jamaica, Sunday, December 6, 2015: Tourism and Entertainment Minister, Hon.  Dr Wykeham McNeill, has welcomed news that Palace Resorts plans to increase investment in the island’s hotel sector.

Information on the plan was provided by Executive Vice President of Palace Resorts, Gibran Chapur, at the recent official opening of Moon Palace Jamaica Grande, the first resort property outside of Mexico to be opened by that country’s largest hotel chain.

“Very good things happen in Jamaica and we want to be part of this country’s continued success,” Mr. Chapur said, adding, “we already have invested more than US$200 million, why not invest 300 million more.”

Elaborating in an interview, Mr.  Chapur disclosed that “we are working on plans to acquire new properties in order to build new hotels. I think that’s good; it will bring new inventory to the destination and we want to do five-star hotels as we have here.”

With the creativity of designers from Miami and a skilled Jamaican work force, Palace Resorts spent US$210 million to transform the former Sunset Jamaica Grande into one of the finest hotels in the Caribbean.

Minister McNeill said he was pleased that Palace Resort was looking at further investment here as this would be a further boost to the tourist industry. “We’re really seeing a transformation of Jamaica’s tourism,” he said.

Commenting on Moon Palace Jamaica Grande, Dr. McNeill said, “They’ve done a fantastic job with the renovation and it’s hard to see this as the project that was Jamaica Grande. They’ve carried it up another notch with the largest spa in Jamaica and the fine finish to the work that was done.

He lauded the Chapur family and expressed appreciation for their keeping 600 members of staff of the former Sunset Jamaica Grande fully employed since last year September when the transformation began. Some 200 of those workers were sent to Mexico to be further trained while a number of Mexicans came here to work alongside Jamaicans.

Kingston Jamaica, November 23, 2015 – Effort to boost community tourism along the island’s South Coast has received a major boost as the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment through its agency the Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo), officially opened the Maidstone Museum in Nazareth, Manchester on Wednesday November 18, 2015.  The project, that formed part of the Ministry’s Tourism Improvement Programme (TIP) is situated on the premises of the Nazareth All-Age School located in the Manchester community. 

Funding for the project was provided by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and amounted to J$ 9.73 million.  The funds were allocated to transform an existing building on the site into the museum within the guidelines of the Jamaica Heritage Trust (JNHT) and Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) and to prepare the community for tourism development.  A total of Forty-five (45) persons were employed to the project that was managed by the TPDCo, under the Tourism Improvement Programme (TIP).

Guest speaker for the event, Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon Dr. Wykeham McNeill, underscored the merit of the project and was excited to inform the assembly that the facility was credited with museum status by the Institute of Jamaica.  The Minister also highlighted that, “the opening of the museum would welcome a wider and very appreciative audience for the community to share the heritage and history of Maidstone in a holistic and fulfilling way”.

The Musuem and surrounding community will welcome visitors from far and wide for a Museum and Nazareth community Walking Tour, which will also be part of the expanded Manchester Heritage Tour.

Member of Parliament for North Western Manchester, Mr. Mikael Phillips was especially pleased to welcome members of the community, the media and specially invited guests to the opening. 

The Maidstone Museum project, according to Mr. Phillips, now belongs to the people of Nazareth – as he charged them to take responsibility for its successes, failures and growth opportunities.  He spoke of the threat of vandals and thieves that would attempt to erode the good that has been done. Mr. Phillips applauded the work of the security forces, who in recent times thwarted the attempts of criminals to steal infrastructure from a nearby project and urged the citizens to continue to take a keen interest in preserving the site from such elements. 

He thanked the many partners who made the project possible: The Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment and its agencies- TPDCo and TEF; Manchester Parish Council, JNHT and members of the community who he also indicated were employed to the project and provided exemplary service. “The fact that no external persons were employed to the project evidenced the buy-in of the residents and was a major credit to their determination to realize the dream," he explained.  

Maidstone, originally a 349-acre coffee plantation, was owned by Thomas Frith. It ceased operation after the Emancipation declaration in 1838.  In 1840 the Nazareth Moravian Church, located at Adam's Valley, bought 341 acres of the estate and subdivided them into lots of one to 15 acres and established a free village for the former slaves.  To date the museum has a billboard with the names of the first ex-slaves to have been granted plots of land and some descendants of ex-slaves are still residents of Maidstone.

Kingston, Jamaica: November 23, 2015 – Jamaica this year recorded the best ever September for stop over arrivals, up 7.0% (114,280 arrivals) when compared to September 2014.

This record September was announced by Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, who was the guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Kingston’s weekly luncheon held recently at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston.

Noting that the tourism sector has experience successive years of growth, Minister McNeill said total visitor arrivals were up 5.5% for January to September 2015 over the same period last year.  This translates into 38,000 more stopover visitors and 105,000 more cruise ship visitors.  

“We have achieved this growth even while a number of properties are closed for room expansion and refurbishing,” said Minister McNeill, noting that Moon Palace  was just reopening and other hotels like Grande Lido Negril, Melia Braco and Riu Negril were still out of commission. “If you have 20,000 rooms and 1,000 are out of commission and you are still growing arrivals then you must be doing something right,” said Minister McNeill.

Jamaica has secured some 60,000 new airline seats for the upcoming winter tourist season of which 50,000 will be out of the United States. News flights include Frontier Airlines out of Philadelphia; American Airlines out of Los Angeles and South West Airlines out of Hobby, Houston.  In addition, Summer 2016 will see direct flights from Dublin, Ireland, to Montego Bay.

Minister McNeill said there is a move in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment to ensure that the entire island benefits from tourism’s success.  “There is so much potential across the island; not just in big hotels but also smaller properties and attractions,” said Minister McNeill, specifically referencing Milk River Hotel and Spa in Clarendon and the Maidstone Museum in Manchester.

Pointing out the importance of using tourism as a tool for social and economic development, the Tourism Minister said “that is what tourism is meant to be.  It can’t be seen only as big hotels and people staying on the north coast.  It is the extent to which tourism positively impacts the lives of the people of Jamaica.”

Minister McNeill noted that Jamaica is experiencing a wave of investment in the tourism sector as never before with some J$64 billion in investments since 2012. “We have 2500 new rooms being built in Jamaica as we speak. At no time in the history of Jamaica have we had that level of investment in Jamaica. This wave will have a real impact on people in Jamaica and create economic opportunities,” he said.

These new hotel rooms are expected to provide some 10,000 jobs, both direct and indirect. The Tourism Ministry is collaborating with the Ministry of Education and training institutions to ensure that Jamaicans are trained and certified to take advantage of job opportunities arising from these investments.

Kingston, Jamaica: November 20, 2015 – Residents in the rural community of Mountainside St. Elizabeth and surrounding areas are set to benefit from improved road conditions following the signing of a multi-million dollar contract to effect extensive repairs to the Mountainside main road. The contract was signed in the community recently and was met by applause from scores of residents who welcomed the project.

The contract signing comes on the heels of months of discussion and preliminary work. It was highlighted that the road improvements will improve the journey from Mountainside to areas such as Santa Cruz and Newell. The road repairs also form part of efforts to stimulate community tourism in the area by improving access to the community as well as attractions and places of interest in the Parish including Treasure Beach, Lover’s Leap and Jamaica Zoo.

The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has allocated J$99.7 million dollars for the project, which will be executed by DR Foote Construction.  The venture is in-keeping with TEF’s ongoing effort to improve the travel experience for Jamaicans and visitors alike to local attractions and community tourism projects. The National Works Agency (NWA) will provide support for the project which will be carried out under the supervision of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo).

In underscoring the importance of the project Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, said “this project is key to the overall development of St. Elizabeth. The need was clear as good roads are generally accepted as critical to the daily lives of citizens going about their business, for workers to get to the jobs; for farmers to transport produce and for students to travel to school.”

“I hope the fact that TEF funding has made this possible brings home to everyone the fact that the TEF funds are made up of taxes collected from visitors to Jamaica and clearly illustrates the fact that the benefits of tourism are being felt more and more in measurable and practical ways across the length and breadth of Jamaica,” he said.

In lauding the initiative Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, Hon. Richard Azan emphasised that “the road improvements will benefit taxi operators and commuters significantly, and taxi operators will be able to see greater earnings as they will spend less money to repair their vehicles.”

Kingston Jamaica; November 18, 2015: Kingston’s iconic landmark Devon House has been undergoing major renovations, over the last few years, to develop and preserve the heritage site. Following a tour of the facilities on Tuesday November 17, 2015, the Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill announced that the ministry, through its agency, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has funded projects at Devon House to the tune of $128 million from 2012-2014.

The property, which is now celebrating its 134^th anniversary, has undergone several changes to not only generate more income, and make it financially sustainable but to also transform it into the culture and entertainment Mecca of Kingston. To accomplish this, a $10 million multi-purpose facility was built on the east lawn, which is able to host a variety of cultural events and festivals. 

 “I want to ensure that we have a timetable of cultural events at Devon House. We have been making changes that will enable us to do that and for it to become a cultural and entertainment centre,” said Dr McNeill.

The general aesthetics of the heritage site have also been improved, with in excess of J$16 million spent on the renovation of the mansion and $1 million annually on landscaping.

The property reportedly developed major electrical issues that severely impacted the functionality of the shops, so this was included in the renovations. “We had to do a lot of work on the re-roofing of the shops. This was very critical because shops were leaking and it was interfering with the electricity at Devon House. It has been a very technical exercise because everything that’s done here has to be done in association with the Jamaica National Heritage Trust. So J$34 million was spent on this and as well as J$9 million on the rewiring of the property,” shared Dr McNeill.

To address growing public concerns about the waiting-time to purchase ice-cream, especially on weekends and public holidays, the Minister also announced that ground will soon be broken for the construction of another ice-cream shop. Construction is slated to begin in January 2016. 

Devon House's marketing and events manager, Andre Reid, also shared that plans are already underway to capitalise on the quality and popularity of its world renowned ice-cream.  He shared that the brand and recipe have been trademarked and the group intends to expand the brand to an overseas market in the near future.

STATEMENT BY MR.  RUBEN BECERRA

VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

KARISMA HOTELS AND RESORTS

AT A PRESS BRIEFING

 JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD

OCTOBER 13, 2015

 

Good afternoon.

On behalf of Karisma Hotels & Resorts, let me start by saying how very proud we are to be in Jamaica. 

Last April 2014, we were honored to make our entry into this beautiful country with the opening of Sensatori Jamaica in Negril, with 138 suites. The hotel was sold out for the entire year less than a month after opening with the great support of our TUI partners, who have also been fundamentally instrumental on increasing the Airlift into Jamaica with more than 108 thousand seats per year, representing more than 1 million additional guest nights per year.  A few months later – in January - we were pleased to announce an expansion of an additional 149 suites at this spectacular property. 

Construction is currently underway for a neighboring hotel as well – Azul Seven – which represents 149 rooms and an investment of $45 million.  Azul Seven will bring 328 direct and 197 indirect jobs to the area. 

Before going further, I want to express our deep gratitude to the people of Jamaica who have graciously welcomed the Karisma brand to their fine Country and who have so greatly contributed to our success here.

Now, I am proud to announce the acquisition of Llandovery by Karisma Hotels & Resorts. 

• Located on the north coast of St. Ann, Llandovery encompasses 228 acres and has access to more than a mile of pristine beachfront.
   
• With your support, Karisma intends to develop a total of nine hotels representing over 4,000 rooms over the next decade.
   
• Program elements to be considered include 9 Hotels, dolphin experience, water sports, and nature experience with horse trails.
   
• This 8 to 10-year project when completed will bring 4 thousand additional rooms into the Island and an investment that will surpass US$900 million.
   
• This Project will represent approximately 8 thousand new job opportunities in direct employment and around 5 thousand in indirect employment.
   
• As a part of Llandovery, Karisma expects to bring new international brands to Jamaica and we estimate to open the first hotel in 2017-2018.
   
• Increase of Airlift is also a part of the master plan.

We are extremely excited to continue working and growing alongside the people of Jamaica, and we remain committed to further enhancing the already bourgeoning tourism industry here. 

On behalf of Karisma Hotels & Resorts, I want to reiterate our gratitude to the government, industries, and communities that have welcomed us with open arms.  We look forward to a wonderful and fruitful future together.

Before closing I must also say a special thank you to Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, Minister Wykeham McNeill and their team for their enthusiastic support.

I also thank the Jamaica Tourist Board for welcoming me here today.

MONTEGO BAY, Monday, October 12, 2015: More than one thousand students from six north coast high schools are reaping the rewards of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) initiated Centres of Excellence programme. Students from participating schools are prepared for meaningful employment in the local tourism sector.

The TEF’s $54 million commitment has established Centers of Excellence at Little London, Grange Hill, Irwin, William Knibb Memorial, Marcus Garvey Technical and Cross Keys high schools.  Work at another five is slated for completion by December this year.

During a visit to the Centres of Excellence at the Little London and Grange Hill high schools in Westmoreland Friday (October 9) Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, said, “As our tourism sector continues to grow, the Ministry, through the Tourism Enhancement Fund, is committed to ensuring the availability of a suitably skilled work-force for the industry to draw on.”  

“I am pleased to hear that the Centres of Excellence programme is already reaping rewards for some schools which earn revenue from the projects,” the Tourism Minister added.

At Little London High School where the focus is on food preparation, Minister McNeill participated in a cooking demonstration and received a crash course in making rainbow sandwiches. He also toured the school’s photo lab, which he said was very impressive.

 “The projects are off to a superb start and are helping the students to get practical experience in a way that will make it easier for them to assimilate into the tourism sector,” said Minister McNeill. 

Principal of Grange Hill High School, Errol Stewart, lauded the COE programme and said his school was very fortunate to have been chosen as one of the beneficiaries of the TEF-funded initiative, which has allowed for the upgrading of its woodwork shop and establishment of a media centre with state-of-the art equipment for visual arts.

Already an arrangement has been made for the school’s woodwork shop to supply a local hardware store with wooden strips.  The visual arts department boasts a range of professional photographic equipment and Mr. Stewart disclosed, “We are now creating our own ID (identification card) and this is significant because we would have spent thousands of dollars to produce these. It also means that we can now empower our youngsters to contribute to the school’s economic earning potential at Grange Hill.”

Subject areas included in the programme include home management, woodwork, photography, music, agriculture, building technology, learning enhancement, mathematics, research and information technology. The initiative is a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Education.