BRIDGETOWN, Barbados; Tuesday May 9, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has urged regional tourism stakeholders to redefine the industry in what can now be described as the new post-COVID era.

Speaking at the Caribbean Hotel and Tourist Association’s (CHTA) Travel Forum and Awards Luncheon today at Sandals Royal Barbados, Minister Bartlett said: “In this post-COVID era, we must as a region rethink and redefine the meaning of tourism if we are to maximize our earnings and growth. We must begin to appreciate the fact that tourism is so much more than hotels, cruise lines and attractions and that there are direct, indirect and induced economic benefits in the tourism value chain that can accelerate growth in the region.”

The CHTA Travel Forum, which was held under the theme, “Tourism the Key Driver of Generational Wealth for Caribbean Nationals” included Hon. Kenneth Bryan, Minister of Tourism and Transport, Cayman Islands, and Chairman, Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO); Hon. Ian Gooding-Edghill, Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Barbados, and Marc Melville, CEO, Chukka Caribbean.

“Tourism happens successfully because of all the sectors and subsectors that supply experiences, so there is a strong place for agriculture, technology, health and manufacturing and many more. The real wealth of tourism therefore lies in the capacity to supply on the demands of the industry,” added Minister Bartlett.

The Caribbean Travel Forum, held within the margins of CHTA Caribbean Travel Marketplace, is a new event focusing on the business of tourism in the Caribbean with specific emphasis on topics such as intra-Caribbean travel with a focus on air connectivity and multi-destination marketing, sustainability, technology innovations, labour market constraints and taxation.

“If 42% of people travel for just food, it means that suppliers of agricultural goods and services have the potential to really earn, and this is just one sector. We need to let everyone know that tourism is for them because once you have an idea you can convert that idea into tangible wealth,” Minister Bartlett noted.

The CHTA Travel Forum panel also looked at the impact of climate change and new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence on the tourism industry. Minister Bartlett in these discussions made another call for the establishment of a Resilience Fund that would allow every traveller to contribute a monetary sum towards their carbon footprints. He also embraced the new technologies that will shape tourism in the future by advocating for “training, training, training to ensure a better understanding to leverage them.”

The 41^st CHTA Caribbean Travel Marketplace, being held in Barbados from May 9-11, is the largest regional annual event, which brings together buyers and sellers of the region’s tourism products and services.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates; May 8, 2023: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that plans are afoot to facilitate tourism cooperation between Jamaica and Dubai following a meeting with H.E. Abdulla Al Saleh, Undersecretary of Foreign Trade and Industry in the Ministry of Economy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

They met recently at the UAE’s Ministry of Economy, which has oversight for tourism in the UAE, where they discussed areas for cooperation in tourism that will redound to the benefit of both countries and their citizens.

Minister Bartlett outlined that: “We concluded that Jamaica and Dubai can collaborate in tourism. Dubai will support us in terms of MICE market development, logistics and technology and we will reciprocate in terms of resilience and sustainability, the building out of human capital programmes, product development and marketing.”

In expressing his enthusiasm at the possibilities for collaboration in cruise tourism, Minister Bartlett noted that “Dubai Ports, one of the largest in the world with enormous capacity, is looking for partnerships across the world and Jamaica is a good place to start.”

A key matter that was also explored during the meeting was the possibility of establishing an outpost of the Jamaica-based Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) in the UAE. This would mark the centre’s latest satellite location, adding to its offices in countries including Kenya, Jordan and Canada.

The tourism minister indicated that further discussions will be held to formalise these arrangements through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) when both countries convene alongside other nations at COP 28 this November.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; May 8, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett will continue his push for the introduction of a multi-destination tourism framework within the region as he heads to Barbados for the annual Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Caribbean Travel Marketplace trade show. The highly anticipated event runs from May 9 to May 11, 2023.

Minister Bartlett has become the leading advocate for multi-destination tourism in the Caribbean, one of the major selling points he has been promoting regionally and globally.

He has renewed his call for the private sector to get involved. “Regional governments and the private sector need to collaborate more closely to develop multi-destination tourism and advance market integration by fostering and harmonizing legislation on air connectivity, visa facilitation, product development, promotion and human capital development,” he said.

“Jamaica has always played a leading role in the CHTA and coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year is even more special for our participation as our own Nicola Madden-Greig is the president with the responsibility of charting the course for the Caribbean moving forward,” added Minister Bartlett.

The schedule for the trade event will entail the participation of other Jamaicans during an innovative Caribbean Travel Forum and Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, May 9.

This forum is a new event for the CHTA and will focus on the business of tourism in the Caribbean with specific emphasis on topics such as intra-Caribbean travel relating to air connectivity and multi-destination marketing, sustainability, technology, labour market constraints and taxation.

CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig will deliver her state of the region and industry address while Prime Minister of Barbados, Hon Mia Mottley will give the keynote address.

Minister Bartlett will participate in an in-depth panel discussion among regional Ministers of Tourism and private sector leaders on pressing issues affecting the business of tourism with emphasis on multi-destination marketing and new markets for Caribbean tourism.

Other panellists will include Minister of Tourism and Transport, Cayman Islands, and current Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Hon Kenneth Bryan; Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Barbados, Hon Ian Gooding-Edghill, and Chief Executive Officer of Chukka Caribbean, Marc Melville, with Mrs Madden-Greig as moderator.

Another panel discussion will focus on responsible and resilience tourism: “Positive Mind Change = Positive Climate Change.” It will explore impactful and innovative ideas as well as solutions to drive responsible and resilient tourism with an emphasis on human capital development.

The session will be moderated by General Manager, Jamaica Inn and Chairperson, Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), Kyle Mais.

Other topics for discussion include technology and its impact on Caribbean tourism and the impact and state of artificial intelligence (AI) in the hospitality industry.

The CHTA Awards Luncheon recognizing Destination Resilience and Caribbean Icons of Hospitality will close off the forum allowing participants to prepare for the CHTA Marketplace official opening, followed by two packed days of back-to-back meetings. Minister Bartlett’s slate of activities kick off with a Jamaica Press Conference on Wednesday, May 10 and includes meetings with prospective investors, participation in the CHTA Marketplace sessions, and the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the CHTA and the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC).

Mr Bartlett, who is being accompanied by Director of Tourism, Donovan White, returns to Jamaica on Friday, May 12.

Kingston, Jamaica; Thursday, May 4, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has welcomed the announcement by low-cost Norwegian airline Norse Atlantic Airways that it will expand its services to the Caribbean to include Jamaica this winter season. 

“This service is coming at an opportune time as we seek to diversify the options available to our visitors from the UK, which is our largest European market. Norse will provide flights at a reasonable price point that will certainly encourage more arrivals to Destination Jamaica, moving us closer to our target of 5 million annual visitors by 2025,” noted Minister Bartlett.

Norse announced on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, plans to begin the operation of four flights per week to Montego Bay from October 29 and three flights per week to Kingston from October 31, out of the London Gatwick International Airport in the United Kingdom.

Bjorn Tore Larsen, Chief Executive Officer of Norse Atlantic Airways has underscored that the introduction of such new flights from London Gatwick will enable more travellers to experience destinations at lower fares, adding that those wishing to reunite with friends and family will have greater choice during this traditionally high demand travel period.

In lauding the move, Minister Bartlett described it as a major boost to efforts by the Ministry of Tourism, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), and various travel partners to improve affordable air connectivity between Jamaica and its traditional and non-traditional source markets.

The tourism minister also noted that further discussions are ongoing with other air carriers to establish direct routes to Jamaica, to foster continued growth in arrivals and tourism earnings. 

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates; Wednesday, May 3, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has underscored the need to boost resilience and sustainability in the global tourism industry by engaging players of all sizes in the tourism value chain. In providing a template Minister Bartlett outlined several initiatives being undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism and its public bodies to support small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) while “holding them accountable to sustainable business practices aligned with industry standards.”

Speaking during a panel discussion on the margins of the Arabian Travel Market under the theme: “Strategic Sustainability Planning – Where Does the Supply Chain Start?”, the tourism minister said: “The essence of tourism as we know is the small and medium enterprises. They are 80% of the services and the experiences that visitors have when they come to the destination.”

Minister Bartlett also explained how the strategy and policy direction of the Ministry have been positioned to bolster Jamaican SMTEs.

“We spend a lot on training and developing the capacity of small players to be firstly, more creative and innovative and secondly, to be resourced financially. So, we established a JM$1 billion window for lending to small and medium enterprises through the EXIM bank in Jamaica,” stated the tourism minister.

Technology was further highlighted as a major tool being utilised by the Ministry of Tourism in its drive to build resilience and substantiality in tourism and connect the smaller players in the industry to the larger enterprises.

In stressing the success of the Tourism Enhancement Fund’s (TEF) Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) initiative, Minister Bartlett added: “We established a platform called ALEX which connects the small farmers of 1 acre to 5 acres in deep-rural regions to purveyors and procurement officers in the hotels all across Jamaica. So, on their smartphones, they can work out prices and delivery systems that allow for produce to be brought directly from farm gate to hotel.”

Minister Bartlett also emphasized the collective responsibility of tourism stakeholders to protect the environment and renewed his call for the establishment of a global tourism resilience fund.

“Our objective in tourism must not be net zero but net positive. Tourism must now, in COP 28, make its voice heard that it has a plan to mitigate, adapt and enable recovery. So, a proposal for funding is important and there’s a need for the establishment of a tourism resilience fund voluntarily financed by each individual that travels,” Minister Bartlett noted.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Wednesday, May 3, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that Jamaica is placing special focus on the world’s most populated country, India, as a nation to pull visitors from in coming years as part of a renewed campaign to diversify Jamaica’s tourist markets as he and his team pound the pavement at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, United Arab Emirates this week.

Jamaica gets the bulk of its visitors from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. 

“The Indian market initiatives are now fully on stream. We met with our partners and are beginning engagements later this year. There is a huge market for weddings, there is a confluence of cricket, a rapidly growing middle and upper middle class, over time better flight connectivity, and a very active Indian community in Jamaica itself will drive growth from this increasingly lucrative market,” Minister Bartlett noted.

Mr. Bartlett arrived in Dubai on the weekend for the Arabian Travel Market, the largest tourism tradeshow in the Middle East accompanied by Director of Tourism, Donovan White and Senior Advisor and Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright.

Jamaica’s new markets initiatives was initially heavily focused on South America for which significant gains were made just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic with new nonstop flights by South America’s largest air carrier LATAM between Lima, Peru and Montego Bay, Jamaica and up to 11 weekly flights between Panama City and Jamaica by COPA. The Pandemic curbed those initiatives with Minister Bartlett now mandating his team to re-engage efforts.

The Ministry of Tourism and it’s marketing arm the Jamaica Tourist Board are now focused on rebuilding the South American tourist markets, with specific focus on Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Peru and are also placing special attention on India and sections of the Middle East for new market growth.

Bartlett’s Dubai itinerary includes a host of meetings, including with top government and private sector leaders as well as investors.

Among them: Krishna Rao, Founding Partner and Co-CIO at ARP Global Capital; COP28 President-designate, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber; the G-77 and China Ministers of Tourism; Senior Vice President, Mastercard, Andrea Prazakova; UAE’s Minister of Economy, H.E. Abdulla Bin TouqAl Marri; Representatives from Emirates Airlines; and Vice Minister of Tourism, HE Ghada Shalaby of Egypt. Minister Bartlett will also participate in an International Travel and Health Insurance (ITIC) Ministerial panel and Resilience Council session.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Monday, May 1, 2023: Jamaica’s effort to get a foothold in the lucrative United Arab Emirates (UAE) travel market gets a major push this week with Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett travelling to Dubai to participate in the Arabian Travel Market trade show from May 1 to 4 and other key events.

The Minister arrived in Dubai on Saturday, ahead of starting a round of business meetings today (May 1) with tourism stakeholders and a series of interviews with leading media entities that have a wide reach into the business and travel markets.

“Our visit to Dubai is crucial to the inroads we have been making into this travel market and moves us a step closer to cementing relationships that have already been established. Our primary focus is on the lucrative Arabian Travel Market event and the World Free Zones Organization’s Annual International Conference and Exhibition (AICE 2023) currently being held in Dubai,” says Minister Bartlett.

The AICE is a premier event that brings together policymakers, industry leaders, investors, and experts from around the world to discuss the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the global free zones industry and is being held from May 1 to 3.

The event comes against the background of efforts by the government of Jamaica to expand its stake in free zones.

In the area of tourism, the internationally recognized firm Statista, projects that UAE’s travel and tourism market will produce revenue of US$1.28 billion this year “and we are making progress which should allow us to get a slice of that market,” says Mr Bartlett.

He also states that while Jamaica is spearheading this thrust, “our goal is to have the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay serve as a hub for the Caribbean whereby travellers from the UAE will have the option of booking multi destinations and experience the varied and exciting cultural offerings of the islands in the region.”

Over the next five days, Mr. Bartlett’s itinerary includes a host of meetings, including with top government and private sector leaders as well as investors.

Among them: Krishna Rao, Founding Partner and Co-CIO at ARP Global Capita; COP28 President-designate, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber; the G-77 and China Ministers of Tourism; Senior Vice President, Mastercard, Andrea Prazakova; UAE’s Minister of Economy, H.E. Abdulla Bin TouqAl Marri; Representatives form Emirates Airlines; and Vice Minister of Tourism, HE Ghada Shalaby of Egypt. Minister Bartlett will also participate in an International Travel and Health Insurance (ITIC) Ministerial panel and Resilience Council session.

Minister Bartlett returns to the island on Friday, May 12, 2023.

BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth; April 28, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has revealed that an important administrative change is being made to the definition of local tourist attractions to facilitate them being licensed whether or not they charge an entry fee. The move is expected to give more Jamaicans greater access to various attractions across the island.

Minister Bartlett announced yesterday (April 27) that “an attraction is to be defined in a manner that will remove the requirement for an entry fee to be charged. Some entities may continue to charge an entry fee based on their operations, but it will be optional. Therefore, more Jamaicans will be able to enter local attractions and for those without an entry fee persons will be encouraged to make a greater effort to patronize the products and services provided by those establishments to ensure it is a win-win situation.”

The new definition is to be incorporated into the Tourist Board Act, which governs the operations of such facilities.

The announcement comes as Mr Bartlett leads an island wide tour to engage stakeholders and which coincides with a series of town hall meetings hosted by the Ministry of Tourism to facilitate national consultation on the Destination Assurance Framework and Strategy (DAFS). The tour moved along the South Coast this week and included stops at Lashings Beach Club, Lover’s Leap, Newell High School, the Lionel Densham Aerodrome and entailed the unveiling of interior streetscapes, which provide an augmented reality experience, in Black River, St Elizabeth. 

Tourism partners also participated in a special meeting of the St Elizabeth Destination Assurance Council at the Bennett Catherine Hall in Black River. A town hall meeting was later held at the Breds Treasure Beach Sports Park to continue public consultations on the DAFS.

Even as he focused on the need for safety and security not just in tourism spaces but all over the country, Mr Bartlett reiterated his position that “it’s zero tolerance now for disorder and indiscipline.” He said there should be no excuse for boorish behavior and giving in to threats of holding back votes. We as a country “must get to that point where our politics elevates us to a higher plane where order and respect, and regard for systems and laws, and morals and values are embraced.”

The Tourism Minister added that “unless we do that then the tourism industry, and any other industry that Jamaica will have will decline to naught.”

At the same time, however, he is also on a campaign to get more Jamaicans to invest in tourism and reap benefits from the booming industry. “Were moving to a new dimension in terms of the expansion and growth of tourism to create an economy in Jamaica that is going to be safe and solid and sound and offers an opportunity for good jobs, but great opportunities for entrepreneurship,” he said.

The Minister underscored that tourism now offered an opportunity for everyone to be able to tap into the wide and deep value chain “that embraces every element of human activity” and he told his audience, “in every element of your creative genius resides an opportunity for economic development.”

Mr Bartlett said for Jamaica to experience greater growth, tourism must move from the demand side of bringing the visitor in, to the supply side of “how we make the visitor happy and satisfied and spend every dollar that he brings with him. And in that whole process is the retention of the dollar in our own destination,” he stated.

FALMOUTH, Trelawny; April 25, 2023: Even as the development of the parish of Trelawny into a sought-after resort is progressing in earnest, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett is expressing displeasure with the state of sections of the town capital, Falmouth.

Declaring that “we have to fix the town of Falmouth,” Minister Bartlett said a proper public education programme has to be carried out in the town to foster public order.

The Minister undertook an extensive walk through of the town recently and underscored the need for improvements to the area. He was emphatic that “the streets problem has to be dealt with and I am going to drive that force as much as we can to make sure that it is dealt with. You can’t have Jamaicans moving around trying to peddle their wares in a toxic environment.”

The walkthrough formed part of a tour of sites in Trelawny and its environs, including Old Folly; the Falmouth Cruise Terminal; Water Square; as well as the Trelawny Parish Church and ended with a meeting with stakeholders at Falmouth Mystic Lagoon Tours. The activities come amid efforts by the Ministry of Tourism and its public bodies to boost destination assurance across the island.

Minister Bartlett has committed to working with Mayor of Falmouth, Councillor Colin Gager and other stakeholders in making representation for the relevant agencies to step in and assist in improving the conditions as well as effecting urgently needed repairs to the historic town hall and court house which have been compromised by issues including aging. This has forced the relocation of the courtroom and offices of the municipality.

Mr. Bartlett also had discussions with representatives of the more than 227-year-old Trelawny Parish Church, one of the town’s historic landmarks, which he described as “an absolute treasure and an architectural delight but is now in state of disrepair and we have to deal with that.” It is also a major heritage attraction for visitors to Falmouth.

The Minister outlined that the Falmouth Cruise Terminal will be having larger vessels visiting, while Old Folly is receiving attention from the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo).  Following an examination of the area Minister Bartlett said steps would be taken for it to be enhanced even more.

TPDCo had erected a gazebo at Old Folly and added a few other elements, however, the Tourism Minister believes that given its amazing view, with further improvements, the location could become a major point of interest for visitors and fuel economic activity that will benefit the average Jamaican. TPDCo has been tasked with executing the additional improvement work.

He has also suggested that a private-public sector partnership for its maintenance similar to that embodied in a memorandum of understanding signed on Thursday for the upkeep of the Mammee Bay Waterwheel in St Ann, would be ideal for that location as well.

Giving a synopsis of development in Trelawny, Minister Bartlett said currently the parish had 4,000 rooms another 4,000 set to come on stream in the next five to ten years, including the reopening of the Braco Village. “We are in the process of fine-tuning an arrangement with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, which owns the property, to bring Braco Village back in line and hopefully to have it back in operation by winter of 23/24,” said Mr. Bartlett.

Discussions are also ongoing for 1,000 new rooms in the first instance for Harmony Cove “and the arrangements are now fully advanced for the hotel to come on track,” stated Minister Bartlett. Likewise, he said the new Riu hotel will add 750 rooms next to Royalton and a recent discussion with TUI is expected to result in at least another 700 rooms in that location. On top of these, Minister Bartlett said villas are on the drawing board for Silver Sand and Duncans Bay.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; April 25, 2023: The once famous Racquet Club hotel in Montego Bay has been demolished to make way for the construction of an 8-storey luxury condominium complex for which Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett broke ground over the weekend.

Mr. Bartlett welcomed the development as “the rebirth of the Racquet Club” and reminded that the Montego Bay Racquet Club Condominiums and Spa “comes with a rich history in tourism that may prove quite beneficial in the challenge to recapture that history while catering to that new breed of world travellers who journey across the globe in fulfilment of their passion and a quest for adventure.”

The original Racquet Club was a playground for international celebrities such as renowned movie stars Charlton Heston, Kirk Douglas and the former “queen of Hollywood” Elizabeth Taylor, as well as tennis greats Don Budge, Arthur Ashe and others.

The new Racquet Club is one of four projects – three in Montego Bay and the other in Kingston at a combined cost of J$8 billion, being developed by the Jamaican firm, Boria Ltd. Mr. Bartlett said it represented an opportunity for the facility to attract and maintain a new breed of travellers known as the “Digital Nomads that are high-end, that are senior officials in companies, are well positioned and high yielding.”

He also welcomed the social wellness aspect of the development which, according to Boria’s Founder and Chairman, Eugene Ffolkes Jnr, will be focused on health and wellness with a social wellness club featuring six courts for tennis and pickle-ball, a spa, two gyms and a café. There will also be a sky lounge and a swimming pool on the eighth floor.

Mr. Bartlett said “the low density condominium mixed-use development, wrapped in the modern technology and conveniences of the 21st century is the kind of statement that we want to have made about the new product offering of Destination Jamaica.”

He stated that building out capacity to continue the booming growth in tourism was important and in addition to the Montego Bay Racquet Club Condominiums and Spa, two other projects, one of them a 25-storey complex, are to be built in Montego Bay.  

“We want more Jamaicans to be investing in the tourism product; this is our product; this is our industry; we want to make sure that post-COVID tourism is inclusive and that inclusiveness means owning, managing and protecting your space and making your space safe, secure and seamless,” said Minister Bartlett.

Among other participants in the ground-breaking ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Security and Member of Parliament for North West St James, Dr Horace Chang and Assistant General Manager and Chief Development Financing Officer for the Jamaica National Group, Carlton Earl Samuels.