Minister Bartlett Welcomes Heartfelt Apology

KINGSTON, Jamaica; February 16, 2021:  Chief Executive Officer of JetBlue Airways, Robin Hayes, issued a personal apology to the Jamaican Government and the people of Jamaica earlier today, following the recent controversial actions of one of the company’s employees. Mr. Hayes conveyed his sentiments during a phone call with Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, who has welcomed the apology.

“I was very heartened by the discussion I had with Mr. Hayes earlier today. His apology to our Prime Minister; the Government; members of the tourism team and the people of Jamaica, for the concern and frustration the incident has caused, was well received. We know that the actions of the employee are in no way a reflection of the standards of Jetblue,” said Bartlett.

“We look forward to strengthening our relationship with the airline moving forward, as JetBlue remains a valued tourism partner,” he added.

“Jamaica remains a premier destination and we will continue to provide the world class service and tourism product, which have allowed Jamaica to become the destination of choice for millions of visitors from across the globe. We will also continue to work along with Jetblue and all our other committed tourism partners in building brand Jamaica,” Minister Bartlett expressed.

During the discussions, it was also highlighted that the crewmember has been suspended while the company continues its investigation. 

KINGSTON, Jamaica; February 15, 2021:  Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett is calling on private sector interests to take greater advantage of the growing rum tourism niche market, in order to generate higher growth rates in both visitor arrivals and earnings for Jamaica, in the post-COVID-19 era.

“Rum tourism is on the rise as a growing number of travellers make distilleries and rum festivals central to their holiday itineraries, and Jamaica has an excellent rum product – premium brands and historic distilleries. Taking greater advantage of this trend will allow us to generate higher growth rates in both visitor arrivals and earnings,” said Bartlett.

“It is an opportunity for us to tap into that part of the international market that is excited about rum consumption, and plays perfectly into Jamaica’s strength as a global leader in premium rums,” he added.

“Down the road, when the pandemic is behind us and travel restrictions lifted, I would like to see the creation of a thematic rum route that takes visitors on a sensory journey to all of the island’s distilleries, where they can immerse themselves in our fascinating rum heritage while enjoying our award-winning spirits,” Mr. Bartlett expressed. 

Minister Bartlett also believes that the rum tourism offering can be marketed as a multi-destination experience that would allow travellers to enjoy “Havana Club in Cuba, Mount Gay Eclipse Gold in Barbados, and our world-famous Appleton right here in Jamaica. The Caribbean is widely recognized as the birthplace of rum; let us use this to our advantage.”

The Minister was speaking recently during the virtual launch of the third staging of the Jamaica Rum Festival, which is slated to take place on March 27. Appleton Estate will be staging the annual event in partnership with the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

The Jamaica Rum Festival event will be staged digitally this year, in adherence to COVID-19 protocols and will include trade education seminars, entertainment, virtual rum tours and exhibits.

“By pivoting to the digital space, we get to share Jamaica’s excellence in rum, food, art and music with a much larger global audience of rum enthusiasts, producers and industry professionals. I am sure many overseas patrons watching online will be enticed to come here as soon as possible for a taste of Jamaica’s rum culture,” said Minister Bartlett.

Bartlett Leads Regional Discussion on Action Plan for the Recovery of Travel Industry

KINGSTON, Jamaica; February 12, 2021: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett yesterday chaired the third meeting of a high-level Organization of American States (OAS) Working Group that is currently developing an action plan, for the recovery of the cruise and airline industries, which have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Recovery should be focused on tapping into existing resiliency practices, including long-term national development plans, and devising innovative strategies to improve resilience in these industries and the wider travel and tourism sector,” said Bartlett.

He also shared a detailed 3-step plan, which included ensuring that the industries are protocol compliant; restore customer confidence to attract the new Generation C (Gen C) market; and increase sharing of technology and information across borders.

Expounding on the strategy for destinations, airlines and cruise to be protocol-compliant and ready to welcome customers, Minister Bartlett said “there are opportunities, notwithstanding the difference in operations and destinations, for synergies in effective science-based protocols that restore the safety, security and seamlessness in travel and stays for tourists.”

He noted that once the industries are protocol-compliant, robust marketing campaigns should then be implemented.

“More strategic and sensitive marketing campaigns to acknowledge the global shift and to offer a well needed escape will be key… Multi-destination agreements and arrangements can also be used to provide greater value to the traveller, particularly travellers from long haul destinations, could be considered,” he said.

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 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.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; February 09, 2021: Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett has lauded Marriott and Sunwing Travel Group on their new marketing deal, which will double Marriott’s all-inclusive portfolio, including properties in countries such as Jamaica and Costa Rica. Minister Bartlett welcomed the agreement, which he believes is a significant show of confidence in the full recovery of the regional tourism industry in the Caribbean and Central America.

Under this new arrangement, 19 of Sunwing’s 44 resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean, including Planet Hollywood and Royalton hotels, will join Marriott’s Autograph Collection brand in the first quarter of 2021.

“I would like to congratulate Marriott and the Sunwing Group on their ground-breaking marketing deal, which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on tourism in Jamaica, and other destinations within the Caribbean and Central America,” Minister Bartlett said.

“This show of confidence in the region is an indication that these large tourism players expect to see a significant increase in travel to our respective destinations. It also highlights the confidence tourism partners have in Jamaica and the All Inclusive product, that even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are willing to undertake deals involving properties in Jamaica and other destinations,” added Mr. Bartlett.

He underscored that “Jamaica stands to benefit greatly from this deal, as the Royalton properties located on the island will now be marketed to a larger customer base, including the 145 million members of Marriott’s Bonvoy loyalty program.”

“We look forward to welcoming a large number of visitors who will undoubtedly select Jamaica as their destination of choice, through this marketing arrangement. The Ministry of Tourism and its agencies will continue, with the support of our stakeholders, to build out an infrastructure that enables visitors to enjoy an experience that is safe, seamless and secure,” said the Minister.

Marriott said the move would double its presence in the all-inclusive segment to 33 properties by 2025 and would specifically affect hotels in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Costa Rica, as well as St. Lucia and Antigua. It was also outlined that under the agreement Sunwing retains ownership of the hotels.

WORTHY PARK, St Catherine, Jamaica; Monday, February 8, 2021: Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett has revealed that steps are currently being taken to ‘reset’ the tourism sector to ensure that it benefits even more Jamaicans and fuels greater economic growth, whenever the sector rebounds from the impact of COVID-19. Mr. Bartlett adds that the Ministry of Tourism has embarked upon a series of consultations with key stakeholders, aimed at maximizing the opportunity to reorganize the local tourism industry.

“I think that this is a good moment for Jamaica to really reset tourism so that we become a more inclusive industry, and the flow-through effect on the economy that tourism has the capacity to provide, is then realized,” said Minister Bartlett.

Mr. Bartlett outlined that the tourism ministry is currently in dialogue with JAMPRO regarding the initiative, adding that he has also had discussions with his colleague, Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Aubyn Hill. Minister Bartlett noted that the discussions are intended “to look at how we start that whole arrangement, first of all to have an analysis of the supply side and then the demand side.”

In resetting the tourism industry, Minister Bartlett said after making a determination on what is required to satisfy demand and supply, “the next move will be to the financial and technical markets and we acquire that technology and we bring that to bear, to enable us to create that capability.”

He said the downturn created by the COVID-19 pandemic had provided the opportunity to give the global tourism industry a new start and to take it to a higher level than where it was, having peaked at a 60 percent occupancy rate for some countries but not Jamaica.

“This is the opportunity for us to do that. I want to continue this debate and in fact I am going to have a paper done on this reset of the tourism industry and we begin to talk with our partners so that there’s an understanding of what needs to be done in the next six months or so, as we try to reposition tourism as a true driver of the economy and as a means by which a far greater number of our Jamaican people will realize their true potential,” said Minister Bartlett.

Mr. Bartlett’s disclosure of the latest tourism initiative was made following an extensive tour of the 350-year-old Worthy Park Estate, which has developed a tour that adds to Destination Jamaica’s product offering and has been appealing to both locals and visitors.

Commenting on the Worthy Park Rum Tour, Mr. Bartlett described it as “a first class tour.” It covers all aspects of the process that goes into producing some of Jamaica’s finest rums for the local and export markets, from the sprawling cane fields spanning 10,000 acres, through distillery and aging.

Minister Bartlett said tours like these were a big part of the tourism product “because people come to fulfil their passions and they have passion points relating to all sorts of activities in life, and certainly rums and spirits have been a huge part of the consumption pattern of visitors for many centuries.” He stated that the three most consumed liquids worldwide were water, coffee and rum, in that order.

With rum accounting for 65 percent of alcoholic based liquids consumed: “A rum tour with a Jamaican rum experience provides an opportunity for us to tap into that part of the market that is excited by rum consumption,” said Minister Bartlett.

It was outlined that the rum tour had a soft opening prior to the onset of the pandemic and welcomed some 1,000 tourists, and since reopening in May has been seeing mostly locals. Mr. Bartlett, accompanied by Director of the Tourism Linkages Network, Mrs. Carolyn McDonald-Riley, was escorted on the tour by Managing Director and CEO of Worthy Park, Gordon Clarke and members of his team.

FALMOUTH, Trelawny, Jamaica; February 2, 2021: Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett has revealed that more than 60 small and medium sized entrepreneurs are set to reap economic benefits whenever normalcy returns to the tourism sector, as they are slated to secure coveted shop spaces at the modern artisan village being created in Falmouth, Trelawny.

He said work was ongoing with various partners to bring back tourism to the Georgian town as quickly as possible and it is anticipated that when cruise shipping returns the pioneer tenants will be in place to offer a unique experience.

The Ministry of Tourism, through the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), is covering the construction cost for the Artisan Village and Minister Bartlett was recently updated on its progress during a visit with a technical team. The construction is being overseen by the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) on whose property it is being built, in close proximity to the Falmouth Cruise Ship Pier.

The $750 million earmarked for the artisan village programme is providing 64 shops and facilities for food and entertainment as well as artisans at work. Mr. Bartlett believes “it is an investment well worth it. It will be the first of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean and is going to enable us to have space for production and marketing, with a mix of cultural assets that Jamaica has, to be presented to the visitors when they come here.”

“It is very important that we have artisans here so that when the visitors come, they can have a design that they give to an artisan, proceed on their tour and on their return collect a truly authentic finished product to take onboard the ship with them,” said Minister Bartlett.

He sees this as a good marketing tool with visitors leaving with an authentic piece of Jamaica that will serve as a lasting symbol of their visit, while creating a desire among family and friends to also enjoy the unique experience that the destination provides.

“We want to be an integral part of that experience that is transmissible to the wider world through the people who come with items of jewelry, fashion and craft that will be made at the village and shown to a wider audience when they are worn by the purchasers, or presented as gifts,” he stated.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic causing some disruption in the construction industry, early imposition of safety protocols allowed for work to continue on site, but at a slower pace to ensure conformity.

The artisan village will carry a theme as “we’re making this into a really iconic attraction by itself,” said Minister Bartlett who outlined that “we are pulling on our culture, focusing on the history of the Falmouth area by characterizing its myths and storylines.”

While small and medium entrepreneurs will occupy the facility, management is also seen as an important factor. Minister Bartlett said “we’re going to go to the market for good managers for the project overall” as the government expects it to be properly and effectively managed and not go to waste. He expects that the tenants will also manage their areas effectively and grow their businesses.

ST. ANN, Jamaica; February 1, 2021: Small entrepreneurs in the tourism and agriculture sectors are receiving well needed assistance under a J$52.46 million initiative, developed to assist them in recovering from the economic ravages of COVID-19. The assistance is being provided under the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI II), which has seen the implementation of a special COVID-19 Resilience and Capacity Building sub-project for Agriculture and Community Tourism Enterprises.

Funded by the World Bank and administered by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) the REDI II programme will benefit some 1,660 farmers, community tourism service providers, RADA Extension Officers, Ministry of Tourism staff, TPDCo trainers and regional staff, in addition to an estimated 18,000 indirect beneficiaries.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has welcomed the programme, which is aimed at assisting in safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of rural folk working in community tourism and agricultural enterprises. He along with Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Floyd Green; Chairman of JSIF, Dr. Wayne Henry and other stakeholders, handed out packages of products procured for the beneficiaries during a ceremony held at Grizzly’s Plantation Cove, St. Ann recently.

Minister Bartlett said: “I’m also pleased to see that among the objectives of REDI II is the provision of medical grade Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as prescribed by the Ministry of Tourism’s COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols. PPEs to include face masks, face shields, no contact hand-held thermometers, hand sanitizer dispenser, 62% alcohol-based gel hand sanitizer.”

Mr. Bartlett added that: “What this REDI II programme is seeking to do is to build our capacity to respond to the disruptions that the pandemic will cause, also to manage, to recover and to thrive. And that is the essence of what is going to make Jamaica stand out in the end.” For its part, tourism’s role “is to create the framework for the farmer to operate by enabling a market that will be able to respond to the production levels that he is going to produce,” he explained.

The tourism ministry is also playing a leading role in enabling the community tourism enterprises and farmers to withstand the dislocation caused by COVID-19, by fostering adherence to established protocols on their properties and in marketing their produce to the hospitality sector. The Tourism Product Development Company and the Tourism Enhancement Fund are partners in executing this aspect of the multi-million dollar project.

Minister Bartlett described the REDI II programme, which will involve ago-tourism experiences, as “a God-send in a time like this,” adding that “it is going to create and build experiential tourism through agriculture.”

Meanwhile, commenting on the way forward for the tourism sector post-COVID-19, Mr. Bartlett disclosed that the Ministry of Tourism was in resetting mode. “We are resetting tourism to make it more responsive, more inclusive and to make it more relevant to the average, ordinary Jamaican in the country,” he explained.

Accordingly, the relationship between agriculture and tourism is to be enhanced. He said 42% of the expenditure of every visitor was on food but while a study revealed that the demand for agricultural produce amounted to J$39.6 billion, “of that we are only supplying about 20%, so we have a long way to go, a lot more to be done as there is capacity here, scope for more production and for more idle hands to be absorbed into dealing with idle lands.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 29, 2021: Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett has expressed deep regret at the passing of tourism and transportation pioneer, Ralph Smith.

“I was very saddened to learn about the passing of Ralph Smith. We will never forget his kindness and invaluable contributions. On behalf of the Government of Jamaica, I offer my sincere condolences to the entire Smith family. I pray that the love of those around you will provide some comfort and support during this period of grief,” said Minister Bartlett.

Smith is considered by many in the industry as a pioneer of modern ground transportation. He founded Tropical Tours, which is one of the largest transportation companies in the island's tourism sector, more than 45 years ago.

He is also credited for introducing several leading international tour operators to the island such as First Choice/ TUI, Hotel Plan, Maxi Tours and Maxi Coverage Company Sun Wing.

“Mr. Smith was a brilliant businessman. His passion for tourism and the transportation industry is truly unmatched. I am certain his legacy will live on for years to come. I pray that his soul will be at peace with our Heavenly Father,” said Mr. Bartlett.

For his contribution to the development of tourism in Jamaica, he was in 2005 bestowed the Order of Distinction. He is also a Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) Lifetime Achievement awardee and his company, Tropical Tours, has received a number of awards from the JHTA over the years.  

Smith is a former member of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and a past president of the Jamaica Association of Tour Operators (JATO).

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 28, 2021: Prime Minister, Andrew Holness and Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett have welcomed the latest investment of just under US$1.5 million in the tourism sector’s latest innovative attraction, the Red Stripe Experience at Ricks Café, Negril.

Ground was broken yesterday (January 27), for the iconic experience, which is slated to be ready for the leisure market in October 2021, offering an interactive audio-visual tour that captures the history of two world renowned brands, the acclaimed Red Stripe Beer and the award-winning Rick’s Café, interwoven into Jamaica’s exciting cultural mix.

In welcoming the investment, Prime Minister Holness urged tourism interests to make similar cash injections to improve their existing properties, amid the current COVID-19 pandemic. “It is also the time to look at your plant and get it up to scratch. Now is the time to do all those physical changes to the plant that you couldn’t do while you have guests,” he expressed. 

Minister Bartlett indicates that he is particularly pleased with investments such as that being made by Red Stripe, which will capitalize on the island’s natural assets by leveraging its culture and heritage to tell the authentic Jamaican story.  “Attractions like these will get visitors out of the hotels to experience the real Jamaica,” he outlined.

Welcoming the ground-breaking for the Red Stripe Experience at Rick’s Café as an example of the vision and investor confidence needed to jumpstart Jamaica’s post-COVID-19 recovery, Minister Bartlett said the pandemic-induced crisis was severely testing resilience across all sectors of the economy. However, he says there was a choice in facing this major test, of either being defeated or rising to the challenge.

Pre-pandemic the tourism industry was experiencing record growth, being responsible for 9.5% of GDP in 2019, contributing 50% of foreign exchange earnings and generating some 354,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs. “The Jamaica Tourist Board’s preliminary figures for 2020 indicate that we welcomed 1,297,094 visitors, comprising of 847,823 stopover arrivals and 449,271 cruise passenger arrivals, which brought in some US$1.3 billion in earnings. This represents just a fraction of 2019’s 4.3 million visitors and US$3.7 billion in earnings,” he emphasized.

“Despite the pandemic-induced setbacks, there is no doubt that the tourism players have an unwavering desire to bounce back. It is going to be a slow and arduous process, but we are doing everything we possibly can to get the tourism industry fully back on track, more hotels and attractions open and more workers back on the job,” assured Minister Bartlett.

Mr. Bartlett said the pandemic had forced a rethink of strategies and charting of a new course towards effective recovery and sustainable development.

“Investment will be key to our recovery effort as we seek to uncover hidden opportunities in tourism amid the COVID-era economic crisis. I am therefore pleased that investors continue to show confidence in the Jamaican tourism market and are finishing projects already started,” he said.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 22, 2021: Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett has revealed that Jamaica has bolstered its COVID-19 testing infrastructure to meet the growing demand for such tests, driven by new travel requirements in major tourism source markets.

“Jamaica is now very ready. We have developed the infrastructure to secure the quantities of testing agents and/or to enable the viral testing methods that are approved by the relevant authorities. So, all visitors who come to Jamaica will be able to access approved testing arrangements to enable them to fulfil the requirements of their respective countries for re-entry,” said Minister Bartlett.

This follows the recent order by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which requires evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result for airline passengers travelling into the United States. Similar requirements were previously introduced by the governments of Canada and the UK, which require all persons flying to those countries to present negative test results to facilitate entry or to avoid self-quarantine.

The Minister underscored that the improvements to the testing framework was being driven by the special task force he recently developed to spearhead efforts to boost Jamaica’s COVID-19 testing capacity. The group has also created a system which will make the process easier for visitors.

“The task force has done quite a lot of work. Which includes taking steps to assess and determine the capacity to respond to the need for testing of all visitors going back to their country and I am pleased to say that that work is completed. We are able to report positively that the labs are all accredited and resourced,” the Minister outlined.

“We have also established two redundancy arrangements. They are located at sites close to both international airports in Montego Bay and Kingston,” said Minister Bartlett.

Testing facilities are also in place at all of the country’s major hotels and transportation arrangements are in place to facilitate the movement of visitors to the closest testing centre, if one is not available on property.  Visitors will also have the option to pay for the tests prior to their arrival at the facilities.

The Minister also shared that a policy is being developed for visitors who test positive ahead of their departure from the island. “For visitors who test positive, we have a positive care programme that is being structured. The hotels will be the first responders by allowing the visitors to stay on property in a designated area throughout the period, especially if they are asymptomatic, to fulfil the requirements to enable them to go back home,” he said.

The Minister also explained that the new travel requirements are burdensome. “These new requirements are very challenging and we are already hampered by the existing protocols. The new ones only add to that burden. It is moving costs up and reducing volumes in, and will have implications in terms of the viability of some of the entities. However, what it is not affecting is the quality and high experience level that Jamaica offers.  We are still the finest destination to visit,” said the Minister.

The special task force is led by Minister Bartlett and includes President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Clifton Reader; First Vice President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) and former President of the JHTA, Nicola Madden-Greig; Chairman of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Ian Dear; Deputy Chairman of the Sandals Group and Chairman of the Tourism Linkages Network Council, Adam Stewart; Executive Director of Chukka Caribbean Adventures and Chairman of the COVID-19 resilient corridor management team, John Byles; and Senior Advisor and Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright.

This task force works along with the Ministry of Health and Wellness and tourism stakeholders, both within the public and private sectors.

Visitors are encouraged to check the Jamaica Tourist Board’s website (www.visitjamaica.com) as well as the website of the Ministry of Health and Wellness (www.moh.gov.jm) for updates on the testing arrangements and approved testing facilities.