MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Friday, December 15, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has welcomed today’s start of the 2023/24 winter tourist season with the expectation that for the first time in the industry’s history, there will be over one million stopover travellers for the season.

Speaking at the Sangster International Airport (SIA) this morning (December 15), Minister Bartlett said: “It is going to be the biggest winter tourist season in the history of Jamaica. We have already secured 1.5 million seats across the markets of the world and assuming a very low 75% load factor from the airlines coming in we will be in excess of one million stopover arrivals for the season.”

Furthermore, Shane Munroe, Chief Executive Officer of MBJ Airports, which manages the facility, said SIA was expected to reach the milestone of 5 million passengers passing through it in one year for the first time.

Minister Bartlett said consideration was being given to the implications of the boom in terms of revenue flows into the country, secured jobs and growth in the economy as “the tourism industry continues to be at the forefront of that with ten consecutive quarters of growth.”

The start of the traditional winter tourist season was also marked by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) expressing thanks to all categories of workers at the SIA with an appreciation breakfast and the presentation of awards.

The JTB Chairman’s Award for exemplary service was presented to Tracey Ann Patterson, while other recipients included Shelly Ann Fung King, who was awarded for her outstanding contribution; MBJ Airports was recognized for its 20th year as concessionaire for the airport and Port Security was also singled out its outstanding service.

Kingston, Jamaica; Friday, December 15, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has extended heartfelt congratulations to Sandals Resorts International for their outstanding wins at the 21st annual Travel Weekly Readers' Choice Awards. The black-tie gala, held on December 13 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, saw Sandals Resorts clinching two prestigious awards in the highly competitive Best in Hotel Chains category, securing top honours for Best in the Caribbean and Best All-Inclusive.

Expressing his delight, Minister Bartlett said: “I am thrilled to witness Sandals’ remarkable double triumph at Travel Weekly’s recent Readers’ Choice Awards. This achievement is a testament to their unwavering commitment to excellence and the exceptional guest experience they provide in Jamaica and other destinations across the Caribbean. My sincere commendations to Executive Chairman, Adam Stewart, and the entire team on this stellar achievement.” 

Minister Bartlett added: “I am pleased to see that Sandals, our home-grown luxury hotel chain continues to excel on the international stage, flying the Jamaican banner high and doing our nation proud. It is proof of the high quality of our local brands and our destination overall.”

Sandals Resorts, a regional beacon of luxury and hospitality, emerged victorious in the Best in Hotel Chains category after an open ballot phase during the summer, where readers nominated companies exemplifying excellence in various categories. Sandals Resorts secured its place as a finalist based on readers' votes and subsequently prevailed in the second round of voting held in the fall.

The tourism minister also acknowledged the success of Karisma Hotels and Resorts, a key player in the Jamaican market, for their win in the boutique hotels sub-category. Additionally, he also lauded Marriott International, which also has a significant presence in Jamaica, after it clinched wins in the Domestic (US market); Hawaii/South Pacific; Sales & Service; and Hotel Group Overall sub-categories.

FALMOUTH, Trelawny; Thursday, December 14, 2023:  Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness has challenged the Ministry of Tourism to work closely with tourism partners to significantly boost tourist arrivals and strengthen linkages with other sectors, in particular agriculture.

“The impact of tourism goes beyond the confines of the industry itself; it ripples through various sectors creating a web of opportunities for people. Jobs created by tourism extend into agriculture, entertainment, attractions, communications and transportation, to name a few,” noted Prime Minister Holness.

He was giving the keynote address during a special ribbon cutting ceremony marking the official opening of the new 352-room, Hideaway at Royalton Blue Waters, in Trelawny on December 13, 2023. With an investment of US$40 million, the development was executed in just six months.

With Jamaica on record pace to secure some 4.1 million visitors this year, so soon after the fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Holness told Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, “I think we could do eight million.” In outlining his vision, Mr. Holness continued: “I think we can,” he added, “we must be ambitious,” noting that “Jamaica has the diversity in its tourism product to attract that many visitors.” 

He said while he was pleased with the tremendous growth of the industry so far, “I think we must set new targets; we need to be pushing ourselves more because we have the potential.” Prime Minister Holness stated that “we as a people must now begin to focus on the elements of our society, our culture; the things that define us as a people to achieve these ambitious goals which will increase our prosperity.”

He referenced the Planning Institute of Jamaica’s most recent report that for the period July to September, 2023, Jamaica experienced growth of 1.9% in real terms over the similar quarter for 2022, noting that, “the hotel and restaurant sector experienced 8% growth.”

With that achievement however, Mr. Holness said for more persons to benefit from the tourism industry greater attempts must be made to strengthen the linkages between tourism and all the other industries, especially agriculture. While the sustained impact on labour is seen in every new room that is constructed, asserting that he could not stress it enough, he reiterated that: “For us to really benefit from tourism everything that can be supplied to the tourist who visits here, that can be produced here should be made and supplied from here.”

He acknowledged that significant progress is already being made through the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF). This includes the success of the annual Speed Networking and Christmas in July events; as well as the Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) platform, which has generated some $1 billion in sales by small farmers. The initiative sees small farmers with 3-acre and 5-acre lots as well as backyard farmers selling to local hotels and restaurants. The ALEX platform, a collaborative initiative between the TEF and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), has revolutionized the interaction between hoteliers and farmers.

However, the Prime Minister called for even more progress beyond what has already been achieved. Mr. Holness said he wanted to make it clear to all partners in the development of tourism that the next step in strengthening their brands and products, “is to ensure that there is a symbiotic link, not just to employment, but to the consumption of Jamaican made goods and services to the people who come here.” He underscored that “the next frontier of the government is to make sure that more Jamaican products get into the hotels.” 

Thanking Blue Diamond for coming to Jamaica and “the confidence that they continue to show in Destination Jamaica,” Minister Bartlett hinted at further investments by the company, which has a collaboration with the Marriott international hotel chain.

Blue Diamond Resorts bought the property 12 years ago and President of Blue Diamond Resorts, Jordi Pelfort pledged that “we are going to stay for a long time” as he expressed gratitude to the Jamaican government and people. He also lauded the leadership of Jamaican women against the background of Jamaican Kerry Ann Quallo-Casserly being Regional Commercial Director, Jamaica at Blue Diamond Resorts, which employs approximately 95% of Jamaicans across its hotels in Negril and Falmouth.

Kingston, Jamaica; Tuesday, December 12, 2023: With a record winter tourist season on the horizon, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has announced that the island is set to eclipse its growth projections for visitor arrivals and tourism earnings for 2023, based on the robust growth trajectory of Jamaica's vibrant tourism industry.

While providing an update on the sector in the House of Representatives earlier this afternoon, Minister Bartlett outlined optimistic estimates. He said “the island should record a total of 4,122,100 visitors for the period January to December, 2023. This would signal an increase of 23.7% over the total number of visitors recorded in 2022.”

Highlighting the impressive growth trend, Minister Bartlett said: “Of this number 2,875,549 are expected to be stopover visitors, which would represent a 16% increase over the number of stopover arrivals recorded in 2022. Additionally, we expect to end the year with a total of 1,246,551 cruise passengers, which would represent a 46.1% increase over the tally for 2022.”

Stressing that the sector’s record-breaking recovery seems set to continue, he noted that: “This continues the spectacular growth pattern of tourism, with 10 consecutive quarters of substantial growth since the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on arrival figures to date, all indications are that we will be having an 11th quarter of significant expansion."

In terms of tourism earnings, the Minister announced that “this influx of visitors is expected to generate a whopping US$4.265 billion for 2023, representing a projected increase of 17.8% over the revenue secured in 2022, and a 17.2% increase in revenue over the pre-pandemic year of 2019.”

Minister Bartlett emphasized that, “if we continue on our impressive growth trajectory, we will be on track to surpass our projections of 4 million visitors and foreign exchange earnings of US$4.1 billion by year-end.”

Additionally, the Minister provided an estimated breakdown of these earnings, specifying direct revenues to the government’s coffers. These include contributions to the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) fees, Departure Tax, Airport Improvement Fee, Airline Passenger Levy, Passenger fees and charges, as well as the Guest Accommodation Room Tax (GART), amounting to US$336 million or JA$52 billion.

Minister Bartlett expressed gratitude for the support and sterling contribution of all tourism stakeholders to the continued success of the sector, including tourism workers, the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and other local and international partners. The tourism minister reaffirmed that the Ministry, its public bodies and all tourism partners remain committed to fostering the sustainable growth and resilience that have enabled Jamaica to maintain its position as a premier travel destination globally.

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, December 4, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, on the weekend received two major awards for Jamaica from the prestigious World Travel Awards, which is in its 30th year, at the landmark Burj Al Arab in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  Minister Bartlett also as Founder and Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), a thinktank based in Jamaica, handed out five Global Tourism Resilience Awards to two major Middle East corporations and three countries.

Jamaica was awarded, “World’s Best Family Destination” and “World’s Best Cruise Destination” before a large audience of government leaders and officials, global corporate titans, and travel stakeholders. Meanwhile, the Global Tourism Resilience awards, presented by Bartlett, was for entities and countries that have demonstrated global leadership, pioneering vision and innovation to overcome critical challenges and adversity. The inaugural Global Tourism Resilience awardees are the nations of Qatar; The Maldives; The Philippines and UAE corporate powerhouses DP World, an Emirati multinational logistics company specializing in cargo logistics, port terminal operations, maritime services and free trade zone and Dnata, a leading global air and travel services provider offering ground handling, cargo, travel, catering and retail services in over 30 countries across six continents.

Minister Bartlett, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Sen. the Hon. Matthew Samuda; Tourism Senior Advisor and Strategist, Delano Seiveright, Executive Director of the GTRCMC, Professor Lloyd Waller and Chairman of Jamaica's Climate Change Advisory Board, Professor Dale Webber were in Dubai on the occasion of COP 28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2023, with global leaders, governments and other leading stakeholders discussing how to limit and prepare for climate change.

The Global Tourism Resilience Awards fall under the stewardship of The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) – an international think-tank headquartered in Jamaica, with satellites in Africa, Canada, and the Middle East.

Founded by Minister Bartlett in 2018, the GTRCMC aims to help tourism stakeholders worldwide prepare for, manage and recover from a crisis. This is accomplished through providing services such as training, crisis communications, policy advice, project management, event planning, monitoring, evaluation, research and data analytics. The focus of the GTRCMC includes climate resilience, security and cybersecurity resilience, digital transformation and resilience, entrepreneurial resilience and pandemic resilience.

Kingston, Jamaica; Thursday, November 30, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, today announced that a record 1.05 million airline seats have been secured from nearly six thousand flights coming into Jamaica out of the United States, during the upcoming winter season.

With just over two weeks for winter travellers to start their vacations, in anticipation of a record winter tourist season, Minister Bartlett says: “This surge in airlift represents an increase of 13 percent over winter 2022/2023, where we recorded a whopping 923,000 airline seats.” 

“To date, ten airlines have some 5,914 flights booked out of key US gateways to the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston between January and April 2024, adding to the flurry expected over the 2023 Christmas holiday period,” Minister Bartlett explained.

The line-up of airlines for the period includes American with 305,436 seats booked on 1,727 flights; Southwest logging 106,925 seats on 611 flights; Delta with 205,776 seats on 1,119 flights; JetBlue with a total of 242,347 seats on 1,434 flights; United booking 92,911 seats on 525 flights and Frontier flying in with 25,482 seats on 137 flights.

Also contributing to the overall increase of 121,104 seats over the corresponding 2022/23 winter period are, Spirit, Sun Country and ALG Charter, with a combined 65,677 seats on 361 flights. Additional airlift is also slated to come from Caribbean Airlines flying out of New York. 

“These numbers reflect the ongoing effort of the Ministry of Tourism, through the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) as our marketing arm, working alongside our international and local partners in the travel and hospitality sectors, to ensure continuous growth in our tourism industry,” says Minister Bartlett. 

He also disclosed that “already for the period, January to November 29, 2023, preliminary figures indicate that some 2.5 million stopover visitors have graced our shores, accounting for an 18 percent increase over the same period in 2022 and a 10 percent increase over the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.” 

“If we continue on this impressive growth trajectory, we will be on track to meet our new projections of 4 million visitors and foreign exchange earnings of US$4.1 billion by year end,” asserts Minister Bartlett.

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, November 27, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is set to represent Jamaica at the much anticipated 173rd General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Paris, France. The BIE is the Intergovernmental Organization overseeing and regulating international exhibitions lasting more than three weeks, including World Expos, Specialized Expos, Horticultural Expos, and the Triennale di Milano.

Jamaica's accession to the BIE in February 2023 marked a significant milestone, with the country being granted full voting rights as of August 2023. The BIE General Assembly, scheduled for November 28, 2023, in Paris, is a significant event as member countries will vote to decide the host for World Expo 2030. The contenders include Rome, Italy; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Busan, South Korea.

In highlighting the broader implications of the General Assembly, Minister Bartlett noted: “The BIE plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality of expos worldwide. Jamaica's active engagement underscores our dedication to fostering international collaboration in tourism and cultural exchange, even as we work to strengthen the meeting, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sub-sector locally.”

Minister Bartlett's itinerary in Paris encompasses a high-level dinner engagement on November 27, the BIE General Assembly on November 28, and a reception hosted by the selected country for World Expo 2030, also on November 28.

Stressing the importance of Jamaica's involvement, Minister Bartlett said: "Our full voting rights signify Jamaica's recognition as a global thought leader and our commitment to contributing to the ongoing process aimed at improving international exhibitions. We are proud to have a voice in decisions that will shape the future of these significant events for years to come."

The tourism minister is scheduled to return to the island on Sunday, December 3, 2023.

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, November 20, 2023: As Jamaica continues its robust economic recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has again emphasized the importance of tourism diplomacy as a key driver in boosting investment in Jamaica’s tourism product and attracting sustainable growth opportunities to the country. Minister Bartlett made the disclosure following the recent inaugural CARICOM-Saudi Arabia Summit in Riyadh, where he played a pivotal role in leading discussions around resilience building and sustainability. 

The tourism minister formed a part of the delegation led by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, which participated in the summit alongside 14 heads of government from the Caribbean. Over three days, regional leaders engaged in high-level discussions with the Saudi Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud, his cabinet ministers, and private sector stakeholders. The event marked a significant development in the geopolitical arena, forging new perspectives on investments and tourism.

It was noted that the summit follows the initial visit by His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism for Saudi Arabia, to Jamaica in 2021, on the invitation of Minister Bartlett. Mr. Bartlett has also visited Saudia Arabia to continue discussions with Minister Al Khateeb and other stakeholders in a bid to forge a strong tourism partnership between both countries and fuel investments.  

Minister Bartlett said: "This summit is a testament to the power of tourism as a tool for not only tourism related investments but for peace and diplomacy. It brings together nations with diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, united by a common vision and an unwavering determination to improve the lives of their citizens."

During the summit, the Saudi Crown Prince, who is the visionary behind the Saudi Vision 2030, addressed tourism ministers, industry professionals, and leaders. He outlined the Kingdom’s strategic plan, which is aimed at reducing the Kingdom's reliance on oil, and places tourism at its forefront. Hosting World EXPO 2030 in Riyadh is a key aspiration, and the support from Caribbean nations is integral. 

The meetings on the sidelines of the summit saw Caribbean leaders engaging with private sector companies to explore investment opportunities. Minister Al-Khateeb underscored the Kingdom's commitment to positive and sustainable change. "The Kingdom, guided by its wise leadership, is capable of achieving global prosperity and development through international cooperation," he noted.

Reflecting on the potential for growth that has been unlocked as a result of the summit, Minister Bartlett added: "The meeting between Caribbean leaders and Saudi Arabia's private sector companies revealed promising opportunities. The Kingdom's thriving private sector aims to drive sustainable change, ensuring prosperity and development for not just local businesses but international ones as well. Saudi Arabia’s global outlook makes them the ideal strategic partner for small island developing states and tourism partners in the Caribbean."

LONDON, United Kingdom; Wednesday, November 8, 2023: A major international hotel group, Lopesan, with over 17,000 hotel rooms across Europe, Asia and the Caribbean, called on Minister of Tourism,  Hon. Edmund Bartlett and his team yesterday (November 7) at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, United Kingdom, to announce that they are urgently seeking to develop a 1,000-room luxury resort on the island.

Bartlett was joined by the Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), John Lynch and Senior Advisor and Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright. Lopesan’s team was led by CEO Francisco Lopez and Director General of the Hotel Division, Jose Alba.

Bartlett expressed appreciation for the Group’s strong investment push and noted that development would generate over 2,500 direct and indirect jobs, and positively impact scores of farmers, manufacturers, small businesses and other stakeholders.

The news comes as the tourism sector prepares for the official opening of the recently renovated US$30 million Royalton White Sands resort in Trelawny next month. The sector is also preparing for the openings of two major resorts before summer next year – the first phase 1,000 rooms of the new Princess Resort in Hanover and the over 753-room new RIU Palace Aquarelle resort in Trelawny, creating around 2,500 new jobs.

The WTM London, one of the world’s largest tourism trade shows, facilitates £2.8 billion in industry deals and has some 5,000 exhibitors from 182 countries and regions and more than 51,000 participants.

LONDON, United Kingdom; Tuesday, November 7, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is urging destinations to invest in their human capital development, which will be critical to the industry's future. Speaking at the World Travel Market's Ministers' Summit in London yesterday (November 6), Minister Bartlett highlighted that the future of the industry relies on its workers and their ability to innovate and create new ideas.

"Jamaica has always been a thought leader in driving human capital development because our most important resource in tourism is our workers. They are the ones who, through their high touch service and hospitality, have kept visitors returning at a 42% repeat rate and have become a core part of our growth strategy," said Minister Bartlett.

The Ministers' Summit at World Travel Market (WTM) was executed in association with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) under the theme 'Transforming Tourism Through Youth and Education' and featured Tourism Ministers from across the globe. The Ministers gave their perspective on the importance of training and development of the youth in tourism and the various programmes being undertaken in their countries.

"Through our training and certification arm, the Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation (JCTI), we are training our high school students in fourteen colleges and tourism workers to become certified. Since 2017 over 15 thousand certifications have been awarded to Jamaicans in the areas of customer service, restaurant servers and executive chefs to name a few,” said the Minister of Tourism.

"If we train our young people, then they can be classified which will change the labour market arrangements to allow them to be rewarded based on merit and equity," he added.

The World Travel Market, one of the largest tourism trade shows, facilitates £2.8 billion in industry deals and has around 5,000 exhibitors from 182 countries and regions and more than 51,000 participants.