The Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment in recognition of individuals and organizations which have demonstrated best practices and offer excellent customer service will host the National Tourism Service Excellence Awards Ceremony on Saturday, November 28, 2015.

Excellent customer service delivery from every entity is integral to the continued growth of the Jamaican tourism product. One of the most important components of the visitor experience is the quality of the interface between the visitor and the tourism worker, and their experience with tourism services while on vacation. The National Tourism Service Excellence Awards is geared towards promoting performance excellence within the sector.

The Major objectives of the Awards are:

• To recognize tourism entities that continually achieve sustained levels of excellence in customer service delivery;
• To recognize individual workers who continue to surpass normal customer service delivery standards;
• To select, showcase and award the Best in Service excellence in order to establish internal benchmarks for all the categories of business in the Tourism Sector; and,
• To evaluate the service being provided within the industry and serve as a mechanism to encourage tourism entities to improve customer service delivery.

All eligible nominees are welcomed, and details of who may be nominated and the guidelines for same are available on this site and may be accessed by clicking here. 

Should you require further clarification, kindly contact Ms. Allasandra Chung or Ms. Patricia Patterson - 968 3441 or by email at allasandra.chung@tpdco.org or patricia.patterson@tpdco.org respectively. 

Kingston Jamaica, August 12, 2015: The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has cemented its commitment to the development of our nation’s future leaders through their summer internship programme.  

Now in its eighth year, it has provided temporary employment and training to thousands of high school seniors and tertiary students and continues to show progressive growth each year.

This year, the programme placed a record high of 820 persons— a significant increase from the 80 individuals who were selected in the programme’s initial year — in various public and private sector organizations.  Naturally, the budget for the programme also saw an increase from J$8.6 million to J$42 million dollars this year.  Thus far, TEF has invested a total of J$146,128,641.00 in the initiative. 

Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Dr. Wykeham McNeill is enthusiastic about the programme. “The Ministry’s internship programme, administered by TEF, is a very important ingredient in the mix of strategies, policies and initiatives that we have instituted to ensure the sustainability of our important tourism sector. It is a concrete investment in our future as a large number of young people have the opportunity to enjoy hands-on exposure to the complex range of skills required to regulate, support and maintain the sector on the cutting edge,” he stated.

The internship, which is the brainchild of TEF’s Manager of Investments & Accounts Diane Brown-Allen, was created with the intention of making a meaningful impact in the lives of Jamaica’s youth, especially those who are from vulnerable communities.

Allen also sought to ensure that all young people could be awarded the same opportunities in the workplace and would be an asset to any organization. Special preference is given to young persons who have an interest in tourism, they shared that applicants with an interest in other fields are also welcome to apply.

The programme runs for a period of 12 weeks in two six-week batches. At the end of the six-week period, both employers and interns are given a mandatory evaluation sheet to give feedback on their experience.

 “For some of these interns, the TEF Summer Internship Programme is their first exposure to the corporate world. The evaluation is often used as a reference letter when needed for future employment and we keep a record of all our interns on file,” says TEF’s Executive Director, Clyde Harrison.

It is primarily publicised via word of mouth and has grown so vastly, that the selection process takes place at the beginning of the year, with application deadline being the 31st of March. This allows the coordinators and partners to have adequate time for planning, assessment and placement.

 “A number of our interns go on to training in the hospitality sector, joining the thousands of Jamaicans who earn a good living in the wide range of companies that are involved directly and indirectly in tourism,” shared Minister McNeill.

Interns who have done well have also been given the opportunity to be placed in permanent jobs, upon the completion of their studies at the organization in which they were placed. 

Giselle Lobban is one of the many interns who have now been placed in a permanent position at the organization of their choice, through their affiliation with the TEF Summer Internship Programme. Lobban, who started her internship while pursuing her Bachelors in Food and Beverage Management at the University of Technology, is now the Food and Beverage Supervisor for the Melting Pot Restaurant at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston, an achievement she credits to her affiliation with the internship.

 “Within my first three weeks of the internship programme, they asked me to stay on board. I was working at the Courtleigh Hotel and Suites part-time until I graduated from university...It’s a really good programme and it really helped me out. I am still reaping the benefits since my internship in 2008” shared Lobban.

At the end, the participants are given a stipend which varies based on their qualifications. This allowance “assists students in meeting their educational expenses, a factor which should also be recognized as an important aspect of the programme,” stated Minister McNeill.   

TEF also hosts an award ceremony at the end of the summer which celebrates the interns’ accomplishments at the organizations they were placed in. Top performers have been given awards such as scholarships, laptops and book vouchers to assist them in the completion of their studies.  A special perk for some interns is that they have received recreational tokens such as airline tickets, and day-passes at various tourism attractions across the island.

SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland, Jamaica, August 7, 2015: Already boasting the internationally acclaimed Negril resort town, the parish of Westmoreland is set to expand its tourist attractions with the development of a number of heritage sites.

The plan which is under discussion by several stakeholder agencies, including the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) and the Sugar Company of Jamaica Holdings (SCJH), was outlined by Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, Wednesday (August 5) on a tour of some of the historical sites.

“We recognize the importance of using tourism as a tool to generate employment, to develop heritage and community tourism so that people can get more involved,” Dr. McNeill said at an end-of tour news brief at the ruins of the old fort at the bottom of Great Georges Street.

Minister McNeill said the tour was a follow-up to a series of meetings, noting, “We are working together and are making our plans and determining what we want done; we’re going to push together to get it done. You can’t stay on the sidelines and bemoan what is not done, you have to be a part of the process to make it happen and we’re all now working together to get things done correctly.” 

A central component of the plan is the Fontabelle Great House at Frome. It is proposed to refurbish the house and open it as an attraction complemented by a number of historical points on the vast sugar plantation, including Workers Park, the site on which the 1938 Frome Estate workers rebellion played out.

The party also inspected the first bank vault which was installed by Barclays Bank DCO on the site where it had established its first bank on the island; an ancient water wheel integral to the grinding of sugarcane in years gone by, and other historical structures on the plantation.

A technical team from the TPDCo has already done an analysis of the great house, surrounding buildings and artifacts to determine how they could come together as a heritage tourism trail.

The Fontabelle landmarks are owned by the SCJH and Chairman, Donna Scott-Motley, has endorsed the proposals. Also backing the plan are the Tourism Product Development Company, the Westmoreland Parish Council, the local Parish Development Committee, the Custos and Members of Parliament.

The view was also expressed that other agencies, including the TEF, Jamaica Social Investment Fund, CHASE Fund and other social agencies could be integral to the proposed parish project.

SCJH Chairman Donna Scott Motley envisioned the proposed development of the old fort and other landmarks as, “Phoenix rising from the ashes”, adding, “and it reminds us that the potential that exists in Westmoreland for heritage tourism is so significant that with all of us holding hands and coming together in a very short time you are going to see the wealth which we are going to create in this community.”

Asserting that “I know it can happen,” Mrs. Motley promised that “It will happen.”

Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar and Chairman of the Westmoreland Parish Council Bertel Moore expressed hope that the tour “will bear fruit in the near future.”

Member of Parliament for Central Westmoreland, Dwayne Vaz, underscored “the potential all the sites visited have,” and Custos of Westmoreland, the Rev. Canon Hartley Perrin, said the people were looking “with great anticipation for the day when the promises become fulfilled.”

Kingston Jamaica, August 3, 2015: The Tourism Product Development Company Ltd (TPDCo.) and the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), today signed an agreement for the implementation of the 2015-2016 “All island Maintenance and Beautification Project.” The signing was done by Executive Director of TPDCo, Dennis Hickey and Interim Executive Director of the NSWMA Colonel Daniel Pryce.

It was duly witnessed by Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill and Minister of Local Government and Community Development Hon. Noel Arscott as well as other representatives from both ministries. The project will provide employment for some 600 persons on a rotating basis every three months.

“The consistent enhancement of our tourism product is crucial to improving our competitiveness as a destination and the work which will be conducted under this programme will contribute to this important process.  Ultimately this initiative will boost the appeal of destination Jamaica and aid in attracting more visitors to our shores,” Minister McNeill stated.

“This joined-up government approach is the only way we can maximize scarce resources on behalf of our people. This project will provide a range of public benefits and encourage empowerment and the promotion of civic pride and it is important to enhance and protect Jamaica’s tourism product so that we and our visitors can enjoy the ambiance.” said Minister Arscott.

The contracted sum is Two Hundred and Sixty Million, Six Hundred and Thirty Four Thousand Three Hundred and Sixty Four Dollars ($260,634,364.00).  Funds for this contract are being provided by The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

The proposed works involve the Routine Resort Area Maintenance Programme of bushing and cutting of verges along roadways, pruning of existing trees and flowering shrubs, installation of additional plants and removal of garbage including the maintenance of the entire works areas for a period of twelve (12) months. The areas include: Kingston, St. Catherine, St. Thomas, Clarendon, Manchester, St. Elizabeth, St. Ann, Portland, St. Mary, Trelawny, St. James, Westmoreland and Hanover. The project will also include the maintenance of specific areas such as the North Coast Highway between Port Antonio and Negril. 

The “All Island Maintenance and Beautification” program is an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment with a focus on creating partnerships between the public and private sectors and the communities in and around the resort areas.

The project will be managed by TPDCo, which is the agency of the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, responsible for the enhancement and diversification of Jamaica’s tourism product. Implementation over the period will be done by the NSWMA which is a statutory body established under the National Solid Waste Act of 2001 to manage the collection, treatment and disposal of solid waste island-wide.

Kingston, Jamaica: July 27, 2015: Corporate holiday gift shopping began very early this year when hundreds flocked the Jamaica Pegasus for the highly anticipated ‘Christmas in July’ exhibition. The event, which was hosted on the weekend by the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment’s Tourism Linkages Hub, saw some 80 local producers of authentic craft, gifts and souvenirs displaying a wide selection of items to buyers from corporate Jamaica, the hospitality sector, government entities, embassies, missions and international organizations.

The idea for the event was sparked after the Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill received a Christmas gift made by an international supplier last year. It was then that he suggested that there were numerous business opportunities to be had if everybody received a gift which was made in Jamaica.

Christmas in July is a collaborative effort of the Tourism Linkages Hub and its partners, the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Jamaica Manufacturers' Association (JMA), Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), and Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA). The event, which highlights local manufacturers, was also geared at boosting the economy and strengthening the bonds between tourism and other key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and the creative industries.

Minister McNeill said “the success we are enjoying in the sector is the result of the close collaboration among tourism and tourism related sectors. I am confident that the sector will continue to thrive if we continue these high levels of collaboration among owners, managers and the all important workers on the front line in the sector.”

Ministry of Industry Investment and Commerce Anthony Hylton shared similar views noting that “micro small and medium sized enterprises are excited to make a contribution to the economy and today is no disappointment.” He went on to laud the event as “an opportunity for our local businesses to support our local businesses and economy.” 

Chairman of the Tourism Linkages Council, Donavon Perkins said “this is truly a groundbreaking initiative which provides well needed exposure to producers of a wide array of products and allows them to meet with potential buyers to explore business opportunities and hopefully seal numerous deals.”

The items on display were hand-selected for quality and were assessed by representatives of stakeholder organizations such as the JBDC, JMA, JAMPRO and the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) as well as corporate partners in areas such as design and pricing; aesthetics; functionality; quality of packaging and labeling. The event was sponsored by the Tourism Enhancement Fund.

With holiday jingles gently buzzing in the background, patrons browsed the exhibits which featured a wide variety of locally-made items such as: desktop solutions, spa products, fine art, furniture, shoes, clothes, processed foods and wines.  Most were pleased with the high quality of items on display. 

In fact, Fort George Botanicals proprietor Suzan Brooks shared that she was very impressed with the local products. “It touched my heart just to see what Jamaicans can do,” she warmly expressed.

Others like business owner Belinda Morrow, of Beehive in Jamaica Inn were delighted that they were able to find a wide variety of Jamaican distributors in one location. “It’s really great to have all these vendors, artisans here for me to see. Our little shop only sells Jamaican stuff and I know we have a lot of stuff here [in Jamaica] but I just can’t find it. So it’s great for me to find them all in one place. It’s been a great experience,” she shared.

Exhibitors were also excited about being a part of Christmas in July.  Many expressed gratitude to mingle with fellow business owners as well as the opportunity to showcase their products directly to their niche market.

Chief Executive Officer of Sweetie Confectionery, Patria-Kaye Aarons, said the event has been very fruitful for her. “I have actually found it to be really good,” she expressed. “There are some real business potentials. For example I had an HR Manager come by my display. She’s not necessarily seeking only Christmas gifts but what can she do for her staff on their birthdays? I’m a great option. I hope they restage something like this again in Montego Bay so people on that side of Jamaica can make use of the opportunities as well,” she added.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica: June 9, 2015: In a bid to ensure that more Jamaicans benefit from the vibrant tourism sector Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill is urging tourism partners to be more proactive in fostering the sustainable development of the industry by practicing Responsible Tourism. The Minister made the call as he addressed the 54^th annual general meeting of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, held at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa recently.

Citing that the industry continues to register growth despite various challenges he said “while arrival figures, investments and room numbers are important benchmarks of success in the tourism sector, all of us in this room, as stakeholders, investors and partners, must understand that we have a responsibility to ensure the sustainability of the sector.”

“If tourism only benefits those in this room it simply will not be sustainable. We must ensure that the sector impacts the wider economy in a more positive way and that it benefits more Jamaicans. It is crucial for us to embrace the concept of Responsible Tourism, which focuses on providing ‘better places for people to live, and better places for people to visit,” Minister McNeill added.

This, he explained, required that operators, hoteliers, government entities, local people and tourists take responsibility and action to minimize the negative economic, environmental and social impact of tourism.

At the just concluded 58th meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Americas in Haiti and 100^th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Croatia, it was stressed that if responsible tourism is to become a reality in today's world, it is essential that both the private sector and public institutions, adhere to the ethical principles of tourism; to ensure it is sustainable and accessible to all.

Locally, in seeking to attain the goal of “Tourism for All”, the ministry is pressing ahead with various programmes including the Tourism Linkages Initiative and the development of Community Tourism. Also, the Minister underscored that many tourism partners have been investing in the communities in which they operate.

Realizing that the viability of their property is intricately linked to the wellbeing of the surrounding communities, Dr. McNeill lauded hotels which through their various foundations and community projects continue to open doors of opportunity for many Jamaicans through mentorship, general education and specialized skills training.

“Many hotels are working closely with the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) to implement projects that protect and preserve the environment. I commend these properties which truly take corporate social responsibility seriously,” he said.