KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 21, 2021: Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett has announced that Jamaica is set to benefit from a major donation from global cruise company, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), to assist in the island’s COVID-19 recovery effort.

In making his 2021 sectoral presentation in parliament yesterday, Minister Bartlett disclosed that NCL has agreed to give Jamaica US$1 million to be utilised in its COVID-19 recovery programme, which entails providing well-needed assistance in building out the health infrastructure needed to facilitate the return of cruise tourism in a safe and seamless manner.

Minister Bartlett said “let me thank Norwegian Cruise Lines for the planned donation of US$1 million or approximately J$150 million to the Government of Jamaica to assist with our COVID-19 management efforts.”

He added that: “They fully understand that the loss of tourism has resulted in significant economic hardship and that, along with the imminent return of cruising this summer, will provide much needed relief to the families, communities and small businesses who are extremely dependent on the tourism industry.”

It was also revealed that the cruise line is also donating US$500,000 to the volcano affected island of St. Vincent & The Grenadines.

Minister Bartlett highlighted that the return of cruise shipping is expected to provide a much-needed boost to the economy and that over the past two years, government has spent billions of dollars upgrading and developing the ports in Ocho Rios, Falmouth and more recently Port Royal, to enhance the country’s capacity to welcome more of the world’s large cruise ships. 

While expressing confidence in the return of cruise tourism the Minister said “I want to assure this Honourable House that we are also putting protocols in place that will ensure that it will not only be a lucrative endeavour but one that is safe and seamless too.”

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; April 11, 2021: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is expressing satisfaction with the build out of the Montego Bay Convention Centre (MBCC) as a COVID-19 vaccination site.  

In a tour of the MBBC yesterday (April 10), the Minister highlighted that: “The size of the MBCC has made it possible to outfit the space to accommodate well needed vaccinations. The MBCC is a public body of the Ministry of Tourism, therefore I am pleased that we are able to provide support for the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ drive to get more people vaccinated and help reduce the spread of the disease.” 

Some of the persons who opted to get vaccinated at the MBCC included many tourism workers in and around the area.  

“The MBCC is also an ideal location for tourism workers, who are in the heart of tourism activities, to get vaccinated. This is very promising as we are encouraging all tourism workers to make the choice to be vaccinated, to protect themselves, their families and guests,” said the Minister.  

Jamaica began its COVID-19 vaccination programme last month and will receive more vaccines in tranches.  

“Jamaica is a very tourism dependent country, and the quicker we are able to get more people vaccinated the quicker we can begin our recovery as confidence in travel will increase. We want our tourism workers to remain safe once the sector begins to boom again, and getting vaccinated is a big step towards that,” added Minister Bartlett.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 7, 2021: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has outlined that Jamaica recorded a major increase in stopover arrivals over the Easter holiday weekend, with the island recording the highest number of visitor’s since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“According to preliminary data from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), Jamaica recorded some 14,983 visitors to the island from April 1 to 5, 2021. Over thirteen thousand of these visitors entered the island via the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay,” the Minister explained.

He indicated that year to date, Jamaica has welcomed some 209,930 passengers to the island, 164,157 of which were tourists.

“I am very heartened by the data we have received, as it shows that Jamaica is still top-of-mind to our visitors and that we are making steady progress towards a full recovery of our sector. I commend the team at the Jamaica Tourist Board, for their aggressive and innovative marketing campaigns, which have clearly been impactful. Special commendation must also be given to our tourism partners and stakeholders for the hard work they also do in marketing Brand Jamaica to the world,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Minister also noted that representatives of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) and other Government entities, visited a number of properties over the holiday-weekend to inspect entities and also check for compliance, by locals and visitors alike, with COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

“We are happy to share that the reports received by the Ministry indicate that there was strong compliance with the protocols, as players in the sector enforced strict COVID-19 measures over the holiday weekend, despite the high occupancy in most properties. I must therefore laud our stakeholders for ensuring that their guests had a safe yet memorable experience,” Bartlett expressed.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 6, 2021: Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett has revealed that Jamaica has finalized arrangements with global cruise company, Norwegian Cruise Line, to homeport one of their vessels in Montego Bay, with service set to begin on August 7, 2021.

“I am very pleased to announce that Jamaica will be a homeport for Norwegian Cruise Line, which will see the return of cruise tourism to Jamaican waters in August. We look forward to welcoming them back to our shores, and I am confident that this important partnership will aid in our effort to rebuild our tourism sector and boost our economy overall,” said Bartlett.

“While we know there are some concerns about the safety of the cruise industry at this time. We want to assure the public that the cruise lines are adhering to strict COVID-19 safety protocols. We have also been working tirelessly to develop the necessary policy and strategic frameworks, which will ensure that this will be a safe, seamless and secure experience, which will be mutually beneficial,” he added.

The Norwegian Joy is the vessel which will be used to transport passengers embarking from Jamaica, and the itineraries will include 7-day packages sailing out of Montego Bay.

“Ultimately, the vessel, which has an occupancy of approximately 3,800, will operate at 50% capacity, in keeping with current COVID-19 protocols in place for the cruise shipping industry.  Passengers will also be required to be fully vaccinated and take a test prior to boarding the ship,” Minister Bartlett explained.

With this announcement, Jamaica now joins a number of other Caribbean destinations that will be homeports for leading cruise lines.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. is a leading international cruise company which operates several brands, including the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. With a combined fleet of 28 ships with approximately 59,150 berths, these brands offer itineraries to more than 490 destinations globally. The Company is slated to introduce nine additional ships through 2027.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 30, 2021: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has cautioned global leaders that any requirement for proof of vaccination for travel, which does not take into account the unequal access and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally, could be considered discriminatory. 

The Minister made his comments in his capacity as Chair of the Organization of American States (OAS), Inter-American Committee on Tourism (CITUR) Working Group 4, which was developed to create a recovery action plan for the airline and cruise industries.

Speaking recently during the group’s third virtual meeting, Minister Bartlett said: “Effective management of COVID-19 and recovery of the global economy requires a concerted and collaborative effort from all member states. We need to move together on this or else we risk a deterioration of the situation in developing countries, the effects of which will inevitably spread to neighbours in the region and beyond.”

“This is the first step in ensuring that inequity in the distribution of vaccines does not hinder the restart of tourism and related services. Any requirement for proof of vaccination for travel which does not take into account this reality could very well be considered discriminatory,” he added.

He urged members to consider all the implications that a vaccine passport could have, primarily on  tourism-dependent countries. Therefore it is pertinent for the Americas to be a strong voice in introducing the recovery recommendations that will work for the region.

“There can hardly be a harmonised position for digital passports and other bio-sanitary protocols when some countries and regions lag dramatically behind in their health response systems, including the vaccination process. If we remain committed to leaving no one behind, we are best positioned to move farther ahead,” said the Minister.

Bartlett also called for an expeditious review and approval process to facilitate quicker roll-out of safe and effective vaccines. He said “there have been reports of vaccines being administered which have not met with widespread acceptance and the World Health Organization (WHO) has a role to play as the global norm and standard setting specialized agency of the UN on public health matters.”

According to CITUR, the objective of the special meeting was to provide a space for a discussion on the key parameters necessary for resuming activity in the tourism sector in the region. The intent of the meeting was to work towards building consensus regarding coordination of actions among countries to engender confidence on the part of travellers, to ensure that the tourism sector in the Americas returns at least to its pre-COVID-19 path.

The output of the working group will be delivered for the consideration of the XXV Inter-American Congress of Ministers and High-Level Authorities of Tourism in October 2021.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 29, 2021: The Ministry of Tourism, through its Tourism Linkages Network, will host its highly anticipated annual Speed Networking event on Wednesday, March 31, using a virtual format to connect local suppliers directly with key buyers in the tourism sector.

The event, which was scheduled for its sixth staging on March 12 last year, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the organizers will be facilitating the event this year using a virtual platform, as participants will engage each other via the event’s website:  www.tlnspeednetworking.com. 

“I am pleased that after a one-year pandemic-induced hiatus, this important tourism linkages event is back on the calendar, albeit in a virtual format.  If past successes are anything to go by, this year’s business networking mixer will be both productive and profitable for all participants,” said Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett.

“Of the 110 suppliers who participated in Speed Networking 2019, the 40% that responded to requests for information, reported receiving contracts valued at some $49.5 million,” he added.

The Speed Networking event, facilitates a series of 15 minute pre-scheduled meetings between senior representatives of local supplier companies and senior representatives of tourism entities such as hotels, restaurants and attractions.

“Speed Networking is just one of the many successful linkages initiatives ensuring that a significant amount of the products utilized in the tourism sector are either grown or manufactured right here in Jamaica. In this way, tourism is driving positive change by creating employment and injecting revenue into our communities, while providing new economic opportunities for local businesses,” said the Minister.

The event is led by the Tourism Linkages Network, which is a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF); in collaboration with the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA); Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA); Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO); Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC).

“Undertakings, such as Speed Networking provide resilience, hope and optimism for the future of our tourism sector and the businesses that support it, even in the face of current disruptions,” expressed Bartlett.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 26, 2021: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is urging global and regional policymakers to utilize new approaches, partnerships and a strong multi-level response to aid in the sector’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that this strategy will ensure that the tourism sector becomes more resilient, sustainable, inclusive and competitive.

Speaking recently during the Caribbean Infrastructure Forum (CARIF), Bartlett said: “While historically, tourism has shown a strong ability to adapt, innovate and recover from adversity, this unprecedented situation requires new approaches and a strong multi-level response and partnership to achieve some of our loftier recovery goals.”

He also noted that, “policymakers, industry leaders, investors, financial institutions and providers of innovative solutions will be required to collaborate more closely to boost and ensure the required investments to build the infrastructure that will facilitate sustainable tourism and sustainable energy consumption in the tourism sector.”

According to Minister Bartlett the transition to sustainable tourism, will also depend on whether the development of tourism is guided by a national strategy comprising policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks with sufficient incentives to stimulate the development of supply and productive capacity where sustainable goods and services are concerned.

“This approach to sustainable tourism must also be considered from a regional standpoint as well and should also incorporate strategies to fill gaps in the supply side of the equation in Caribbean tourism. Therefore Caribbean destinations need to take strategic steps to ensure that we retain more of the US dollars that flow into the region as a result of tourism,” he said.

He also recommended that more Caribbean destinations utilize the Tourism Linkages Network model, which Jamaica has successfully developed to enhance the synergies between tourism and other sectors, such as manufacturing, agriculture and entertainment. 

“Our Tourism Linkages Network has yielded great success and serves as a prime example of what can be achieved if a robust framework is put in place to strengthen linkages between tourism and other key sectors. The end result will be the development of a more inclusive tourism sector across the region; greater economic growth and job creation; as well as the retention of more of our tourism earnings,” said the Minister.

He also recommended that the region consider a multi-destination marketing approach to aid in the Caribbean’s recovery from the pandemic. Noting that implementing strong multi-destination marketing frameworks “will help to drive the supply side of the equation and create even greater opportunities for companies within the region to meet the significant demands of tourism on a regional scale.” 

The Caribbean Infrastructure Forum (CARIF 2021), now in its fifth year, is being hosted virtually from March 24-26. The event will convene the region’s public sector, utilities, financiers, project sponsors and investors to map out the region’s infrastructure needs, foster new relationships, and introduce Caribbean projects to international sources of expertise and financing.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 25, 2021: Starting April 2021, the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) will be offering, mostly free of charge, four American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) certified courses online, to members of the tourism and hospitality sector. This was revealed recently by Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, during the third JCTI Lecture Series, which focused on ‘Tourism & the Law: The Employers’ Duty of Care.’

The courses will include Certified Hospitality Supervisor / Certified Spa Supervisor; Customer Service Gold; Certified Restaurant Server and ServSafe. 

 “I am happy to share that the JCTI is taking steps to move most of its certification programmes online and the AHLEI is in the process of upgrading its website to accommodate more online presentations,” said Minister Bartlett.

Further, the JCTI is offering several middle management certification programmes, to include: Certified Food and Beverage Executive (CFBE); Certified Hospitality Housekeeping Executive (CHHE); Certified Hospitality Trainer (CHT); and Certified Hotel Concierge (CHC).

“The JCTI, headed by CarolRose Brown, has been doing a first-rate job of facilitating the training and certification of the hospitality sector’s labour force as part of our commitment to developing Jamaica’s human capital.  This is critical to maintaining the success and competitiveness of our tourism industry, especially as the pandemic forces a tourism reset,” said the Minister.

The Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) is a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), an agency of the Ministry of Tourism. The JCTI is tasked with facilitating the development of Jamaica’s valuable human capital and supporting innovation for the tourism sector.

Since starting in 2018, the JCTI has facilitated the certification of some seven thousand one hundred and ninety-four (7,194) persons. This has been made possible through strategic partnerships with the Human Employment and Resource Training/National Service Training Agency Trust (HEART/NSTA Trust), Universal Service Fund (USF), National Restaurants Association (NRA), and the AHLEI. Currently, 45 candidates are preparing for their culinary arts certification offered by the American Culinary Federation (ACF).

The JCTI Lecture Series is a collaborative effort between the JCTI, and the University of the West Indies, and has been positively received by participants. The presentation on ‘Tourism & the Law: The Employers’ Duty of Care,’ was the third in the lecture series, and was delivered by attorney-at-law and Member of Parliament for Hanover Western, Tamika Davis.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; March 24, 2021: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that the $6 million tourism linkages backyard gardening project, which has been implemented by the Tourism Enhancement Fund, will be expanded across the island to enable even more Jamaicans to benefit from the tourism sector.

The project has already paved the way for ten young men and women to receive certification from the HEART/NSTA, as Certified Vegetable Farmers. They were presented with their certificates virtually in a graduation ceremony streamed live from the Montego Bay Convention Centre recently. The project has also opened up opportunities for them to earn an income by selling fresh vegetables to entities in the tourism industry.

Minister Bartlett and Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries, Hon Floyd Green lauded the initiative and the graduates for illustrating that backyard gardening in communities around hotels, has the potential to be a very successful venture, reaping financial gains from the tourism sector.

Mr. Bartlett highlighted that thousands of people at hotels eat millions of dollars worth of food, and the project was conceptualized to bring idle lands and idle hands in communities around hotels together, to generate economic gains. The idle hands would therefore be trained to grow and sell fresh vegetables to the hotels, allowing for the communities to benefit directly from tourism.

Minister Bartlett said this was in keeping with one of the roles of the Tourism Linkages Network “to connect those important moving parts of the tourism industry to then fit into a production function that enables a consumption pattern that will bring economic benefit to us as a people.”

He noted that Rose Hall, St James was chosen for the pilot project because of its capacity for the growing of winter vegetables and its proximity to the Iberostar Hotel, which was able to purchase a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables grown by young farmers in their backyards, and delivered on demand, thereby allowing them to go from farm to table in real time.

Mr. Bartlett said there was a niche market in tourism, of persons who want organic food. He added that, with the farm to table experience presenting a viable opportunity, the backyard gardening initiative will be expanded to other areas. He added that Sheffield in Westmoreland and areas in St Elizabeth have already been identified for participation in the project. “I want to use this graduation to spread the message across Jamaica, particularly around the tourism areas. I want to see these agricultural farms spring up in Negril, in Ocho Rios, in Port Antonio and on the South Coast,” he said, adding, “I want to bring more ordinary Jamaicans into the mainstream of providing on the supply side of tourism.”

He expressed government’s confidence “in the capacity of our people to supply on the demand that tourism brings.”

Minister Green welcomed the backyard gardening project as a meaningful addition to the drive for increased agricultural production and offered each graduate a contribution of $10,000 worth of inputs, such as planting materials and other items, to aid in building their capacity to produce.

The Lilliput backyard garden graduates have organized themselves into the Rosehall Agri-Ventures group. They have already earned from the production of crops such as sweet pepper, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, sweet basil and black mint, which they have sold to hotels.

The training components of the project were provided by: the College of Agriculture, Science & Education (CASE), which developed and delivered the home gardening training programme; Synergy Business Solutions, which looked at the business aspect in addition to planting for the farmers; and HEART/NSTA, which is responsible for Level 2 certification of the farmers as Certified Vegetable Producers.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 23, 2021:  Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers of Carnival in Jamaica will forego the annual road march and related activities for April 2021, until further notice.

“After a number of consultations with the relevant stakeholders, we can now announce that Jamaica will not be hosting Carnival in Jamaica in April this year. We strongly believe it is in the best interest of our people and will aid in the Government’s fight to preserve lives and livelihoods, as we continue to see an increase in cases due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Minister Bartlett.

“We are mindful of the significant economic loss this will have on our country, as this event generates billions annually, with many small and medium sized enterprises benefitting from the celebrations. However, despite the ongoing roll-out of vaccines, the Government of Jamaica must continue to put strong measures in place to prevent unnecessary exposure of our people and visitors, to the deadly disease,” he expressed.

Senior Advisor and Strategist, Delano Seiveright added that “the Ministry of Tourism has been in advanced dialogue with the organizers of carnival about introducing a bubble concept for Carnival in Jamaica 2021, within the Government’s wider discussions to reopen the events sector, as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Seiveright noted that: "The road parade was initially postponed in 2020, due to the threat of the spread of the novel coronavirus, with Sunday, April 11, 2021 announced as the new date. The decision to forego hosting the event in April this year was made after discussions with event organizers and Government officials and is in keeping with current COVID-19 containment measures."

Organizers have indicated that all bands and fetes will honour all tickets and costumes purchased in 2020 for the next staging.