Kingston, Jamaica; Thursday, June 22, 2023: Through the innovative Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) online platform, facilitated by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), small farmers across Jamaica have been directly connected to buyers in the tourism industry, which has earned them over $300 million in revenue as of May 2023. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett made the announcement in his 2023 Sectoral Debate closing presentation earlier this week.

“In the first five months of this year, farmers achieved a remarkable milestone by generating a revenue of approximately $325 million through the ALEX platform. This significant accomplishment showcases the platform's effectiveness in connecting farmers with potential buyers and creating prosperous opportunities,” said the tourism minister.

Minister Bartlett further noted that the ALEX portal, which was established through a joint initiative between the TEF and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), is poised to surpass the figures recorded in 2022 when it facilitated the sale of over $330 million worth of agricultural produce. He continued that: “This achievement not only highlights the platform's success but also underscores the positive impact it has had on the livelihoods of 1,733 farmers and 671 registered buyers.”

In acknowledging the crucial role agriculture plays in supporting tourism, Minister Bartlett commented on the progress made through the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the TEF, to engage farmers in identifying some of the barriers like water shortage and drought periods that affect their ability to supply the tourism sector. 

“To address these challenges, we donated 50 water tanks to farmers in St. Elizabeth, 20 tanks to farmers in St. James and 200 tanks were donated to farmers in St. Ann and Trelawny. We will continue this initiative in 2023 to support more small farmers, while spreading the benefits from tourism,” Minister Bartlett stated.

Kingston, Jamaica; Thursday, June 22, 2023: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that stakeholder consultations for the Destination Assurance Framework and Strategy (DAFS) are nearing completion as the Ministry moves to bring the document before Parliament in the current fiscal year.

Minister Bartlett made the announcement during his Sectoral Debate closing presentation earlier this week. He said: “We have undertaken stakeholder consultations with the aim of finalizing the Destination Assurance Framework and Strategy as a White Paper for tabling in Parliament in the current Financial Year. The stakeholder engagements are 95 per cent complete with six town hall meetings already being held in Negril, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Treasure Beach, Mandeville and Kingston.”

The DAFS comprises tourism strategies that will enable Jamaica to deliver on the brand promise to its visitors of a safe, secure and seamless visit, which is respectful to the community and environment. It has been approved by Cabinet as a Green Paper and the last round of consultations before it is finalized as a White Paper will continue in St. Thomas today (June 22) and Portland on June 23. 

The tourism minister also highlighted several other policy initiatives being undertaken by the Ministry to boost resilience and sustainability in the sector. Among these are the revision of the National Community Tourism Policy and Strategy, the development of the Water Sports Policy and the revision of the Tourism Linkages Networks Policy, to be retitled the Tourism Linkages Network Policy and Action Plan.

Additionally, Minister Bartlett emphasized the progress that has been made in the development of the Tourism Strategy and Action Plan which is being executed with the technical support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

He said: “The strategy addresses the important issues of economic growth and inclusion, environmental sustainability, cultural preservation, human capital development, and maintaining balance between the quality of the visitor experience and the quality of life of our citizens.”

“We have begun a series of island wide workshops to obtain valuable feedback and insights that will help shape the direction of future tourism initiatives. We have already held successful workshops in Montego Bay and Port Antonio with consultations currently underway in Ocho Rios.  Workshops in other resort destinations will take place between now and September,” Minister Bartlett continued.

Kingston, Jamaica; Wednesday, June 21, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that as Jamaica heads into what is expected to be its best summer tourist season ever, the island has already welcomed two million stopover and cruise visitors since the start of the year.

Speaking yesterday (June 20) during his Sectoral Debate closing presentation in the House of Representatives, the tourism minister provided important data to support the historic post-pandemic strides being made in the tourism sector.

“Already before even completing the first six months of this year we have already received a combined 2 million stopover and cruise visitors with record earnings of US$2 billion, a whopping 18% above the 2019 earnings for the same time period. It should be no surprise then that Jamaica is bracing for the best summer tourist season ever,” Minister Bartlett said.

“Jamaica welcomed approximately 3.3 million visitors in 2022 and registered a remarkable US$3.7 billion recovery of earnings compared to the pre-COVID earnings of 2019. Jamaica is also experiencing a rise in summer 2023 air travel bookings by 33% as compared to summer 2022 according to data provided by one of the world’s leading travel data analytics firms, ForwardKeys,” stated Minister Bartlett.

The tourism minister also gave a brief overview of his recent trip to the United States where he engaged with key partners such as representatives from the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and forged a partnership agreement between the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) and George Washington University. Minister Bartlett added: “Our U.S. engagements included a series of meetings and discussions with leading tourism stakeholders in the airline, cruise and tour operator sub-sectors including Delta Airlines, Royal Caribbean Group and Expedia. These meetings confirmed that we are certainly on track to record the best summer in our history, especially considering the visitors coming from America.”

Jamaica’s primary source market, the United States, represents 1.2 million of the 1.4 million seats that have been secured for the upcoming summer travel season, representing a 16% increase over the island’s previous best, recorded in 2019.

Kingston, Jamaica; Wednesday, June 21, 2023: The Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) has completed the first phase of renovation works being undertaken at the Vin Lawrence Park in Trench Town, Kingston. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett made the disclosure during his Sectoral Debate closing presentation in the House of Representatives yesterday (June 20).

Minister Bartlett said: “The Vin Lawrence Park, once an underutilized space, has been revitalized to become a hub of cultural immersion and discovery. This transformation goes beyond the physical enhancements: It represents a celebration of Trench Town’s history, creativity, and resilience. Visitors will have the opportunity to delve into the heart and soul of this community, experiencing its music, art, cuisine, and captivating stories first-hand.”

In addition, the tourism minister shared that the ambitious venture, valued at JM$25 million, was completed within budget and on time. He added that the renovation project, which includes the construction of a wheelchair-accessible entertainment centre and performance stage, has the potential to position Trench Town as a more vibrant tourist destination, rich in culture and artistic expression.

Minister Bartlett continued: “The renovated park boasts a range of amenities to include a cutting-edge recording studio and rehearsal room, which will offer a professional environment for musicians and aspiring artists to create and record their music – preserving the rich musical legacy of the area. As visitors wander through the park’s pathways, they will be treated to vibrant murals depicting iconic figures, such as Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. These larger-than-life artworks pay homage to the rich musical legacy that was born in this very community.”

Regarding this, the tourism minister underscored TPDCo’s strategic focus on community tourism and developing non-traditional elements of the tourism product.

He stressed that investments in community tourism have a far-reaching and positive impact on sustainable economic growth, job creation and the preservation of Jamaica’s cultural heritage.

“As we look to the future, we envision the Vin Lawrence Park becoming a symbol of hope and transformation for Trench Town. The influx of visitors will attract promises to inject life into the local economy, support small businesses, and foster a sense of pride among community members,” asserted Minister Bartlett.

MIAMI, Florida; June 14, 2023: As Jamaica’s tourism sector continues its robust recovery, the island has been dubbed the number one Caribbean destination for Delta Vacations in terms of growth. With over fifty years in business, Delta Vacations, a Delta Airlines company, is one of the largest vacations providers in the United States. Delta Airlines is a major airline out of the United States and is a legacy carrier.

The announcement, which follows the island’s double-digit growth in terms of demand and outpacing one of its major competitors, Mexico, was shared during a high-level meeting with Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett and Senior Executives of Delta Airlines at their headquarters in Atlanta yesterday (June 13).

“Jamaica’s tourism products and offerings continue to be top of mind for consumers of our major airline partners like Delta. Coming out of the pandemic, we have seen the demand for Jamaica grow as people search for the real and authentic experiences that we have to offer. It is truly gratifying to see that this growth is evident amongst our key tourism partners and will allow for further discussions for additional seats and routes,” said Minister Bartlett.

The meeting with Delta airlines Senior Executives, forms part of an overarching marketing blitz led by Minister Bartlett and his team, with a series of tourism engagements in the United States, the country’s largest source market.

Atlanta is one of the major cities from which Jamaica welcomes a large influx of American visitors. It also has a strong Diaspora that usually choose to return to Jamaica to vacation and spend in the destination. Data from Delta airlines has also indicted that seats to Jamaica are up ten percent for the upcoming summer, which will add to the very favourable projections as the best summer for the destination.

Mr. Bartlett and his team of senior tourism officials have also engaged with other critical stakeholders in New York and Miami to ensure the sector leverages the strong projections for summer.

“Our discussions also explored the possibility of multi destination experiences through Delta’s long-haul routes that coincide with our target for emerging markets like India and Africa. We are looking at visitors from countries opting to make Jamaica a destination spot through these routes,” said Minister Bartlett.

Kingston, Jamaica, Thursday, June 8, 2023: As Jamaica braces to experience its best summer tourist season ever, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett and a team of senior tourism officials have departed the island for the United States to engage with critical stakeholders in Jamaica’s largest visitor source market.

Minister Bartlett’s first stop will be in New York City where he will participate in the annual Caribbean Week celebrations organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). The signature event  provides a platform to showcase the Caribbean brand and provide updates and support to travel agents and media, promote thought leadership, and encourage networking within the tourism industry.

Over three days (June 5-8), the tourism minister will be involved in a series of activities which include the Council of Tourism Ministers Meeting, a meeting with JetBlue Vacations and JetBlue Airlines, an interview with Good Day New York, the CTO Tourism Industry Marketing Conference, the official signing of an agreement between the Global Tourism Resilience & Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) and George Washington University and the CTO Media Marketplace. 

“We’re hitting the road to bolster arrivals from our biggest and best market, the United States. More than 74% of our visitors come from the U.S. and we don’t take that for granted. We’re determined to future-proof the sector this summer, and meeting with our American partners is crucial to realizing that objective,” stated Minister Bartlett.

Considering the recent travel advisory issued by the U.S. State Department, the tourism minister underscored that it is essential that American visitors are reminded of the “safe, secure and seamless” experience that a Jamaican vacation offers. With destination assurance central to the Ministry of Tourism’s policy direction, Minister Bartlett further noted that it is prudent for Jamaica’s presence to be felt in the American market at this time.

The tourism minister will briefly return to Jamaica before heading to Miami, Florida, where he will meet with key players in the cruise industry, including Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA). Minister Bartlett and his team will also make a quick trip to Atlanta, Georgia, for meetings with Delta Vacations and Delta Airlines, one of America’s major legacy carriers.

Following his Atlanta visit, Minister Bartlett will return to Florida for the Miami World Travel Expo (WTE), where he will participate in a panel discussion followed by a meeting with executives from the Expedia Group, owners of more than 200 travel booking sites across 75 countries.

“New York, Miami and Atlanta are the cities from which we traditionally get a large influx of American visitors. These areas also have a high concentration of ‘Jamericans’ who often choose to return home and spend their tourism dollars during the summer season. We’ve strategically targeted these cities for maximum impact as we make sure tourism’s contribution to the Jamaican economy continues to grow,” Minister Bartlett added.

Montego Bay, Jamaica, Tuesday, June 6, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has invited the powerful Insurance Association of the Caribbean (IAC) to partner with tourism to build resilience to secure sustainable growth, particularly within the tourism and agricultural industries.

With Caribbean tourism set to earn an estimated US$50 billion by 2026, Minister Bartlett said about US$3.89 billion of that amount will go into travel insurance for the region.

He also noted that at the rate of growth envisaged for tourism, “we are going to be employing 1.34 million more workers across the region during that period, bringing the tourism workforce in the Caribbean region up to 2.3 million by 2026.”

Minister Bartlett’s address to the opening session of the 41^st Annual Caribbean Insurance Conference yesterday (June 5) at the Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall, Montego Bay,  centred on the theme, “The Insurance Industry’s Role in the Pursuit for Sustainability.”

Noting that tourism and agriculture were the two sectors most vulnerable to climate action, he said, they were also characterized by having 67 percent of their workforce being at the lowest end of the employment stream “and therefore when disruptions hit, those workers are among the last to recover, if at all.”

In a challenge to the insurance sector, Minister Bartlett questioned, “How do we find a tool to offer that peace of mind to those workers who are so vulnerable and so ill-equipped and prepared?” He said borrowing was not the answer when they were already devastated “so we need to find a tool that says here is a relief, something that you can have while you get your act together.”

In that vein, he said he was prepared to emulate Jamaica’s Tourism Workers Pension Scheme, which involves two major insurance companies in Jamaica, as “it is my intention to drive this tourism workers pension plan across the Caribbean so that every single worker in tourism would become members of this pension plan and generate, perhaps, the largest pool of domestic savings possibly in the history of the Caribbean.”

Mr. Bartlett said he was prepared to sit with the insurance sector to devise a tool to give workers some peace of mind, being mindful that there would be more disasters, including hurricanes and floods, depriving people of their homes and farm plots.

“Let’s think of how we can do it. I have a Tourism Enhancement Fund and there’s the hotel associations; let’s have a meeting and sit down to work through it. You are the ones with the ideas so let’s think out of the box and find a tool that enables whether we’re going to bundle the workers together or we’re going to treat them as companies, or whatever, so as to make the rates affordable.”

He said he would be willing to contribute to ensure its affordability “to protect the workers of the two most vulnerable industries in the Caribbean, tourism and agriculture.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Tuesday, June 5, 2023:  Another alliance is being forged between Jamaica and a key Caribbean tourism partner in a drive to develop a cooperative approach to air travel and grow regional tourism.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett today held talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation for the Bahamas, Hon I. Chester Cooper in New York where they are participating in the annual Caribbean Week celebrations organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).

Announcing the agreement reached to pursue, Minister Bartlett said, “Jamaica and the Bahamas have entered into a new era of collaboration in consonance with the new tourism view of co-petition as the way forward, as opposed to competition.”

As a matter of policy, Jamaica has been spearheading an initiative of regional cooperation in the marketing of tourism with Minister Bartlett piloting the multi-destination strategy of promoting the Caribbean as one destination in which travellers have the option of experiencing two or more destinations on their travels.

Minister Bartlett explained that in the partnership with the Bahamas, “We’re looking at how we can collaborate in the area of air connectivity to begin with. We’re looking at how we can advance the hub and spoke principle and to bring more visitors into our space.”

Currently, Jamaica is engaged in multi-destination arrangements with Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama and there have been discussions with the Cayman Islands to put a similar agreement in place.  Minister Bartlett said giving effect to this initiative will entail standardizing certain protocols such as having a common visa regime and clearance arrangements that will allow for visitors to the Bahamas and the other destinations to market together and bring more airlines into the region.

The proposed collaboration with the Bahamas also takes into consideration the matter of training and the resilience building, which, he said, “has generated a big discussion around the establishment of a satellite resilience centre in the Bahamas.”

The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) was founded by Minister Bartlett, who is now its co-chair, with centres already established in three other countries (Jordan, Kenya and Canada) with others in the pipeline.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, June 4, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has identified sustainability of the national economy as key to his vision for tourism in the immediate future.

As a step in that direction, the Ministry of Tourism has embarked on the creation of a tourism strategy for Jamaica in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and stakeholders from a wide cross-section of industries and government agencies. The first in a series of strategy development workshops being staged in resort destinations was held on Friday (June 2) at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, St. James.

Mr. Bartlett related that his vision was “to make tourism inclusive and the driver of the economy of Jamaica, but most importantly, to make it the centre of community enrichment and human development.”

He stated that a key component of achieving this goal was to build the capacity against the demand that tourism brings and to strengthen the ability of Jamaicans to supply the services and goods needed.

“It calls for a shared commitment from each one of us in this room today. Let us seize this opportunity to work together; unifying our vision and efforts to secure the future of our beloved country and build a legacy we can proudly pass on to future generations,” he urged.

Minister Bartlett expressed confidence that “With the right strategy and plan in place, we can achieve all these objectives and more. I urge you all to join hands and work towards creating a comprehensive Tourism Strategy and Action Plan for Jamaica.”

The collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and the IDB has the support of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and involves several specialized firms and consultants in the development of a set of in-depth diagnostics to inform the future Jamaica Tourism Strategy.

Meanwhile, citing that tourism was critical in the economic and social development of the country, the IDB’s Chief of Operations for Jamaica, Mr. Lorenzo Escondeur, said that although the industry had made a remarkable recovery from the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, “tourism has not yet achieved its full transformational potential, and with the challenges that exist including environmental degradation, climate change impact, new disruptive technologies, and a rapid change in demand patterns,” it was necessary to reconsider tourism policies and investments, and the role of the public sector and multilateral organizations in the sector's development.

He stated that human activity and climate change threatened most of the country's biodiversity, “and if we do not take prompt action, some endemic animal and vegetation species might be lost forever, and Jamaica would lose its competitive edge for potential visitors.”

There was therefore a need for increased focus on nature preservation to permit the development of new tourism products and expand the tourism economic footprint beyond current major destinations.

Mr. Escondeur said working in close collaboration with the Jamaican government, the private sector, and civil society in such a strategic sector as tourism was crucial for implementing the Bank's mission of improving people's lives, and tourism was critical in the economic and social development of Jamaica.

Pre-pandemic, the travel and tourism contribution to Jamaica's Gross Domestic Product reached over 30% with the sector being about one-third of the total economy. Also, the tourism sector was directly or indirectly linked to around 30% of jobs and nearly 60% of total exports were driven by international visitor spending.

It was also necessary to build climate resilience by moving forward with tourism land-use planning by destination and developing a comprehensive and integrated coastal management framework to boost the sector's competitiveness and sustainability.

He indicated that the Inter-American Development Bank “would continue supporting the Jamaican government to design and implement an evidence-based strategy that will guide all public and private sector stakeholders into a new future.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Sunday, May 28, 2023: Coming out of the best winter tourist season ever, Jamaica is now set to achieve record visitor arrivals for the summer.

“As of May 10, 2023, the island has welcomed just over 1.5 million total visitors, with provisional gross earnings exceeding US$ 1.6 billion for the same period. The 2023 summer is gearing up to be the best summer in the history of tourism in Jamaica,” says Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett.

Already, 1.4 million seats have been secured, representing a 16% increase over the previous best in 2019. Jamaica’s main source market, the United States of America, has locked in 1.2 of these seats. “We are expecting a load factor of some 87.5%, which means that 1.2 million visitors will come to Jamaica over the summer period and will bring revenue of some US$1.5 billion just within that period of June to August,” says Mr Bartlett.

Travel bookings are currently showing a rise of 33% compared to summer 2022 and the anticipated boom is being weighed against Jamaica having welcomed approximately 3.3 million visitors for 2022/23 to register a remarkable recovery of earnings compared to pre-Covid earnings of 2019.

In the meantime, Minister Bartlett is also upbeat over the increasing number of celebrities flocking to Jamaica. “Making Jamaica their place of choice for a vacation is testimony to the post-Covid impression we have made and the appeal that we now have in the marketplace as well as confidence in what we offer as a leading destination,” he says.

The most recent celebrity to grace our  shores is American actress Angelina Jolie, who was spotted Saturday at the 15th Calabash International Literary Festival in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, which has become a cultural mecca that attracts thousands of writers and literary enthusiasts from across the globe.

Another celebrity recently on the island was top U.S. rapper ‘2Chainz’ whose real name is Tauheed Epps. He stood out at a party at Elevate Lounge and Nightclub in Montego Bay Wednesday night for the launch of Mochafest Jamaica 2023.

Mocha Fest is an Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean destination festival brand that promotes freedom of self and expression and since 2014, has been creating life-changing vacation experiences for thousands of people across the world. The series of party events started as a single festival in Jamaica with only 200 people and has now grown to multiple destinations worldwide with events as large as 5,000 attendees.

‘2Chainz’ was joined by Senior Advisor and Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright, other government officials and scores of largely American party vacationers. He has been sharing his time in Jamaica with his over 12 million Instagram followers, giving the country tremendous exposure.

‘2Chainz’ and Angelina Jolie join a slew of other celebrities, including Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau and his family; Senior US President Joe Biden administration Cabinet member and U.S. Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen; Maryland Governor Wes Moore; Hollywood screen actors Michael Douglas, his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Amos and Tracee Ellis Ross; Nigerian Afrobeat mega-star Burna Boy as well as American music stars Dua Lipa, Cardi B, Offset, Rick Ross, Omarion and Chance the Rapper, who have made Jamaica their preferred vacation spot in recent months.

Meanwhile, capitalizing on the goodwill being generated, Minister Bartlett is gearing up to lead a high-profile team from the Ministry of Tourism to sure up business in the lucrative North American travel market.