KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 30, 2021: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett is encouraging players in the financial sector to explore the many investment opportunities available in the tourism industry to spur growth in the sector, which has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He stated that the multi-dimensional nature of Jamaica’s tourism sector offers countless opportunities for investment, in areas such as accommodation, human capital development, attractions, travel technology, agro-tourism, green projects, nutraceuticals, manufacturing and supporting infrastructure that improves the visitor experience.

Bartlett made these remarks yesterday during a meeting with members of the Caribbean Alternative Investment Association (CARAIA), at the AC Hotel by Marriott in Kingston.

“Investment will play a critical role in building out this new look tourism product, as it provides the funds necessary to construct and upgrade tourism projects essential to the development and growth of tourism capacity. The  success  of   any  tourist  destination  is  dependent  to  a  large degree on the nature of  the facilities and service infrastructure available to visitors,” said the Minister.

During his presentation the Minister also highlighted the findings of a recently conducted Tourism Demand Study, which found that there is a vast untapped market for high quality, fresh produce, which is essential to hotels, restaurants and attractions.

Specifically, it states that the estimated total value of demand for agricultural products in the tourism sector is JA$39.6 billion. Food items in the poultry, meats and seafood category alone account for 75% of this total value, while fruits accounted for another 10%.

According to the findings of the study, based on the value of expenditure on the importation of certain items, there were excellent opportunities for increased linkages with local producers. These items included products such as bed frames and headboards, chairs, pillows, sanitizers, standing lamps, toothpaste, towels, cantaloupe, iceberg lettuce, Irish potatoes, red jumbo onions, rice, and sweet corn.

The annual leakage due to imports was estimated to be J$65.4 billion in the manufacturing sector and between J$1.6 billion and J$5.0 billion in the agricultural sector.

The Minister also used the opportunity to highlight that despite the impact of the pandemic, the investment climate remains positive with 90% of the planned investments on target; in the year since the reopening of Jamaica’s borders (June 2020 to June 2021) the country welcomed over 837,000 stopover visitors with arrivals increasing an average of 20% each month since reopening; and many of our 170,000 directly employed tourism workers are now back on the job.

According to the data received: “189,001 Stopover visitors are expected for July 2021; Cruise arrivals are to resume in August 2021; For January to December 2021, it is projected that Jamaica will receive 1.7 million visitors; and For January to December 2021, the estimated Foreign Exchange Earnings is US$2.0 billion,” the Minister explained.

Looking further afield to 2022, Jamaica is projected to welcome 3.2 million visitors while earning US$2.7 billion in revenue. Also, by 2023 it is projected that Jamaica will welcome 3.7 million visitors and earn US$3.5 billion in revenue. By 2024 it is anticipated that the island will be back on track for 4.2 million visitors and US$4.0 billion in tourism revenue.

“Investment in tourism offers one of the best opportunities for Jamaica to recover and strengthen its economy…CARAIA  can be a strong voice as we seek to promote, attract and facilitate productive investment in Jamaica’s tourism industry and in doing so,  place us more effectively on the world’s alternative investment stage,” said Mr. Bartlett.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 29, 2021:  Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says that since the pandemic began, travel and tourism enterprises across the world have been leveraging Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) to enhance a plethora of services.  He notes that the trend towards a digital marketplace in the tourism sector is poised to intensify post-COVID-19. 

The Minister made this announcement yesterday during the 36th Annual CANTO Conference and Trade Exhibition.

“The pandemic has taught us that organizations that fail to successfully incorporate digital technologies into their business models will likely fail in their quest to ensure adaptability, agility and competitiveness in the post-COVID-19 era. The ability of players in the global tourism sector to adapt to the impact of the pandemic has been undoubtedly aided by digital technologies,” said Bartlett.

“Overall, the trend towards a digital marketplace in the tourism sector is also poised to intensify post-COVID-19,” he added.

He projects that based on this trend, most travel and tourism-related business, including destination research, booking, and paying for experiences during a vacation, will be done virtually.  

“The trend thus instructs all tourism enterprises, micro, small, medium-sized and large, to find ways to embrace digital technologies, and develop their digital architectures or face the risk of being left behind,” said Mr. Bartlett.

The Minister shared that data he received shows that since the pandemic began, travel and tourism enterprises across the world have been leveraging ICTs to improve almost all areas of the hospitality industry, such as guest services, reservations, food and beverage management, sales, food service catering, maintenance, security, and hospitality accounting.

Businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry have rolled out several information-based digital innovations to facilitate service delivery in a quick, convenient, and safe manner.

These include the use of mobile apps to enable customers to book reservations, check-in, order and pay for services using their devices; the use of a digital workforce, including chatbots that provide pre-determined answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) and live chat with on-property staff and the use of digital keys through in-app features that enable guests to unlock their hotel rooms by tapping their mobile devices.

“As more tourism enterprises around the world begin to reopen, fewer resources will be available, and a new operating model to minimize contact will need to be considered and deployed.  AI and smart technologies can be leveraged to quickly rewire the current physical interfaces to touch-free, gesture-based, or voice-activated interfaces,” said the Minister.

“Consequently, artificial intelligence will be increasingly used to enhance a plethora of services in the hotel industry including fleet and operations management, disruption management, customer service and retention and autonomous machines and services,” he added.

Held virtually for the first time in thirty-five years, the 36th Annual CANTO Conference and Trade Exhibition, the Caribbean’s premier telecommunications forum; will give delegates from across the globe, the opportunity to connect with each other at this stimulating conference.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 28, 2021:  Minister of Tourism and Co-Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), Edmund Bartlett, has announced that discussions are now underway for the establishment of a satellite centre of the GTRCMC in Nigeria.

Speaking during a meeting earlier yesterday with the new Nigerian High Commissioner to Jamaica, Maureen Tamuno, at the Minister’s New Kingston offices, Bartlett shared that: “We would like to visit Abuja in the near future to formalise the arrangements to establish the second African Satellite Centre for the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC).”

Bartlett added that: “In the interim we will provide all the information that is required to enable the establishment of the Centre. We have now the basis on which the infrastructure can be established, and we also have the will and the Human capital involvement. I would love for Nigeria being the first centre established in West Africa.”

The first satellite centre of the GTRCMC was established in Kenya, at the Kenyatta University. It is a regional satellite centre, with responsibility for East Africa, and collaborates with the international GTRCMC, located at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Jamaica. 

“The Centre in Nigeria will be a good complement to the centre already established in Kenya, because they are two of the most important African countries that the world understands. Nigeria is number one – known for having the strongest economy, largest population, and you have done something exciting with Nollywood, which has left a great cultural imprint on the world,” said Minister Bartlett.

The arrangement would see the satellite centre being established at a University selected by the Nigerian government, which would collaborate with The University of the West Indies, where the GTRCMC is based. The ultimate purpose of the Centre is to assist destination preparedness, management, and recovery from disruptions and/or crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally.

The GTRCMC, which was first announced in 2017, operates in a global context that is characterized by not only new challenges, but also new opportunities for tourism in an effort to improve the tourism product as well as to ensure the sustainability of tourism globally.

Since its initial opening, the centre has broadened its reach with the establishment of satellite centres in various regions. The Satellite Centres will focus on regional issues and will share information in Nano time with the GTRCMC. They will then function as think tanks to develop possible solutions.

The discussion comes on the heels of a recent visit to Kenya, where Minister Bartlett, who is also Co-Chair of the GTRCMC and Kenya's Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, and Chairman of the GTRCMC – Eastern Africa, Najib Balala signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will pave the way for the two centres to work together to develop policy and conduct relevant research on destination preparedness, management and recovery.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 26, 2021: With the tourism sector maintaining a near 100 percent compliance rate along the Resilient Corridors since the reopening of the nation’s borders to international travel in June 2020, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett is underscoring the effectiveness of the sector in managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

He credited the relentless effort of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), working with the Ministries of Health and Local Government in policing the Resilient Corridors and punishing reported breaches over the past year, for enabling the high level of compliance by tourism entities.

Minister Bartlett was speaking on the weekend at the launch of Key Advantage Training & Recruitment Solutions (KATRS), Jamaica’s latest addition to the education and skills training landscape, at the Hilton Hotel in Rose Hall, St. James. The company has targeted the tourism and business process outsourcing (BPO) sectors in particular but also markets its services to the sales and retail industries.

While underscoring the general success of the sector in managing the pandemic Mr. Bartlett highlighted that complacency and breaches will not be tolerated. Being fully aware that other sectors are seeking to introduce systems to manage the coronavirus, he says: “We stand ready to assist in enabling the complete management of the pandemic,” adding that if all come together to drive that level of management, “we will be able to carry through this process of enabling low infection rates.”

The COVID-19 positivity rate within the corridors is at 0.6 percent and the tourism minister is confident that the sector will be able to manage and mitigate the effects of variants when they reach Jamaica. “Tourism has been a responsible partner; we have invested in it and the hoteliers have burnt cash in the last 14 months to try and keep the sector together and the recovery that we are experiencing is a function of that sacrifice; we don’t want to lose that,” said Minister Bartlett. 

He said there was still a far way to go, citing that an estimated 125,000 tourism workers are not yet back in their jobs. The tourism industry employs some 175,000 workers, most of whom were displaced when COVID-19 brought international travel to a standstill last year. Over the past six months, 50,000 workers have been reengaged. “We have to move to get back the rest,” said Mr. Bartlett.

“So, we cannot stop the process now; we have to recommit ourselves to the task of going beyond our sector now and to work with the other sectors to make sure that the level of compliance that we have achieved can be achieved for all,” he said.

On the issue of vaccine availability, he said tourism was working on a response with an initiative that could see a designated arrangement finalized for tourism workers to receive their vaccines. The outcome will be known in another week.

In welcoming Key Advantage, Mr. Bartlett said training and development of the human capital, combined with careful and responsible management of the pandemic, were essential. He underscored the importance of people to tourism, and that training and development must be given priority. Since the pandemic restricted face to face contact, he said the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) had trained 28,000 workers virtually.

Kingston, Jamaica: July 23, 2021:  Jamaica’s tourism industry has brought back more than 50,000 workers in the last six months, showing its capacity for resilience and its ability to bounce back from crises.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, made the announcement yesterday (July 22) at the 7^th staging of the ‘Christmas in July’ trade show at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston. The annual initiative encourages the purchase of authentic local products by stakeholders in the tourism sector and corporate Jamaica looking for gifts for clients and staff.

“Also, in the last seven months, we have brought in nearly 700,000 visitors (stopovers) and, by the end of August, we are projected to reach a million visitors and passengers coming into Jamaica, which will bring somewhere in the region of US$1.5 billion into the local economy. No other industry could do that in seven months; the tourism industry has,” Minister Bartlett told the audience of diplomats, tourism stakeholders and representatives from corporate Jamaica.

Discussing building capacity for local suppliers, Minister Bartlett said: “As we recover, we need to recover together and recover stronger. We need to recoup much of the losses we had before the pandemic because before the pandemic we had a leakage situation of US dollars from the industry of some 60 cents. We had reached the level of 40 cents retention.” 

The tourism minister said Jamaica must move beyond 40 cents to a 50 cents retention rate, noting that “the pandemic has given us this opportunity because we are starting from ground zero so we can recover together.”

He said suppliers, manufacturers, farmers and producers of cultural products will have the chance to develop together as the industry returns.  “The demand would be a fraction of what it was in 2019 when we had 4.3 million visitors, when the demand required a level of production that the country couldn’t afford to have. We didn’t have the capacity. The good news is that we can grow capacity with this present level of recovery so that more of the goods that the industry needs can be sourced locally from our manufacturers, our farmers and our suppliers,” he explained.

Minister Bartlett noted that Christmas in July is part of that response as it provides the opportunity for more of our local producers to showcase their output.

This year, some 150 local producers of authentic Jamaican gift and souvenir items displayed their products to corporate entities and various industry players at the annual trade show.  All products on display had to be made with materials sourced locally, proven to be at least 70% locally manufactured or assembled, highlighting strong Jamaican cultural influences and themes.

Activities for this year's virtual staging also included a “Style Jamaica Pop Up Fashion Show” which featured jewellery, bags and accessories made by local artisans. 

Christmas in July is a collaborative effort of the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), and its partners: the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Jamaica Manufacturers' and Exporters Association (JMEA), the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) and Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA).

Kingston, Jamaica: July 19, 2021: One hundred and fifty manufacturers of locally produced corporate gifts and souvenir items will showcase their wide selection of products at the 7^th staging of the ‘Christmas in July’ trade show on Thursday, July 22, 2021, at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston.

The annual initiative encourages the purchase of authentic local products by stakeholders in the tourism sector and corporate Jamaica looking for gifts for clients and staff. It is a signature event of the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF). 

To adhere to COVID-19 protocols, like last year, the one-day trade show will be a hybrid event (virtual and face to face).  Targeted buyers have been invited to view the exhibits on the trade floor, while other interested persons can watch live on Facebook: @tefjamaica and tourismja; Instagram: @tefjamaica and YouTube: @TEFJamaica and @MinistryOfTourismJA, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

“Events like Christmas in July provide much-needed economic support to our micro, small and medium-sized businesses and, in doing so, ensures that more Jamaicans benefit from tourism.  This is particularly important now as many of these businesses have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and need all the help they can get to stay afloat,” said Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett

“This is an excellent platform for them to market their goods to key tourism stakeholders, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Corporate Jamaica, and the public. I encourage everyone to support our local producers and buy Jamaican so that these businesses can earn again,” he added. “Christmas in July provides an avenue for persons to see first-hand the creative gift and souvenir items made by local producers, including art and craft, spa products, paintings, furniture, footwear, clothing, confectionery, processed foods, wines and much more,” the Tourism Minister said.

Christmas in July has boosted the purchase of Jamaican-made items as corporate gifts and, as a result, local manufacturers and artisans have earned more than $100 million from the tourism industry and corporate Jamaica since its inception.

It is a collaborative effort of the Tourism Linkages Network and its partners: the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Jamaica Manufacturers' and Exporters Association (JMEA), Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA). 

A Huge Leap for Policy Research - Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 16, 2021: Minister of Tourism and Co-Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), Hon. Edmund Bartlett, and Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, and Chairman of the GTRCMC – Eastern Africa, Hon. Najib Balala today (July 16) signed a ground-breaking memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will pave the way for the two Centres to work together to develop policy and conduct relevant research on destination preparedness, management and recovery.

The signing took place during the Tourism Recovery Summit for African Ministers of Tourism currently underway in Nairobi, Kenya, where Minister Bartlett was invited to speak in his capacity as a well-respected global thought leader on tourism resilience and recovery.

Minister Bartlett lauded the MOU signing, as “a huge leap for policy research.  It will allow these two Centres to collaborate in forecasting, mitigating and managing risks related to tourism resilience caused by various disruptive factors.  This is truly an exciting opportunity.”  The GTRCMC – East Africa at Kenyatta University, is a regional satellite centre of the international GTRCMC, located at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Jamaica. 

“This is particularly relevant as we navigate and respond to the challenges brought on by the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. We must be at the forefront of coordinating responses, surveillance and monitoring, and organizing economic relief efforts within and across borders. Collaborations such as this are both critical and timely,” the Minister said.

Following the MOU signing, Hon. Najib Balala presented a cheque for Ksh 10 million (US$ 100,000) to Minister Bartlett to support activities at the East Africa Centre.

The MOU will facilitate a strategic partnership as it relates to Research and Development; Policy Advocacy and Communication Management; Programme/Project Design and Management and Training and Capacity Building, specific to climate change and disaster management; security and cyber-security management; entrepreneurial management; and pandemic and epidemic management. 

This will be done through programmes or undertakings such as:

·         Joint research activities

·         Joint teaching or supervision of students

·         Staging of joint seminars, conferences, workshops, training initiatives and academic meetings

·         Short/long-term student exchange or study abroad activities

·         Exchange of academic materials and other information

·         Collaborative academic programmes

·         Joint collaborative Grant Proposals

·         Collaboration in distance education

·         Other mutually beneficial endeavours.

The stage was set for the MOU signing in 2019 during the state visit of the President of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, where discussions were held between representatives of UWI, Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism, the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre and Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife (Kenya) to explore establishing the GTRCMC – East Africa at Kenyatta University.

Minister Bartlett also toured Kenyatta University and the GTRCMC – East Africa where he was hosted by the Vice Chancellor of Kenyatta University, Professor Paul Wainaina.

Jamaica to Continue Investment Talks with Saudi Arabia

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 13, 2021:  Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett departed the island today (July 13) to participate in the highly anticipated Tourism Recovery Summit for African Ministers of Tourism, which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, on Friday, July 16, 2021. Minister Bartlett has been invited to speak at the summit in his capacity as a well-respected global thought leader on tourism resilience and recovery.

While in Kenya, Minister Bartlett will continue investment talks with His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism for Saudi Arabia, which officially began in June when Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, hosted the first Jamaica-Saudi Arabia bilateral conference focused on inward investments to foster economic growth and the creation of new local jobs.

At that time, Minister Al Khateeb led a high-level delegation during his recent visit to Jamaica, including, Mr. Abdurahman Bakir, Vice President for Investment Attraction and Development in the Ministry of Investment in Saudi Arabia, and Mr. Hammad Al-Balawi, General Manager for Investment Management and Oversight in the Saudi Ministry of Tourism.

At the June 24 meeting, Minister Hill expressed the government’s commitment to strengthening the Jamaica-Saudi Arabia relationship. While Minister Al Khateeb, who is chairman of the powerful multi-billion US dollar Saudi Fund for Development, expressed a vision of catalysing the expansion of Saudi Arabian business operations in the Americas, especially throughout the Caribbean and Latin American region.

“The high-level summit follows on the heels of the Tourism Recovery Summit held in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia in May of this year. It will focus on the new era that the tourism sector is now entering and will explore ways to rebuild the African tourism sector that has been impacted negatively by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Minister Bartlett explained. 

“The summit will also explore the opportunity for stronger partnerships between African countries and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to mitigate the pandemic’s effects and boost resilience,” he added.

Minister Bartlett is also slated to attend a special meeting with the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta and other Ministers, which will culminate in the signing of a MOU between the Jamaican based Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) and its satellite centre in Nairobi. President Kenyatta serves as the honorary co-chair (representing Africa) of the GTRCMC along with Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness and Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, former president of Malta.

Minister Bartlett has also been invited to tour Kenyatta University and the GTRCMC - East Africa, in Nairobi on July 15, where he will be hosted by the Vice Chancellor of Kenyatta University, Professor Paul Wainaina.

Minister Bartlett will return to the island on July 19, 2021.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 09, 2021: Minister of Tourism and Chair of the high-level Organization of American States (OAS) Working Group, Edmund Bartlett, is calling for continued exchange between Member States and industry to finalize a practical and dynamic recovery action plan, for the cruise and airline industries in the post-pandemic era. 

These remarks were made yesterday (July 8), during a virtual meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Tourism (CITUR) Working Group, organized by the OAS.

“My call today is for the continued exchange between Member States and industry – we must hear all voices. I further urge an investigative approach to the proposed recommendations and tools for our region juxtaposed against similar tools and recommendations in other regions and the implications on interregional travel which is the mainstay of our tourism revenue,” said Minister Bartlett.

“A practical and dynamic recovery action plan requires a multi-dimensional approach to the various elements of recovery – harmonization of protocols, including bio-sanitary and entry protocols; sustainable tourism with consideration for the environment; successful public-private partnerships; increased investments and destination assurance. Such an approach should facilitate and promote a comprehensive, holistic, far-reaching, and effective plan to move us towards our goals,” he added.

Minister Bartlett is urging members to incorporate a practical and dynamic recovery action plan which uses a multi-dimensional approach to the various elements of recovery. This should focus on the harmonization of protocols, including bio-sanitary and entry protocols; sustainable tourism with consideration for the environment; successful public-private partnerships; increased investments and destination assurance.

“Such an approach should facilitate and promote a comprehensive, holistic, far-reaching and effective plan to move us towards our goals,” he said.

During the meeting, Jamaica participated by offering an update on the work being done by the Working Group. So far, the Group has decided on its Terms of Reference and guidelines, with the decision to engage a consultant to consider the rapidly evolving situation with the pandemic and devise recommended strategies to aid Member States and industry players on the road to recovery.

They also highlighted challenges faced in the recovery of the cruise and airline industries, such as the new and more contagious variants emerging that confound ongoing efforts regarding the original and earlier strains; as well as struggles faced by some tourism-dependent economies that depend heavily on vaccine penetration as well as border normalization in source countries.

‘As we have stressed vaccine equity in this forum, we can appreciate the implications for a country like Jamaica with only approximately 9% of its population vaccinated (249,983 vaccinations as of 2 July). If Caribbean vaccination programmes lag, then travellers may avoid these destinations until a critical threshold of these populations are vaccinated,” said Minister Bartlett.

“This ties in the promotion of domestic tourism which has been an emerging feature and tool to offset the losses for international arrivals. Whereas we are aware that some of our domestic tourism markets can hardly compete with international tourist arrivals, we must consider that our source markets are also considering domestic tourism/travel close to home models which have implications for our region’s short and long-term recovery prospects,” he added.

Minister Bartlett also asked all representatives in the meeting to observe a moment of silence for the late Haitian President, His Excellency Jovenel Moïse, following his tragic passing.

The working group is one of four, which were announced during the second special session of the Organization of American States (OAS) Inter-American Committee on Tourism (CITUR) held on August 14, 2020, to facilitate the effective and timely recovery of the travel and tourism sectors.

The first meeting of the Bartlett-Chaired group took place on December 10, 2020, with representatives from various international bodies and countries in the region, including Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Peru and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Group has also seen active participation from the industry players with updates from IATA, CLIA, ACI World, UNWTO and the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre.

The Organization of American States is the premier regional forum for political discussion, policy analysis and decision-making in Western Hemisphere affairs. It dates back to the First International Conference of American States, held in Washington, D.C., from October 1889 to April 1890.

The Working Group will take a recess during the month of August to resume with its ninth meeting on September 9, 2021.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 6, 2021: Last night’s (July 5) inaugural direct flight between the Swiss financial city, Zurich and Montego Bay, marks the introduction of a crucial airlift arrangement that has been hailed as a game-changer for Jamaica’s recovering tourism industry.

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett declared the service “a game-changer in terms of boosting connectivity out of that section of Europe,” after welcoming Captain Patrick Ritter and crew of the Edelweiss Airline flight, which brought 99 passengers on its inaugural run. Underscoring its significance, the Minister said: “Now we’re seeing that the demand for Jamaica is more concentrated and that individual countries have the capacity to drive numbers sufficient to bring an aircraft non-stop into Montego Bay.”

The occasion was commemorated, with Minister Bartlett presenting gifts to Capt. Ritter who is renewing his acquaintance with Montego Bay. With memories of being here 15 years ago and having had a good time, for him returning is a “great pleasure.”

Zurich is one of the richest cities in Europe and Mr. Bartlett sees the interest in coming to Jamaica as “a big statement that Jamaica is not just seen as a vacation centre for the economy class but also for the well-heeled and the high net-worth demographic.” This he said was important as it generates more confidence in building back at a higher level “so that the resources that are to stay in Jamaica to help us to build the economy is assured.”

In welcoming the service, Director of Tourism, Donovan White said the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has been working consistently to attract visitors, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. “We work very hard for the demand that we have created and we have spared no effort in the marketplace to ensure that Jamaica is positioned as one of the best destinations available to travellers who are ready to travel,” he expressed.

Mr. White said following the start of the pandemic last year, “Jamaica and the Tourist Board created more comment on the destination than we have ever created at any other time in our history and we did that deliberately because we needed to make sure that as we traverse the pandemic and come out of it, that we were in a position to present Jamaica in a way that would continue to drive that demand forward.”

Edelweiss is recognized as the leading Swiss leisure travel airline, with flights from Zurich to over 70 destinations.

Meanwhile, the Sangster International Airport is again buzzing with activity with the addition of several new flights into Jamaica.

Chief Executive Officer of MBJ Airports Ltd., Shane Munroe says tourism recovery is underway with operations at the airport moving from 30 percent in January to over 70 percent at the end of June, when compared to 2019 and “for the summer the prospect looks good mostly from the United States.” He added that some 80 percent of the airport’s workforce is back on the job.

He said June was a strong month with over 200,000 passengers arriving at the airport and a greater number is expected for July and August, the peak summer months, “and the outlook for the winter season is positive. Right now we don’t have the European flight coming in so when you add the flights from TUI, flights from Canada which are slowly coming back, the UK as well, certainly the recovery is well on its way.”