MADRID, Spain; January 24, 2023: As part of efforts to capitalize on tourism offerings between Jamaica and Sierra Leone, both countries are set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The move is aimed at strengthening tourism cooperation between Jamaica and the historic African nation.

“With the strong historical and cultural association between Jamaica and Sierra Leone, it is strategic to collaborate and strengthen our tourism cooperation. Both countries have a lot to offer in tourism and we can capitalize on this to build out new experiences for our visitors,” said Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett.

The discussions centred around air connectivity; training and development; marketing and promotional activities; cultural exchange; tourism diversification and growth and resilience.

“The pandemic has been the most tangible example of tourism vulnerability to disruptions and so a major area of focus will be resilience and resilience building to ensure the future proofing of the industry. It is critical that we build capacity in tourism to withstand and recover stronger for the next disruption we may encounter,” Minister Bartlett added.

The Sierra Leone delegation, headed by Minister of Tourism, Dr. Memunatu Pratt, also discussed their participation in the upcoming Global Tourism Resilience Conference that will be held in Kingston at the University of the West Indies’ Regional Headquarters from February 15-17, 2023.

“Tourism resilience is now at the heart of the industry’s survival. We must as destinations, exchange ideas and best practices to create the infrastructure to build capacity to detect, respond and recover from these disruptions,” said Minister Bartlett.

Further discussions to finalize the MOU between both countries will be had on the margins of the Global Tourism Resilience Conference.

To register for the conference, you can visit https://cts2023.eventbrite.co.uk

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 23, 2023: Plans are in high gear to strengthen ties between the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) and the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF). This follows a meeting with Minister of Tourism and Co-Chair of the GTRCMC, Hon Edmund Bartlett, CAF representatives and other Caribbean Ministers of Tourism, on the margins of the FITUR trade event in Spain.

The discussions centred around capacity building, sustainability and resilience for tourism dependent countries and how the CAF can provide support in these diverse areas.

“Most of the Caribbean remains a highly tourism dependent region that is extremely vulnerable to disruptions like climatic events and pandemics. It is this vulnerability that has caused setbacks in our ability to recover quickly after these disruptions and this is why building resilience is critical for our survival. I am pleased that CAF is interested in supporting the Caribbean and specifically Jamaica’s Global Resilience Centre as part of efforts to build tourism resilience,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Development Bank of Latin America seeks to promote a sustainable development model through credit, non-refundable resources, and support in the technical and financial structuring of projects in the public and private sectors in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“The Centre welcomes additional partnerships and support like this as it will undoubtedly help to accelerate our mandate to assist destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally,” the Minister explained.

“The timing is perfect as the GTRCMC works towards expanding Satellite Centres across the world, research capabilities and training among other project areas,” Minister Bartlett added.

Ministry Officials & Hoteliers Examine Other Pressing Issues

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 23, 2023: As Jamaica’s tourism sector continues to boom, Spanish Hotel and Resort owners, with thousands of rooms in Jamaica highlighted labour, worker housing, agriculture and infrastructure as crucial focus areas for the sustainable growth of the sector in coming years at a breakfast meeting under the Inverotel umbrella, an association representing Spanish Hoteliers and Operators, with Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett and other tourism officials in Spain’s capital city, Madrid on Friday (January 20).

Following the high-level discussions, the Spanish Hoteliers committed to support a major drive to build some 2,000 homes for hotel workers. Owners represented included Grand Palladium, RIU, Secrets, Iberostar, Excellence, H10, Melia and Bahia Principe whilst Director of Tourism, Donovan White and Senior Advisor and Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright anchored with Minister Bartlett.

“Through Spanish Hoteliers and other Hotel investors combined we are now seeing firm commitments for at least 2,000 new residential units for Hotel workers and their immediate families. This is essential as given the growth trajectory, with thousands of new hotel rooms under construction, we do have a serious and worsening shortage of appropriate housing for tourism workers. The Hoteliers have recognized this and know too that they cannot operate at an optimal level if workers do not have comfortable living arrangements or are too far away from their properties,” Bartlett pointed out.

Discussing extensively human capital development issues, Bartlett reaffirmed that his Ministry and its public bodies have taken a holistic approach with thousands of workers already certified by the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation; many benefiting from housing development projects primarily in conjunction with the Housing Agency of Jamaica, and the now growing Tourism Workers Pension Scheme now on track to reach some 10,000 members during the current winter season, generating over $350 million in savings.

The Hotel owners also delved into labour, global and local supply chain challenges, agriculture and road infrastructure issues.

“As Jamaica develops, we as government must work hand in hand with our local and international private sector partners. So beyond the need for housing, we fully acknowledge too the challenges in sourcing trained labour, traffic congestion along the main corridors especially in and around Lucea, Hopewell, Montego Bay, Runaway Bay, Priory and Ocho Rios and continued supply chain logistics challenges that are both local and international in scale impacting construction, supply of food and drinks in hotels and so on,” Bartlett noted.

The Hotel and Resort owners expressed delight at news that several road infrastructure projects are already or near beginning stages and will alleviate traffic congestion issues. This includes the US$274.5 million Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project, a bypass project, which involves the construction of 25 kilometres of roadway and the finalization of a US$800-million agreement with the International Finance Corporation to develop a  new four-lane highway from Rose Hall in Montego Bay, St James, to Mammee Bay, St Ann. The new four-lane highway will, upon completion, bypass congestion-prone spots at Priory, Runaway Bay and Discovery Bay in St Ann.

Bartlett also noted that plans are advanced to construct bypass roads around Hopewell and Lucea in the parish of Hanover. This is of serious concern, Seiveright went on to note given the fact that 4,000 new hotel rooms are to be constructed in Hanover alone in short order.

On the agricultural front, the hoteliers reiterated the need for more locally produced items that can meet the growing and enormous demand of the sector. Bartlett noted the government’s supportiveness to pull in investors from overseas to collaborate and or establish agricultural business initiatives on island, given the huge growth in hotel rooms and subsequent demand in coming years. The hoteliers pledged full support urging international players to invest in Jamaica’s agriculture and agri-business sector.

MADRID, Spain; January 19, 2023:  In a major boost to its operations, the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) and Mastercard have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation on tourism innovation. The signing took place during FITUR, the largest tourism trade fair in Spain, between Co-Chair of the GTRCMC and Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett and Senior Executives of Mastercard.

“The timing of this MOU is relevant as we seek to build resilience globally in tourism. This will help bolster our mandate of generating and converting new ideas into tangible solutions for resilience building. Because it is through new ideas and innovation that we will be able to adapt, respond and thrive after disruptions in the industry,” said Minister Bartlett.

Mastercard, which is the second-largest payment-processing corporation worldwide, has created an innovation hub that works with governments and public sector agencies to accelerate their digitalization efforts, as well as innovate, research, and co-create solutions across the tourism ecosystem.

By working closely with governments, public and private sector agencies, and tourism authorities across the world, the Tourism Innovation Hub is helping to create a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient tourism industry.

Kingston, Jamaica; Thursday, January 19, 2023: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, will make the headline address at the highly anticipated Global Tourism Resilience Conference being held from February 15-17, 2023 at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Regional Headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica. Holness will address a slew of government ministers from several nation states, policy advisors, international travel stakeholders, academics, executives of several international organizations, international business leaders among other key stakeholders. 

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett in highlighting the significance of the conference noted that: “As we exit the COVID-19 pandemic ‘tourism resilience’ has become the epicentre of national development priorities. While travel and tourism have been traditionally considered one of the most resilient segments of the global economy, it has also proven to be simultaneously and disproportionately prone to shocks, due to the impact of disruptive events on perceptions of destination attractiveness and security.”

He added that: “Such disruptive events include natural disasters, climate change impacts and bio-diversity loss, food insecurity, political instability and conflicts, the threat of terror attacks, cyber-crime and cyber security issues, economic recessions and indeed epidemics and pandemics, as exemplified by the current crisis.”

The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), which is in part piloting the conference, continues to work on building tourism resilience in the Americas, Africa and the Middle East. Through their work in these areas, they have recognized the need to consolidate learnings and build tourism resilience strategies to prepare for the next disruption to the travel and tourism space.

Minister Bartlett noted that Jamaica will once again prove itself a pioneer when it launches the first ever Global Tourism Resilience Institute in February. The Institute’s launch will coincide with the observance of Global Tourism Resilience Day on February 17. Executive Director of the GTRCMC, Professor Lloyd Waller, indicated that the Institute will provide several offerings. “We are in the process of establishing an Institute to focus on resilience and not just tourism resilience. We will be offering short certificate courses, diploma courses as well as an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) to provide persons with the skills and knowledge, in terms of methodologies for being resilient,” he stated.

Sustainable Tourism in the Caribbean High on the Agenda

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 17, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has been invited participate in the series of high-level meetings and events in Spain, aimed at promoting sustainable tourism in the Caribbean. The events have been organized by CAF (Development Bank of Latin America) in alliance with the International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR), being held in Madrid, Spain, from January 18 to 22, 2023. Minister Bartlett will also meet with several global tourism investors and executives in a bid to further boost the development of the sector.

FITUR, one of the most highly anticipated events on the annual travel trade calendar, is the global meeting point for tourism professionals and the leading trade fair for inbound and outbound markets in Latin America.

CAF officially opened its Regional Office for the Caribbean in September 2022 and is intensifying its support for sustainable development, the climate action agenda and the economic recovery of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This FITUR alliance allows CAL to further deliver on its commitment to provide increased development assistance to Caribbean countries and to facilitate new opportunities for the growth and development of the tourism sector in the region.

“This year's staging of FITUR is critical as tourism destinations seek to fully recover from the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic. While Jamaica, the Caribbean and many other regions are rebounding nicely there is still room for significant growth. Events like this, which allow for the exchange of innovative ideas, experiences and best practices, will certainly help to further boost tourism recovery,” said Minister Bartlett.

The series of events in which Minister Bartlett will participate include a reception jointly organized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and CAF, where UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili and CAF Executive President, Sergio Diaz-Granados will sign an agreement between the two organizations to support Caribbean countries in the development of a sustainable tourism sector. In addition, there will be a round-table discussion with English-speaking Caribbean Ministers of Tourism on: “What role can CAF play to support the development of sustainable tourism?”

While in Spain, Minister Bartlett will meet with key tourism partners as he seeks to promote the destination and encourage further investment in Jamaica’s tourism industry. This includes meetings with Mr. Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Melia Hotels; Carmen Riu Güell, the owner of the RIU Hotels & Resorts chain as well as representatives of INVEROTEL, an umbrella association representing Spanish hoteliers and operators in Jamaica. He will also meet with executives from Viva Wyndham Resorts; Grupo Puntacana and Mastercard.

Mr. Bartlett pointed out that “Jamaica is top of mind and remains a prime destination for foreign direct investment (FDI).  We are taking advantage of the opportunities provided by FITUR to strengthen ties with existing partners while exploring  new investment opportunities for Jamaica, which will help us to build on our current successes.”

Minister Bartlett left the island today, Tuesday, January 17 and is set to return on Sunday, January 29, 2023.

Kingston, Jamaica; Tuesday, January 10, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is urging players in the private sector to invest in the highly successful Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival (JBMCF) to truly reap the economic benefits of the groundbreaking event.

This as Minister Bartlett revealed that the Ministry of Tourism is seeking to hand-over the event, which is the Caribbean’s only coffee festival, to private sector entrepreneurs within the next two years.

The disclosure was made as Minister Bartlett gave the keynote address during the launch of the 6th annual staging of the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival at Devon House yesterday (January 9). The event will be held at Newcastle on Saturday, March 25, 2023. The Minister called on the various coffee growing and product manufacturing entities to capitalize on the opportunity being given to them to take responsibility for the festival and develop it into a major international event.

He said the team within the Ministry and its public bodies had carefully examined the concept of the festival and its potential for growth and earnings “and we want that to become an international event.”

“I am challenging the investors to come on board now to invest in the coffee festival. We will market it through the Jamaica Tourist Board on our platform,” said Minister Bartlett. He expressed confidence that “we could be bringing thousands upon thousands of people annually for this coffee festival, and that’s what I want to see.”

In underscoring the benefits of private sector investment, he said: “We’re inviting investment and if we can’t get local investment you know I’m going to go look investment because this festival must not be a simple event that we host every year; it must be an international event that brings thousands of people here and provide income and revenue for the country and the well-being of our people.”

The JBMCF was conceptualized in 2018 as a key initiative of the Gastronomy Network of the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Tourism  Enhancement Fund (TEF). With support from public and private sector partners the festival has become a highly anticipated event on the local calendar.

Minister Bartlett explained that the Ministry of Tourism has invested some $100 million in the festival to date and this year has earmarked another $25 million for the event. He said with the event having been truncated over the last two years by the COVID-19 pandemic, “we’re coming back with a bang this year, stronger, better, more exciting, more alluring and a more all-embracing coffee festival,” declared Mr. Bartlett. 

Coffee is said to be the second most consumed liquid, next to water globally with the Jamaican brand enjoying pride of place among world brands. Mr. Bartlett expressed that: “If we really tap into the value chain of coffee, we could create an entire economy around the product, and perhaps that’s an ambition that we should work towards.”

Players in the agriculture sector are among critical partners in the coffee festival and Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jnr underscored that “this partnership is very important.”

He welcomed the range of valued-added products being produced by young farmers with coffee and the move to create even more by infusing coffee into meals; “so there’s an exciting opportunity to have the intrinsic taste profile that is loved by so many discriminating connoisseurs across the world.”

Minister Charles stressed that there is a global market for Jamaicans to tap into, “not just to contribute to our gross domestic product but to contribute to the lives of our farmers.”

Among stakeholders participating in the coffee festival launch were Chairman of the Gastronomy Network, Mrs. Nicola Madden-Greig; Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill; Member of Parliament for St. Andrew East Rural, the Most Hon. Juliet Holness; and Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of Japan, Mr. Ken Nakamura.

Kingston, Jamaica; Friday, December 23, 2022: Efforts to bolster the continued development of Devon House as Jamaica's first Gastronomy Centre have received a major boost with the launch of an innovative initiative that will leverage partnerships with members of the diplomatic community to enhance gastronomy tourism locally and increase visitor arrivals.

Devon House was named Jamaica’s first Gastronomy Centre by Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett in 2017. Minister Bartlett has highlighted that the Ministry of Tourism and The Devon House Development Company Limited, which manages the centuries-old heritage site, “have worked steadfastly in establishing the gastronomy centre to bring visitors from overseas and persons from across the island to the historic property to enjoy the culinary delights of Jamaica.”   

The Minister has indicated that in a bid to further boost the initiative members of the diplomatic community will be engaged to increase exposure for the many gastronomic offerings at the centre.

“A big part of this is to involve the diplomatic community of Jamaica to enable the exposure of international cuisine at Devon House,” Minister Bartlett outlined. He explained that to kick-start the programme the first in a series of dinners involving the diplomatic community was hosted earlier this week at the facility.

He said, “this special dinner was organized to expose members of the Diplomatic Corps to the unique culinary offerings of Jamaica and at the same time to engage their interests in participating in this international gastronomic exposure, which will see every country represented in Jamaica taking on one dinner arrangement per month and inviting the rest of the world to come and enjoy the culinary delights of their own country.”

Minister Bartlett believes the programme has great marketing potential. “We are very excited about this venture. We had a wonderful first dinner involving representatives from some 10 countries including the US, UK, Canada, South Africa and China to name a few, and my colleague Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, also participated in this groundbreaking event. We think that this will create a new product in the gastronomy arrangements in Jamaica and will go a long way in further enhancing the value of Devon House as a great attraction,” he noted.

Additionally, Mr. Bartlett underscored that a pop-up kitchen will also be established to enhance the food-related offerings at Devon House.

“This pop-up kitchen will be supported by a small farmers market with fresh fruits and vegetables, condiments as well as meat, fish and other proteins to enable a full-fledged meal in many courses, to be prepared by individuals who come in for the single purpose of cooking,” he explained.

Minister Bartlett highlighted that highly qualified chefs will participate in this programme, which should offer an engaging experience. “We will have an excellent chef, possibly a Michelin designated chef who would be at the highest level possible. However, they will not cook but will oversee participants who will purchase their food items from the farmers market on location and proceed to cook under the guidance of the chef,” the Minister elaborated.

“This is a major innovation in terms of food-based experiences in Jamaica and we look forward to establishing this pop-up kitchen in 2023 to add yet another dimension to the culinary offerings of Jamaica,” he expressed.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Tuesday, December 20, 2022: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has lauded Nigerian International music star, Burna Boy for a stellar performance, which attracted thousands of locals and visitors to the island's capital, Kingston on December 18, 2022 and also welcomed the heightened exposure for Jamaica brought by American Music stars Cardi B and Offset who vacationed on the island recently.

"I applaud African superstar Burna Boy for his fantastic performance at the National Stadium on the weekend, which was certainly a must-see event for many of our locals, and indeed visitors to the island, who flocked Kingston to attend this massive entertainment offering. Likewise, having Cardi B and Offset here was another big plus too”, said Minister Bartlett.

"Entertainment remains an important value-added product which we will continue to utilise strategically within the tourism industry to enhance the sector's growth. In fact, it is one of the passion points of our visitors and one of the many reasons why persons travel to Jamaica yearly. We therefore look forward to many more private sector led events in the near future, which will continue to positively impact our tourism sector and the many small and medium entrepreneurs who benefit from them," he added.

The GRAMMY-winning Burna Boy announced his Love, Damini Summer 2022 Tour shortly after his record-breaking, sold-out debut at Madison Square Garden. On December 18, at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, the Caribbean portion of the tour came to an end with performances by Popcaan, Toni-Ann Singh, and Lila Ike.

"Jamaica continues to be the Caribbean's celebrity playground, with recent visits from other musicians like rappers Cardi B and Offset. There are several others, global celebrities, who have vacationed or are currently vacationing quietly, and they are very appreciative of the relaxed non-paparazzi like Jamaican culture, thereby allowing them to vacation in peace. Villas are the priority, but we do have many who have or are currently staying at known luxury hotels, Airbnbs and even some all-inclusives," said Delano Seiveright, Senior Advisor and Strategist in the Tourism Ministry.

“On our part, we will continue to develop and promote our country around the world in order to encourage other major international celebrities to visit the island," Seiveright added.

According to recent projections, Jamaica will see its strongest winter travel season ever this year, with anticipated record arrivals of 950,000 stopover visitors and 524,000 cruise passengers respectively. This is the highest volume of visitors the country has ever experienced — nearly 1.5 million for the entire season.

In tandem, Jamaica is expecting a boost this winter tourist season with US$1.4 billion in tourism earnings anticipated. A total of 1.3 million air seats have been secured for the period and a full recovery of cruise tourism is expected.

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, December 19, 2022: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that the 2022/23 Winter Tourist Season is off to an amazing start as Jamaica has recorded over 40,000 visitors since the season kicked off on December 15, with over 11,000 stopover visitors flying into the tourism Mecca of Montego Bay on Saturday, December 17.

“This start of the 2022/23 winter tourist season is the strongest in the history of Jamaica. We were able to welcome over the weekend, from December 15^th to 18,^th a total of 42,000 visitors. That includes 37,000 stopover and 5,000 cruise visitors,” Minister Bartlett outlined.

Mr. Bartlett said: “Over 11,000 stopover visitors travelled to Montego Bay on Saturday, on some 61 flights. This is a record for the sector and further underscores the robust post-pandemic recovery that the tourism industry continues to enjoy.”

“We are satisfied that the tourism sector has effectively recovered. We are equally satisfied that the market is responding strongly to Jamaica. The forward bookings for the rest of the season are equally strong. We know that the market understands Jamaica and we know that the market appreciates the quality of the product and the excellence of the experience that we offer,” he said.

He stressed that the strong inflow of visitors is the fruit of painstaking work on the part of tourism stakeholders. “Overall, the arrival figures over the weekend were amazing and is evidence of the hard work that the Ministry of Tourism, its public bodies and tourism partners have put into marketing Destination Jamaica. The season is shaping up to be the best winter Jamaica has ever had, with record arrivals for the period,” he expressed.

The Minister added that cruise tourism is also on the rise. “Over 80% of the cruise passengers from Carnival Sunrise, which docked in St. Ann on December 15 disembarked. The ship had some 3,000 passengers and 1,200 crew, and they were all over Ocho Rios and were busy spending and enjoying our tourism offerings. The same thing has occurred as passengers disembark ships that have docked in Falmouth, including Royal Caribbean Cruise vessels.”

Noting that the arrival figures were also boosted by the major Burna Boy concert held in Kingston over the weekend, Minister Bartlett underscored that the island remains very appealing to visitors.

“Jamaica remains top of mind among persons in the travel market and our efforts to enhance our tourism product continue to bear fruit. We continue to do everything that we can to enhance the safety, security and seamlessness of our destination,” Minister Bartlett expressed.

The Minister has indicated that Jamaica is set to secure a record US$1.4 billion in tourism earnings for the winter tourist season. The projected earnings were based on 1.3 million air seats which have been secured for the period and the full recovery of cruise shipping. “We are therefore looking forward to a very powerfully positioned winter season that will enable a strong year for the economy of Jamaica,” Mr. Bartlett said.