KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 31, 2022: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has welcomed a major decision by American Airlines to introduce twice weekly non-stop flights out of USA Miami gateways to the Ian Fleming International Airport in Boscobel, commencing November this year.

In making the announcement today the carrier outlined that “American Airlines is excited to officially announce new service to Ocho Rios – Ian Fleming International Airport (OCJ)! We plan to operate two times weekly from Miami using an Envoy E-175 aircraft.” 

“This is a game-changer for Jamaica’s tourism but especially for the Ocho Rios area which has been looking forward to such a development for quite some time,” says Minister Bartlett. “It also justifies the vision that we had in expanding the airport,” he added.

Mr. Bartlett explained that the American Airlines announcement comes in the wake of a recent meeting between executives of the US carrier and several public and private sector officials in Montego Bay. Among the participants were Minister Bartlett, Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon Audley Shaw; Director of Tourism, Donovan White; Delano Seiveright, Senior Communications Strategist, Ministry of Tourism; Chairman of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), Adam Stewart and SRI executive, Gary Sadler.

The Miami-Ocho Rios flights, slated for Wednesdays and Saturdays, will accommodate between 76 and 88 passengers in business and economy class.

“This non-stop service between the USA and our third international airport is a very valuable addition that will help to meet the aviation needs of Jamaica, and will no doubt encourage other airlines with that size aircraft to fly into that airport and take up the route,” said Mr. Bartlett.

“Having a viable third airport will also help to boost tourist arrivals and facilitate travel and the development of the northwestern belt of St Mary and Portland in addition to connecting members of the Jamaican Diaspora to home,” he said.

 American Airlines has had a long-standing relationship with Jamaica with regularly scheduled non-stop flights out of several US gateways, including Miami, Philadelphia, New York, JFK (John F. Kennedy) Dallas, Charlotte, Chicago and Boston, to Kingston and Montego Bay.

Minister Bartlett stated that: “In terms of fleet size, flights, passenger loads and revenue, American Airlines is the largest mover of people in and out of Jamaica and the new flights are coming at an ideal time when Jamaica is fast recovering lost ground in visitor arrivals due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

MONTEGO BAY, St James; Friday April 1, 2022: Since 2016, the Ministry of Tourism’s Speed Networking Event, organized by the Tourism Linkages Network (TLN), has generated over $700 million in business between local small and medium enterprises.

The annual one-day event is geared to putting producers of goods and services for the tourism industry in touch with buyers so as to boost consumption of local products and the local economy.

Speaking at the seventh staging of the TLN Speed Networking event yesterday (March 31, 2022) at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, underscored that the $700 million generated did not include large businesses, "but the small people who sell condiments, art, crafts, and the basic little things that add value in a hotel situation that enhances the look and feel and enables a tourist to take a little piece of the treasures of Jamaica with them in their suitcase back home."

Mr. Bartlett told the 110 registered sellers and over 50 buyers that their coming together for this purpose was "to establish very strongly that tourism is our business and that we can make wealth stay in Jamaica, rather than leave with the tourists when they go back."

He reminded them that today’s trading environment was different from that of 2019, prior to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic that slowed down activities, but that in the last six or so months, there has been a resurgence "and this return to activity is being challenged by the lack of resources coming from the period of the pause."

He said because of tourism’s resilience over any other industry and its ease of convertibility, "it is the preferred agent for economic recovery after a disruption and recession" and the participants should seize the opportunity created by a slowdown in global trade to produce and market locally.

The value of the speed networking event was also underscored by the presidents of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Clifton Reader, and the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association, John Mahfood.

Mr. Reader said that with over 350,000 members and associates of the JHTA, there was a deliberate move to link tourism partners to ensure retention of the tourism dollar. "It makes no sense when we announce billions of dollars earned by tourism, but the most important question is always, what is the multiplier effect, and secondly, what is retained in our local communities," Mr. Reader said.

He stressed, "We have to make sure that we build a sustainable tourism sector for the development and enrichment of our people."

Speaking of the quality of the tourism product, Mr. Mahfood said, "Our other business sectors in Jamaica can learn from the tourism sector in terms of developing products that are the best in the world and that offer the best customer service."

He cited TLN Speed Networking as one means of reducing the overdependence on imported food items, stating that the key issue was importing too much and it was time to leverage local manufacturers and help to reduce the production gap.

Noting the need to achieve a sense of equilibrium between the level of imports and the expertise of experts, he pointed to the Speed Networking event as one example of the way forward.

"The Tourism Linkages Speed Networking event characterises a movement towards the ideal of supporting local; this event provides a gateway for Jamaican companies to not only display their products and services, but more importantly, develop partnerships with prospective buyers that will help to improve the outlook of their businesses in the coming years," said Mr. Mahfood.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 31, 2022: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has welcomed a major decision by American Airlines to introduce twice weekly non-stop flights out of USA Miami gateways to the Ian Fleming International Airport in Boscobel, commencing November this year.

In making the announcement today the carrier outlined that “American Airlines is excited to officially announce new service to Ocho Rios – Ian Fleming International Airport (OCJ)! We plan to operate two times weekly from Miami using an Envoy E-175 aircraft.” 

“This is a game-changer for Jamaica’s tourism but especially for the Ocho Rios area which has been looking forward to such a development for quite some time,” says Minister Bartlett. “It also justifies the vision that we had in expanding the airport,” he added.

Mr. Bartlett explained that the American Airlines announcement comes in the wake of a recent meeting between executives of the US carrier and several public and private sector officials in Montego Bay. Among the participants were Minister Bartlett, Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon Audley Shaw; Director of Tourism, Donovan White; Delano Seiveright, Senior Communications Strategist, Ministry of Tourism; Chairman of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), Adam Stewart and SRI executive, Gary Sadler.

The Miami-Ocho Rios flights, slated for Wednesdays and Saturdays, will accommodate between 76 and 88 passengers in business and economy class.

“This non-stop service between the USA and our third international airport is a very valuable addition that will help to meet the aviation needs of Jamaica, and will no doubt encourage other airlines with that size aircraft to fly into that airport and take up the route,” said Mr. Bartlett.

“Having a viable third airport will also help to boost tourist arrivals and facilitate travel and the development of the northwestern belt of St Mary and Portland in addition to connecting members of the Jamaican Diaspora to home,” he said.

 American Airlines has had a long-standing relationship with Jamaica with regularly scheduled non-stop flights out of several US gateways, including Miami, Philadelphia, New York, JFK (John F. Kennedy) Dallas, Charlotte, Chicago and Boston, to Kingston and Montego Bay.

Minister Bartlett stated that: “In terms of fleet size, flights, passenger loads and revenue, American Airlines is the largest mover of people in and out of Jamaica and the new flights are coming at an ideal time when Jamaica is fast recovering lost ground in visitor arrivals due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 24, 2022: Expanding the reach of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) and involving the Diaspora in celebrations marking the 60^th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence are high on the agenda as Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett travels to Canada for four days of official engagements along with his colleague Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon Olivia “Babsy” Grange.

Minister Bartlett will join Minister Grange in Toronto today and be principal guest at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the GTRCMC and George Brown College.

Co-founded in 2018 by Minister Bartlett and Former Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Dr. Taleb Rifai, the GTRCMC was established to address disruptions and crises in tourism, such as the dislocation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Centre is based at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica and the MOU with Canada’s George Brown College paves the way for the launch of the second satellite centre in five weeks. On February 20, this year the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regional satellite centre of the international GTRCMC was launched. This formed part of a multi-tier, international campaign to boost resilience in the global travel industry through the expansion of the Centre. Other satellite centres had previously been launched in countries such as Kenya and Jordan.

The launch of a satellite centre in Canada has been hailed by Minister Bartlett as a major development for tourism in the North American region. “Tourism in far too important to the global economy for it not to have the support and guidance that the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre offers. It was created and is committed to bolstering destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally,” says Minister Bartlett.

Also participating in the launch of the GTRCMC satellite will be Jamaica’s Consul-General in Toronto, Canada, Lincoln Downer; President of George Brown College, Dr. Gervan Fearon; Executive Director of the GTRCMC, Professor Lloyd Waller and Regional Director of the Jamaica Tourist Board, Canada, Angella Bennett.

Minister Bartlett said he was also looking forward to partnering with Minister Grange in launching Jamaica 60 Celebrations in Canada. “The Jamaica 60 celebrations are being launched in a very coordinated and strategic way in Canada to, among other things, engage members of the Diaspora and to encourage them to travel to Jamaica along with their relatives, friends and colleagues to participate in the historic festivities, while stimulating growth in the tourism sector,” says Mr. Bartlett.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 17, 2022:  Ground was broken earlier today (March 17) for the renovation of the courtyard at Devon House, to make it more attractive and safer for locals and visitors alike. The project, which is valued at approximately $70 million, is being implemented by the Tourism Enhancement Fund, in keeping with its mandate of promoting growth and development in the tourism sector.

Speaking at the official ground-breaking ceremony, Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett said that the ground-breaking signals the government’s commitment to position Kingston as a gastronomy tourism attraction.

“Today we are kickstarting a new development thrust to position Kingston and particularly Devon House as the gastronomy capital of the Caribbean and, arguably, the Western World. Gastronomy is at the heart of visitor consumption patterns around the world, accounting for 42% of visitor food expenditure, with visitors spending US $9.3 trillion moving across borders in 2019. If we tap into a fraction of that, our people will reap the benefits. Gastronomy, for us, therefore, represents the number one pillar of growth, "said Minister Bartlett.

The renovation, which is being done by Bernard’s Construction Services, will be conducted in two phases. Phase one will commence before the end of the financial year, and the second phase will be conducted in the 2022/2023 financial year.

“Gastronomy for us and Devon House is going to be the standard for presentation for destination Kingston over time. Today we are looking at some $70 million for the sprucing of the courtyard to make it a place of glory, allurement, excitement, and aesthetics—a place that you want to be to have yourself a sense of place, "said Bartlett.

The new design will address a number of issues, including: uneven surfaces from tree roots in the vicinity; poor drainage, which leads to flooding when it rains; Limited seating for patrons and structural damage to wooden columns and pergolas. Additionally, the current design of the area does not allow for ease of movement when traversing the various shops and restaurants in the courtyard. 

The scope of works includes the construction of:

1. Two gazebos;
2. A new entry structures
3. Pergolas
4. New paving and landscaping (including brick pavers concrete walkways, kerbs, and planters;
5. Lattice screen fencing and gates to service yard area;
6. Reinforced concrete seat walls;
7. Improved water supply (including relocation of existing fire hydrant and new hose bibs)
8. Stormwater drainage
9. Lighting installation
10. Painting and finishing 

In sharing his support of the initiative, Deputy Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Winston Ennis, said, "The KSAMC is pleased to endorse the new development that will take place here on this ground, and we offer any further technical assistance that will be required throughout the life of the project to ensure the implementation process is as seamless as possible and the final outcomes are met."

The initiative also received endorsement from the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Saint Andrew North Eastern and the Minister of Justice Hon. Delroy Chuck, who shared that, “ I commend the Tourism Ministry and the Tourism Enhancement Fund for the fantastic work they are doing on the upgrades to this complex which stands out in Kingston as an area that all Jamaicans can visit and with the pandemic coming to a close I have no doubt that Devon House will be an area that people gather as they did before the pandemic.”

Devon House is strategically positioned as one of the main heritage tourist attractions in the Kingston Metropolitan Resort Area. The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has partnered with the Devon House Development Company Limited and Tourism Product Development Company Limited to execute several projects at the Devon House Heritage Site, aimed at maintaining the site as well as improving its aesthetic appeal for both locals and tourists alike.

Since 2012, TEF has funded several infrastructural developments to make the landmark financially sustainable. Some of the upgrades include: the pavement of walkways, the construction of a new Ice Cream Shop and new public restroom facility, the removal and replacement of a defective pump and the installation of a new pump, the extension of the fencing around the property, as well as improvement works to the Devon House Mansion.

Devon House falls directly under the support of the Ministry of Tourism who in turn manages the property.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 15, 2022: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the initiatives of the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) are poised to transform the labour market arrangements within the tourism sector, by producing a highly skilled workforce to meet the growing demands of the industry.

The Minister made the comment during a press briefing regarding the Hospitality and Tourism Management Programme (HTMP) recently, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. The briefing featured the 177 graduates from the pilot programme of the HTMP, which ran from September 2018 to June 2020. All graduates received an HTMP Certificate from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute, as well as an Occupational Associate Degree (OAD) in Customer Service, offered by the Ministry of Education & Youth.

"For the first time in Jamaica’s history and the tourism industry, we established a programme in the high school and community colleges, which allows students to acquire an associate degree in hospitality and tourism management. What that did was create the stages of development for tourism workers from high school through an associate degree programme, directly into entry-level jobs in the industry, "said Bartlett.

"For the first time, we are having first-time employees who are teenagers who have a degree coming into the workforce. That sets the stage for a different kind of employment. So, without legislating or accusing anyone of employment practices, we are transforming the labour market arrangements in tourism, "he added.

Bartlett noted that over the years a problem identified in the tourism industry is the lack of structured programs for training, certification, and classification. He, therefore, conceived the idea of the JCTI. 

"The history of tourism development in Jamaica and most places in the world is not predicated on the formalization of skillsets through training and certification, but on informality in many instances and casual employment where the average tourism worker is hired for short periods. Because of that, the turnover rate in our sector is very high, "said Bartlett.

"There are also complaints about the remuneration, tenure, mobility and portability of the tourism workers. All of that is simply because we have not been able to professionalize the industry in a way that other industries have been able to. Part of the problem is the lack of structured programs for training, certification, and classification. So, we have to change that paradigm, and that is how the JCTI was born, out of a need for us to create stackable credentials within the industry to enable mobility and portability, "he added.

In 2020, 153 students registered for this second cohort of the HTMP. These students are in the final year of the two-year programme and are currently preparing for their final examinations in June or July, 2022. Students are working in seven colleges and 13 high schools.

During the briefing, the Minister also announced that a new MOU has been established between the Ministries of Tourism, and Education to continue the collaboration to expand the programme. He also shared that a list of graduates, including their contact information and credentials, is being prepared by JCTI so that employers can easily find better-qualified workers.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 14, 2022: Just days after Jamaica marked the second anniversary of the confirmation of its first case of the COVID-19 virus, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has revealed that the island’s tourist arrivals are returning to 2019 levels.

“The tourism sector is fully back on track with another record weekend of stopover arrivals, with close to 35,000 visitors coming through the Sangster and Norman Manley international airports combined, between Thursday, March 10 and Sunday March 13,” Minister Bartlett explained.

This number tops the combined 30,000 arrivals the previous weekend, with Sangster International accounting for 27,000 visitors.

Jamaica continues to be the destination of choice in the Caribbean and based on projections, Minister Bartlett says “we expect that this March will be the strongest in terms of arrivals since the pandemic disrupted worldwide tourism in 2020 and we expect in excess of 200,000 coming to Jamaica for the month.”

He noted that the tourism sector should begin to rebound at an even faster rate as the Jamaican economy continues to open up with the continued relaxation of COVID-19 measures, whilst at the same time maintaining basic health and safety protocols.

Following a brief tour of the Sangster International Airport on Sunday, March 13 to observe passenger flow, Minister Bartlett added: “We are going to have to look at accelerating the expansion, particularly at the arrival end to ensure there are more immigration stations and also that the distribution systems allow for a more seamless passage through the terminal by our visitors.”

Mr. Bartlett says he used Sunday’s visit to have a close look at the infrastructure and landscaping in terms of preparations being made to enable the environment to reflect the warmth and hospitality that is typical of Destination Jamaica.

Meanwhile, the island’s arrival figures are set to surge even further due to added airlift, as American Airlines is to add another route to Jamaica when it inaugurates weekly flights from Austin, Texas to Montego Bay on June 4, flying a 76-seat aircraft on Saturdays.

Regarding the cruise sub-sector, Mr. Bartlett welcomed the return of the Marella Explorer 2 home porting in Montego Bay as of today (Monday, March 14).

He noted that he will be meeting with the cruise officials to ensure that the cycle continues. “After this resumption of homeporting in Montego Bay it will go to Port Royal and will be back on a full cycle of every week, having the Marella coming to Montego Bay for the weekend and moving out to other ports in the Caribbean,” Minister Bartlett outlined.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 8, 2022: As the tourism sector continues to rebound, Jamaica is again breaking visitor arrival records, with some 27,000 tourists arriving on the island last weekend, March 3 to 6.

“The tourism industry is now poised for full recovery,” declared Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett in response to the four-day figures. He cited the weekend as being “particularly strong in the context of Jamaica bouncing back from the devastation dealt to the tourism sector by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years.”

He added that achieving this record as the sector seeks to rebound from COVID-19 was of particular significance, as it coincided with the anniversary of Jamaica recording its first case of the virus on March 10, 2020.

Over the weekend, there were some 8,700 visitors on Saturday, the highest number for any given day since the reopening of Jamaica’s international borders and Minister Bartlett saw this as “critical as it makes the point that the month of March, which traditionally is a good one for winter vacationers, has started out well with bookings indicating a very strong March, paralleling the corresponding month in 2019, which saw the best pre-COVID arrivals for the sector.”

Minister Bartlett said the growing numbers augured well not just in terms of high accommodation in hotels but “this is very important to have our tourism workers back on the job, for our suppliers who were also hard-hit by the fallout but can now have some certainty in terms of the demand to be met.” Furthermore, said Mr. Bartlett: “It also signals to our investment and financing partners that we can now feel a little sense of confidence to supply more resources to satisfy the visitors’ consumption needs.”

Minister Bartlett had a special word of encouragement for players in the agricultural sector, which has forged linkages with the hospitality and tourism industry in the drive to satisfy the gastronomic needs of visitors to the island. “We are excited now by the prospect of our agricultural sector being on board and only recently I was in St Elizabeth providing some support to farmers to help boost productivity,” he said.

Mr. Bartlett outlined that “the growth of tourism had far-reaching implications for other sectors, such as entertainment, culture as well as service providers, all of whom will be pivotal to Jamaica’s Blue Ocean Tourism Strategy, in which we will be capitalizing on the competitive edge we have in these areas to grow and sustain the industry.”

He noted that now is the opportune time for all local producers to be on board as “we maintain our focus on recovery, and we want to recover with you so that the supply chain of tourism can be infused with strong local content that will keep the tourist dollar in Jamaica and ensure the real profits from tourism ultimately benefit the Jamaican people.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica; February 28, 2022: While keeping a close eye on the global instability created by the war in Ukraine, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett is sounding a positive note for continued buoyancy in Jamaica’s tourism industry.

Coming out of a retreat hosted by the Ministry in Montego Bay on the weekend to examine the recently tabled supplementary estimates, Minister Bartlett lamented the devastation caused by the conflict and underscored the need for a peaceful resolution.

He added that based on an assessment of Jamaica’s main tourism source markets, “notwithstanding the situation in Europe, we are still on a strong recovery path and the retreat allowed for the Ministry and its public bodies to look at engendering further growth of the sector after two years of extreme challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Minister Bartlett said “the tourism sector is primed for growth and we have assurances, especially from our travel partners in the USA and Europe, of confirmed plans for increased flights to Jamaica, starting between April and May. We are, however, constantly assessing the impact of the situation in Ukraine and its implications, especially in light of decisions being taken by airlines to restrict flights between Russia and various countries.”

Mr. Bartlett also disclosed that progress reports were received at the retreat from chairmen of the Tourism Recovery Task Force Committees, set up in light of the pandemic to examine various aspects of the industry and make recommendations on the way forward to expedite the sector’s recovery.

“Over the next few weeks, we will be analyzing these reports and will discuss relevant recommendations with our tourism partners and make a determination on the implementation programme going forward,” said Mr. Bartlett.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; February 26, 2022: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has paid tribute to the late Hon Guiseppe “Pino” Maffessanti, noting the outstanding role he has played in the physical development of Jamaica’s tourism product.

For more than five decades through his companies, Maffessanti Builders and Maffessanti Bros, he was a stalwart who played an integral role in the tourism industry, designing and building several architecturally outstanding hotels, villas and apartments.

Mr. Maffessanti who passed on yesterday (February 25), was also a well-known philanthropist, especially to church and educational institutions and through service clubs, giving selflessly to community projects.

In lamenting his passing Minister Bartlett said “Pino Maffessanti was one of a kind in terms of his love for humanity and his philanthropic responses to so many of the great social calls of St James in particular and the wider Catholic community.”

He noted that Mr. Maffessanti understood what development was about and how to build communities, “build human settlements and to provide for the benefit of all. More importantly, he had a love for humanity and this was demonstrated in his charity; always involved in doing things for the less fortunate as exemplified through his work with the Good Shepherd Foundation, which he chaired for many years, and the Catholic Church. These stand out as clear examples of the nature of the man.”

In 2018 Mr. Maffessanti was honoured by the Government of Jamaica, which bestowed on him the Order of Jamaica (OJ) for his sterling contribution to the construction industry, social development, welfare and philanthropy. Prior to receiving that national award, he had received the Order of Distinction, in the rank of Commander.

He was also made a Knight of the Order of St Gregory the Great, one of the highest honours in the Catholic Church.

Italian by birth, he made Jamaica and specifically Montego Bay his home since migrating here in the early 1950s, and succeeded his father in running the construction company he had established. Under “Pino’s” management, Maffessanti Buildings became a household name, especially in Western Jamaica where they earned a reputation for high standards, and quality work.

Among the hotels that bear the signature of Maffessanti Builders are the famous Round Hill, Tryall Club, Couples Sans Souci and Shaw Park.

“He was a pioneer in the physical development of much of Western Jamaica and has left landmark projects across the parishes of St James and Hanover. Pino Maffessanti has made an indelible mark on Jamaica’s tourism landscape and while he was honoured by a grateful nation during his lifetime, it is also fitting that on the occasion of his passing, we also pay tribute to him,” said Minister Bartlett, noting that he was “a good family man and we respect him for the exemplary family life he lived.”

Minister Bartlett said Mr. Maffessanti “will be deeply missed by all of us but more so by his devoted wife Daniela and his two children, Mark and Nancy and on behalf of all of us in Jamaica, particularly in St James, and my own family in particular, I want to offer our sincere condolences to the grieving family.”