MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; December 14, 2020: Three days ahead of the start of the traditional winter tourist season, Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett elatedly welcomed the return of British Airways flights to Montego Bay. The first fully loaded Boeing 777 flight, BA2265 from London Gatwick, touched down at the Sangster International Airport late Saturday afternoon (December 12).

Joining Minister Bartlett in welcoming the capacity 332 passengers, as well as Captain Graham Dawkins and the flight crew, were British High Commissioner to Jamaica, Asif Ahmad, Executive Director of Jamaica Vacations, Joy Roberts, Jamaica Tourist Board Regional Director, Odette Dyer and British Airways Commercial Manager Caribbean, Diane Corrie.

Returning after an absence of 11 years, it was outlined that the BA flight will operate for the winter season until April 17, 2021 with a capacity of 31 Club World (Business Class), 52 World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy) and 250 World Traveller (Economy) seats. Thereafter, it will be operating a twice weekly schedule with flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

“This is a very good sign because it is starting for us the recovery of the industry, and certainly the British market,” said Mr. Bartlett as the beat of drums mastered by the group Children of the Drums, filled the hallway. The mix of passengers included Brits and Jamaicans from the Diaspora.

He was also cognizant of the importance of the flight in gradually adding to the return of jobs displaced earlier this year by the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted, however, “as we are anxious and excited about the return to economic activities, we have to recognize the responsibility that we have to manage this pandemic and to comply with the protocols that have been established.”

Mr. Bartlett said all workers in the industry had a responsibility to protect themselves and for its part, the ministry had invested in providing protective equipment for them. Also, “all the hotels have been responding extremely well to the need for the COVID-19 infrastructure that will enable us to not only be compliant but to reduce to a minimal, if not to zero, the incidences of infection.”

Responsible management by the tourism sector has ensured that since reopening in June, “the incidence of infection has been very, very low, if not at zero and the resilience corridors that we have developed are an example to the world of how to create a bubble that will protect both locals and international visitors alike,” said Minister Bartlett.

 

High Commissioner Ahmad said the significance of British Airways coming back to Montego Bay, adding to existing flights into Kingston, was that Montego Bay is important to Britain, and indeed the other way around as well. “It is the kith and kin connections that we have with the 800,000 Jamaicans that we have living in the UK and the tourists who come here repeatedly and visit family and friends; that is important,” he said.

 

Mrs. Corrie said British Airways has been flying to Jamaica for over 70 years and was “absolutely delighted to be back in Montego Bay.” She said Jamaica had many attractive assets, including its warm weather that people in the UK and in Europe wanted to get out and experience.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; December 09, 2020: Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett has been selected to chair a high-level Organization of American States (OAS) Working Group, which has been charged with the development of an action plan, for the recovery of the cruise and airline industries in light of the fall-out caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Jamaica is very honoured to join these important discussions on the recovery of our tourism industry. As the newly appointed chairman of the Working Group focusing on cruise and airline recovery, we will seek to leverage the collective expertise of our members to find innovative solutions as we chart the way forward in this new normal,” said Minister Bartlett.

The working group is one of four announced during the 2nd special session of the Organization of American States (OAS) Inter-American Committee on Tourism (CITUR) held on 14 August, 2020, to facilitate the effective and timely recovery of the travel and tourism sectors.

Minister Bartlett was recently selected as Chairman of the Working Group and will convene the first meeting on 10 December, 2020 with representatives from the relevant member states, which include Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Peru and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

In preparation for this crucial meeting Minister Bartlett recently convened a national preparatory meeting with key stakeholders such as Professor Gordon Shirley, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Port Authority of Jamaica; Mr. Audley Deidrick, President & Chief Executive Officer of Airports Authority of Jamaica/Norman Manley International Airports Ltd.; and Mr. Shane Munroe, Chief Executive Officer at MBJ Airports Ltd., for their input.

Minister Bartlett explained that: “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.”

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; November 30, 2020:  Efforts by various government ministries and tourism partners to introduce robust COVID-19 health and safety protocols to facilitate the safe re-opening of the tourism sector, continue to bear fruit, as Jamaica has been named the World’s Leading Family, Cruise and Wedding Destination at the 27th annual World Travel Awards. Several leading Jamaican tourism entities have also won major accolades.

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, expressed appreciation for the accolades secured by the destination, stating: “We are indeed quite pleased that Jamaica has been recognized by the World Travel Awards for three top honours and that several local tourism entities have won big as well. This year has been a very challenging one and these awards are a testament to the hard work our industry has put in to safely re-open our destination with strict protocols to safeguard the health and well-being of our citizens, industry workers and visitors alike.”

“I was particularly heartened to learn that we received the World’s Leading Cruise Destination, as we are currently working with our regional and international stakeholders to see how we can safely re-start cruise, which is an integral part of the local economy,” he added.

The winners were announced at a virtual ceremony on November 27^th, 2020, from Moscow, after a one-year process of voting on the world’s top travel, tourism and hospitality brands.

During the virtual ceremony Graham Cooke, founder of the World Travel Awards, said the winners, “have all demonstrated remarkable resilience in a year of unprecedented challenges…The World Travel Awards 2020 programme received a record number of votes cast by the public. This shows that the appetite for travel has never been stronger. With hope with the tourism bounce on the horizon, our industry can look forward to a resurgent and bright future.”

This year, more than 270 nominations were put forward across categories including best hotels, airlines, tour operators, cities, resorts and attractions.

The awards won by Jamaica and its tourism partners at the World Travel Awards are:

-          World’s Leading Family Destination 2020 (Jamaica)

-          World’s Leading Cruise Destination 2020 (Jamaica) 

-          World’s Leading Wedding Destination 2020 (Jamaica)

-          World's Leading Luxury Hotel Villa 2020 (Fleming Villa at GoldenEye)

-          World's Leading Villa Resort 2020 (Round Hill Hotel & Villas)

-          World’s Leading All-Inclusive Company 2020 (Sandals Resorts International)

-          World's Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort Brand 2020 (Beaches Resorts)

-          World's Leading Caribbean Attraction Company 2020 (Island Routes Caribbean Adventures)

World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. It is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence. Its annual programme is renowned as the most prestigious and comprehensive in the global industry.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 26, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has lauded the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) for their new COVID-19 Ambassador Programme and has given his assurance that the Ministry of Tourism will continue to provide tangible support towards the initiative.

Speaking recently at the Kingston Launch of the initiative at R Hotel, the Minister said: “The celebration of the ambassador programme is a full statement of how responsible we are as an industry and how we are playing our part in this whole process of managing the risk.”

“This is the kind of response that a responsible partner makes. What has happened, starting in Ocho Rios a few weeks ago, is a tangible indication of the partnership that tourism has with health in the delivery of service in the public health system of Jamaica,” he added.

The JHTA COVID-19 Ambassador Programme, which was first launched last month at the Moon Palace Jamaica hotel in Ocho Rios, will continue to see hotel employees trained in the health and safety protocols for the tourism sector, going into communities where they live to train community members in the COVID-19 protocols such as proper handwashing techniques, social distancing, mask-wearing and sanitization.

Minister Bartlett indicated that the programme complements the measures and protocols implemented by the Ministry of Tourism working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health & Wellness and other government bodies and tourism partners.

Bartlett noted that his Ministry has donated masks towards the initiative and has also engaged in a public education campaign to support the JHTA’s ambassador programme.

“The Ministry is fully behind the ambassador Programme. TPDCo is already on board and TEF has provided 10,000 masks and we are in the position to provide 10,000 more.  Our own workers in the tourism ministry and agencies are willing to walk with you in the field as we make this one work. Public education not just by words but by being proactive and by practice,” said Minister Bartlett.

The JHTA’s COVID-19 Ambassador Programme will also be launched in Montego Bay, Negril and the South Coast in the weeks to come.

“Every individual who is involved in this industry must embrace this, and let us go out into the hinterlands. Let’s go into the alleys and into the hills and the valleys and all across Jamaica carrying this message, that the only way we can secure the economy of Jamaica and secure the health of our people is through abiding by the protocols that have been established,” said the Minister.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; November 19, 2020: Health and wellness tourism has been identified as a key area that will help to drive growth in Jamaica’s tourism industry moving forward, in light of the new norm created in the global travel and hospitality market, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This position was outlined by Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett at the opening of the two-day Jamaica Health and Wellness Tourism Conference now underway at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. This is the second such conference being hosted by the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), and with physical attendance restricted by COVID-19 protocols, this year’s event is being streamed live to online participants.

Minister Bartlett said: “Health and Wellness will become one of the key cornerstones for destination differentiation in our tourism marketing. This is primarily because the new demographic emerging, Gen C, are going to be the new drivers of travel and they are going to require destinations that have strong health security properties.”

He noted that the Jamaican people are key players in the new thrust. “This is one of the reasons why we are going to be focusing heavily on building the capacity of our people to better take care of themselves and also to provide those elements of care that are going to be fitting the need that the visitors have when they come to the country,” said the Tourism Minister.

He proffered that the coronavirus pandemic has provided a new opportunity in the health and wellness tourism arena while also creating great demand for the island to be more pristine by making a greater investment in destination assurance. “Jamaica is going to have to establish itself as a destination where the confidence that the visitor wants, that he is going to be safe and secure, and he will have a seamless experience, is never second guessed,” underscored Minister Bartlett.

He says Jamaica’s tourism marketing will focus heavily on that as it seeks to woo back hundreds of thousands of visitors whose travel plans have been derailed since February this year by the pandemic. In that regard, Mr. Bartlett disclosed that an international team has begun work on Jamaica’s Destination Assurance Policy which will become the guiding light for the country’s own strategies to ensure better management of the destination.

The new tourism marketing thrust is supported by President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Clifton Reader who said “coming out of COVID-19 there will be a great demand, especially for older people travelling; they have the money to travel and they are going to bring their families, but, of course, they have preexisting conditions.”

Stating that health and wellness tourism was a very lucrative US billion dollar industry, Mr. Reader said: “When you look at the economic viability of this area, it is tremendous and Jamaica is so poised with all the facilities we have.” The JHTA president also said it was very important that through collaboration with government and private stakeholders, that the medical facilities within Jamaica be developed to attract more travellers.

Kingston, Jamaica; November 13, 2020: As part of efforts to encourage the adoption of national and international standards by spas across the island, the Tourism Linkages Network will be hosting a free two-day Spa Standards Workshop, beginning next Monday, November 16, 2020. The workshop will seek to sensitize the industry about the Linkages Network’s newly developed COVID-19 Safety Manual for Jamaican Spas, which is the first of its kind in the region.

The manual incorporates existing protocols for spas from the Ministry of Tourism’s COVID-19 protocol document as well as the standards outlined by the International Spa Association.

Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, highlighted that: “This year a record 498 persons have registered for the workshop, which will be streamed on the Tourism Enhancement Fund’s social media pages, on November 16 and 17.”

“This is a very important workshop which will include presentations on topics such as: ‘Visioning the Spa Industry through destination integrity and assurance,’ Understanding the requirements of the Spa Standard JS319, as well as a presentation on the new COVID-19 Safety Manual for Spas,” he explained.

The Ministry’s training arm, the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation, will also be collaborating on this initiative to offer Spa Certification training for qualified spa practitioners.

The Spa Standards and Certification programme began in 2017, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Jamaica Bureau of Standards and the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo). To date, over 250 stakeholders across the island have benefited.

The Tourism Linkages Network will also be hosting its second annual Jamaica Health and Wellness Tourism Conference from Wednesday, November 18 to Thursday, November 19 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, under the theme: “Reset, Reimagine, Restore”.

“The conference will bring together leaders in the health and wellness tourism industry from Jamaica, the Caribbean and around the world for one of the most important conferences on Jamaica’s tourism schedule. This year’s conference will be a hybrid event with limited in person attendance and live streaming via social media, which will bring the activity to the entire global wellness tourism community,” Minister Bartlett outlined. 

Additional information on both events can be accessed at: wellnessinja.com.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 13, 2020: Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett was yesterday awarded the prestigious Gusi Peace prize from the Gusi Foundation of Manila, Philippines.

“I’m greatly honoured to be considered by the esteemed Gusi Foundation in this critical period of global history. Certainly our work with regards to tourism and global resilience has made a mark. I think Jamaica, and certainly all of us who have been in the tourism management business in the island, can feel justly proud that we are being considered and our work is recognized well beyond our shores,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Gusi Foundation is a charitable organization, whose main objective is “to give proper recognition, through the conferment of awards of excellence and distinction, to individuals or groups worldwide who have distinguished themselves as brilliant exemplars of society.”

Specifically, the organisers have noted that these individuals or groups must make exemplary contributions to peace and human rights, in scientific discoveries, politics, academe, performing arts, literature, medicine or physiology, journalism, humanities, physics, chemistry, religion, business and philanthropy, economics and internationalism.

The Award is named after the late Captain Gemeniano Javier Gusi, a World War II veteran who fought against Japanese oppression and became a popular active advocate of human rights. 

It is deemed to approximate the honor and respect accorded to the Nobel Peace Prize of Norway, and the Pulitzer of the United States of America. 

“I am pleased to accept this award, though virtually, and it is my hope that I will be able to go next to receive it physically in Manilla. On behalf of all of us, this is indeed a very humbling but significant moment in my life and certainly for all of us in tourism,” said the Minister.

Bartlett joins distinguished past laureates such as Jamaican veteran advertiser and diplomat Arnold Foote Jr, who received the honour in 2010; Dr. Isaias Salas Hererra of Costa Rica who received the award in 2016; Jamaican Businessman, Lascelles Chin, awarded in 2017 and Jamaican Humanitarian, Father Richard Ryan Ho Lung, awarded in 2011.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 12, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett recently participated in a global ministerial panel discussion on rethinking the global travel and tourism industry with a comprehensive recovery plan, which encourages innovation and investment to rebuild destinations.

The discussions took place earlier this week during the annual International Tourism and Investment Conference in London, held in partnership with the World Travel Market (WTM), which took place on a virtual platform, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, consequent social distancing and global travel restrictions.

“The aspirational objectives of destinations for recovery in the   post-COVID era are increasingly being reflected in the rolling out of comprehensive recovery plans for the tourism sector which seek to leverage the collective power and resources of key stakeholders including: governments, international tourism bodies, hotels, airlines, cruise lines, booking agencies etc.,” said Bartlett.

“Recovery has become almost synonymous with resilience-building. The sector needs to become more adaptable, resilient and agile.  This pandemic has presented us with a unique opportunity to transition towards a more balanced tourism as it is anticipated that more international tourists will opt for “sustainable” destinations in the post-COVID era,” he added.

Other Ministers joining the panel included Hon. Nigel Huddleston, Minister of Tourism, UK; Hon. Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Kenya; Hon. Marcelo Álvaro Antônio, Minister of Tourism, Brazil; and Hon. Elena Kountoura, Member of the European Parliament.

Minister Bartlett also reiterated the call for the establishment of a Global Tourism Resilience Fund to equip vulnerable countries to be able to respond, manage, and to then recover and grow after disruptions. The Fund would especially target destinations that are recognized as facing high vulnerability but have insufficient financial capacity to prepare for and recover quickly from disruptions.

“It is also important for policymakers, industry leaders, investors and financial institutions to collaborate more closely to support investments and provide incentives to support  product differentiation into areas such as health, wellness and the green economy which are linked to the promotion of more sustainable behaviours and practices by all involved in the tourism value chain,” said Bartlett.

The global tourism investment summit was organised with the goal of helping to accelerate the recovery of travel and tourism businesses and restore travellers’ confidence after the COVID-19 pandemic. It brought together global leading voices and luminaries across different segments to discuss the future of the travel and tourism industry, its challenges, opportunities, financial strategies and mechanisms required to aid its successful recovery.

The three-day summit began on November 9 under the theme: “Invest, Finance and Rebuild the Travel and Tourism Industry”. Bartlett also participated in the resilience panel discussion, on Tuesday November 10, 2020.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 11, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett has revealed that the Jamaica Cares mandatory travel insurance programme has received very positive feedback from global tourism stakeholders. He also outlined that international tourism partners would like to expand the programme globally.

The Minister made this announcement today during the Tourism Ministry’s two day strategic planning retreat, being held at the Terra Nova All-Suite hotel in Kingston, where heads of agencies, divisions and senior managers within the ministry and its agencies are discussing ways to reposition the sector and plot the way forward in light of the impact of COVID-19.

“This morning the world said to me, during a virtual meeting based in Asia, that Jamaica Cares is too large for Jamaica. We want to have a World Cares. The World Travel and Tourism Council and other leadership groups are putting it forward for other countries to borrow because they know that the fourth element of the response to the renewal during and after COVID-19 is health security,” said Bartlett.

Jamaica Cares, which is being led by the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, is a ground-breaking travel protection and emergency services programme that provides visitors with cost of medical care, evacuations, field rescue, case management and patient advocacy in all circumstances up to and including natural disasters. As it relates to COVID-19, the protection plan also covers testing for symptomatic travellers, quarantine/isolation in a medical facility or in sanctioned quarantine facilities and evacuation, if necessary.

The initiative, is aimed at providing travel protection and emergency services to tourists coming into the island, as well as to ensure the safety and protection of workers in the tourism sector and, by extension Jamaican citizens.

“Jamaica Cares says to the visitors everywhere: that when you come to a destination, do not put the burden of your health arrangements on the destination that you are coming to; don’t displace the locals from beds in hospitals if they are affected; enable them to manage with you and that your costs become your burden, shared by the billions who travel across the world,” said Bartlett.

“And in that context, the economies of scale chips in and the unit cost of doing it becomes small. Little countries like Jamaica and elsewhere can manage properly and provide you with safety and security and a good time. That reasoning resonated with the rest of the world,” he added.

The resilience centre has signed an agreement with Global Rescue for the implementation of the programme, which will become effective later this month.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 09, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says the industry is a key driver of the Jamaican economy and urges stakeholders to view the unprecedented crisis brought on by the pandemic as a transformational opportunity to help get tourism back on track.

Speaking at the opening of the first-ever virtual staging of the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX), the Minister said, “Tourism must get back on track. Pre-pandemic, there were 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals; travel and tourism accounted for 10.3% of global GDP, and it employed 1 in 10 persons around the world.  At home, as we welcomed 4.3 million visitors, the sector earned US$3.7 billion, contributed 9.5% to the nation’s GDP and generated some 170,000 direct jobs.”

Bartlett noted that the Government is doing its part to rebuild the economy and tourism will play a key role. He shared that despite Covid-19, proactive measures were being implemented that will ensure a tourism product that is safe, attractive for visitors, and economically viable for all tourism stakeholders.

Despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, Bartlett remains cautiously optimistic as data from the Jamaica Tourist Board indicate that the industry is slowly rebuilding.

Preliminary JTB figures indicate that since reopening on June 15, the country has recorded a little over 211,000 passengers to the island; June to September earnings amounted to US$231.9 million, and hotel occupancy rates are slowly inching up. A 40% increase in arrivals over the winter season when compared to the preceding periods of massive downturn, is also projected.  

“In terms of airlift, most of the major airlines serving the destination are increasing service as the demand picks up. These include the following airlines in the Americas: American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, United, Southwest, Air Canada, WestJet, and Copa,” he said. 

Expedia also reported that searches for Jamaica’s Montego Bay rose 15 percent in July, and Jamaica was among the most-searched-for destinations in the Caribbean.

“I have received reports that some of our hotel properties have reported that they are reaching up to 60% occupancy through a combination of international and local guests, with numbers reaching nearly 90% around holiday weekends,” he said.

The Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) is the premier trade event and the single most important business generator for Jamaica's tourism industry. It facilitates pre-scheduled appointments for leading wholesalers and tour operators with hundreds of Jamaica's leading tourism suppliers to conduct business negotiations.

Since its 1990 inception, The Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) has been a joint project of The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB). It is supported by every Jamaican organization involved in the development, promotion and sale of the Island's tourism product.

According to the organizers, the three-day event, which is being held virtually  this year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, has more than 2,000 buyer and supplier delegates, travel agents and media representatives from countries such as the UK, USA, Canada, China, India, Russia, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina.