KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 06, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for global policymakers to implement a more empathetic leadership style, while also remaining cautiously optimistic about the future of the industry.

The Minister was speaking yesterday at the A World for Travel virtual international event, which focused on the recovery and the development of global travel and tourism activities.

“Empathetic leadership during this time cannot be sufficiently stressed. It allowed for greater understanding of the people on whose behalf I worked, greater connection with the structure of teams, as well as for my colleagues and other leaders. It is important too that, as leaders, we create space for others to demonstrate empathy towards us. These are trying times and togetherness for strength is useful,” said the Minister.

“A hallmark of leadership and highly relevant in times of crisis is the ability to remain cautiously optimistic – without spiraling into doom and gloom – is necessary in these times,” he added.

When asked about how governments help and what policies could support a quicker recovery of the sector, beyond the use of stimulus packages, the Minister noted that to ensure effective recovery post-pandemic, one has to re-imagine the product, service, market and responses.

“Having considered our market and our packages, the promotion of the destination will flow along similar thoughts. In this new normal, people are motivated to “live their best lives” and we must ensure that our partners and stakeholders have bought into the relevant plans to foster alignment and harmony in the implementation for success,” he said.

In addition, Minister Bartlett noted that COVID-19 has placed the spotlight on the marginalized in society and the sector. “In this regard, inclusion has been equally highlighted as a tool for emerging from this pandemic, possibly bent but not broken, Inclusiveness along all links in the chain - supply, marketing, delivery - will become indispensable, especially as we remain committed to the Sustainable Development Agenda,” he said.

The Minister was speaking on a panel moderated by Guillaume Thibault, Partner at leading international management consulting firm Oliver Wyman, discussing the topic “Leadership in the times of Covid-19”.

He was joined by Gloria Guevara, President  & CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council; H.E. Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Secretary of State for Tourism, France, and Dr. Mario Hardy, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association

Other speakers at the event included Hon. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General, United Nations World Tourism Organization; Rita Marques, Secretary of State for Tourism, Portugal and Ramzi Khoury, Head of News, ROYA TV.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 06, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has expressed deep regret at the passing of long-time friend and industry colleague Edith Baxter, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Canadian publishing group Baxter Media.

“I wish to offer my heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Baxter’s daughter Wendy McClung, along with her extended family and the entire Baxter Media management and staff during this difficult time. Ms. Baxter was a powerful voice within the Canadian travel industry for more than five decades and her legacy will be remembered for years to come,” said Minister Bartlett.

Edith, or Mrs. B as she was fondly known among friends, was an unparalleled leader in Canada’s travel industry. For more than 50 years, she served at the helm of Canadian Travel Press and Travel Courier – two of the country’s most respected and widely read weekly travel trade publications.

She founded the prominent media group in 1968 alongside her late husband and business partner William (Bill) Henry Baxter, who passed away in 2004.

Reflecting on Baxter’s passing, Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) John Lynch said, “She will be remembered fondly as a brilliant journalist, a savvy businesswoman and a true friend of Jamaica. She made dozens of trips to the island – particularly enjoying her time at Half Moon Resort – and she developed strong friendships with former JTB Regional Directors Pat Samuels and Sandra Scott.”

Under the leadership of Edith Baxter, Baxter Media has played an integral role in spotlighting Destination Jamaica in the Canadian market over the last five decades.

In 2018, Baxter was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican government in recognition of her contributions to the tourism industry and the important work she had done behalf of Jamaica.

For the last 25 years, Baxter Media has organized the popular Canadian Travel Industry Golf Tournament, hosted on island in partnership with Sandals Resorts. The annual industry event brings dozens of travel agents, tour operators, airline representatives and tourism partners together in Jamaica for a week of networking events, friendly competition on the links and vibrant island hospitality.

Jamaica has also been featured prominently as an award-winning destination and tourism board at Baxter Media’s annual Agents’ Choice Awards, the largest and most comprehensive survey of travel agents in Canada. For 15 consecutive years, Jamaica has been named ‘Favourite Tourist Board – Caribbean’ at the annual readers’ choice awards.

“Edith Baxter was a true trailblazer who made an enormous impact on the travel community here in Canada and beyond,” recalls Angella Bennett, Regional Director, Canada, JTB.

“Whenever I had the pleasure of meeting with her, I always found myself in awe as she spoke about her career and shared stories of her travels to Jamaica. She had a true love affair with the island and will be dearly missed.”

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Friday, October 30, 2020: Buoyed by the success of the resilient corridor in safeguarding Jamaica’s tourism against the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), discussions have begun regarding the return of cruise ships to the port of Falmouth.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett disclosed that as recent as Wednesday, he was in was discussion “with Disney Cruise about their plans for coming back to Falmouth shortly. They made reference to our resilient corridor as the signature statement of how destinations can make their areas safer for travel and tourism in the future.”

Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new development at The Shoppes at Rose Hall, St. James, on Thursday (Oct 29), Minister Bartlett said, “Although concerns continue in our major markets, we are already seeing positive signs of buoyancy which offer encouragement as we rebuild the tourism economy and continue to contribute meaningfully to the rebuilding of the national economy.”

He said preliminary figures from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) indicated that since reopening on June 15, Jamaica has recorded a little over 200,000 passengers to the country with June to September earnings amounting to just over US$250 million.

Meanwhile, he noted that with the reopening of global economies, air travel was being restored “and we are cautiously optimistic that we will see a 40 percent increase in arrival over the winter season when compared to the preceding period before the massive downturn.”  Also, “airlift continues to increase and this is a good indicator that there is demand by travelers, waiting or indeed making bookings to travel.”

Mr. Bartlett said the JTB,  the Ministry of Tourism’s marketing arm, was maintaining strong engagements with operators and airline companies to drive bookings for the winter “and already seat support out of key markets include the US 567,427, Canada 166,032, the United Kingdom 1,801 and continental Europe overall, 45,311 seats.”

The Tourism Minister publicly thanked Jamaicans both at home and in the diaspora for their contribution to the occupancy levels hotels have been enjoying. To date, there has been no known case of the COVID-19 virus among hotel guests or staff and about 30 percent of tourism workers were back on their jobs.

Strides are being made in laying the groundwork for the full reopening of the tourism sector in Jamaica, in a safe and responsible manner, he said.

“We understand the eagerness of all our tourism workers to get back on the job to support their families and the industry, and assure them that every possible effort is being made to expedite the recovery of the industry. In the meantime, however, they can play their part by encouraging those with whom they come in contact to practice the protocols laid down by the Ministry of Health that will facilitate an early  recovery from COVID-19,” said Minister Bartlett.

He noted that while Jamaica’s health and safety protocols were working and stand out as testament to the high level of compliance by tourism stakeholders, so much so that other tourism destinations were seeking to follow suit, there is no room for complacency.  “But there is a measure of comfort in the fact that the united effort taken in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders, is paying off handsomely as we take bold and decisive steps to safeguard everyone,” He said.

Earlier this week, another layer was added to existing health and safety measures to reassure visitors of Jamaica’s resilience against the coronavirus with the launch of an end-to-end health insurance, repatriation, and logistics programme branded as “Jamaica Cares”. 

In an effort to protect the environment and preserve Jamaica’s tourism product, the Ministry of Tourism through its agency, the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), has donated a well-needed box truck to the Recycling Partners of Jamaica (RPJ). The truck will allow for more efficient collection of plastic items and other pollutants in the resort town of Negril.  

Funding for the truck was provided under a Memorandum of Understanding, between TPDCo and its sister agency, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), at a cost of approximately seven million dollars.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, at the official handing over of the truck yesterday (October 21), Acting Executive Director of TPDCo, Stephen Edwards said: “This worthwhile venture between the Recycling Partners of Jamaica (RPJ) and the tourism sector is a necessary move towards a better future, which includes a more diverse and responsive tourism sector.”

“We have adopted many strategies that are geared towards the preservation of our tourism product. The procurement of this box truck is one such way in which we are assisting in mitigating the impact of pollution and the destruction of the environment,” he added.

Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change, Pearnel Charles Jr.,  shared Minister Bartlett’s sentiments and added that the government of Jamaica remains committed to promoting and fostering environmental protection island-wide. “We are inviting Jamaicans to join in the journey towards action, climate resilient houses, urban renewal initiatives, environmental protection…this is the Jamaica we want. This is the Jamaica we deserve,” he said. 

Also present at the handing over ceremony at their Lakes Pen Depot was the Chairman of the Recycling Partners of Jamaica, Dr. Damien King. He expressed appreciation for the donation and noted that environmental awareness has been rising locally, which is reflected in the recent bans by the Government of single-use plastic and Styrofoam items. He revealed that plans are being finalized to target plastic bottles.

“The country is going to continue along those lines, and the next step in that journey is plastic bottles.  We are going to do so in a public-private partnership — the likes of which, we may not have seen before —between the government and the manufacturers of the products which are distributed in plastic bottles,” said Dr King.

According to Dr King, this partnership will organize a scheme to get the vast majority of the 800 million bottles that are distributed each year, to be recollected for recycling.  He said a campaign for this initiative will be launched in the coming months.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Friday, October 30, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett yesterday lead in breaking ground at The Shoppes at Rose Hall, signaling the start of the development of Montego Bay’s most iconic shopping experience.

The in-bond shopping mall is undergoing a major transformation and will be rebranded into a new concept reflecting a “Linkages Centre of Excellence” that will showcase the best of Jamaica in various creative ways.

Minister Bartlett welcomed the concept being created to reimagine, repurpose and rebrand the mall, noting, “The new tourism paradigm calls for innovation and the development of concepts such as this to provide elements of authentic Jamaican experiences.”

Mr. Bartlett said, “Shopping is a huge part of the attraction that Jamaica has that is under-utilized, under positioned and under presented, and we think that the cultural values and the cultural assets of Jamaica exemplified in the products manufactured by our own people are at the level where they can be showcased effectively and have world responses.”

He noted, however, that there was an absence of the arena that would enable this level of merchandising and showcasing to provide the impact that it must have.

Jamaica’s tourism is being built on a linkages concept that embraces the pillars of Agriculture & Manufacturing, Gastronomy, Sports & Entertainment, Health & Wellness, Shopping and Knowledge. Minister Bartlett said he is particularly pleased that the centre being developed by the Chandiram family, “Will create an experience to include the best of Jamaican gastronomy, local entertainment, authentic made-in-Jamaica products that showcase the talent of local designers, health and wellness offerings, immortalize outstanding local and international leaders, such as Martin Luther King, who chose Montego Bay as his place of refuge and our first national hero, Marcus Garvey, and   will also be knowledge based.”

Chief Executive Officer of Chandiram Limited, Anup Chandiram, said there was hope despite the setback caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, “there is a rainbow beyond the horizon and we will soon see this in Jamaica’s tourism industry.”

He said his company was creating a product designed to pull visitors out of their all-inclusive hotels. “We want to enhance their experience here in Jamaica so that when they go back home they go on Trip Advisor and speak highly of beautiful Jamaica.”

The new experience is being developed in phases with the first phase set for completion in time for the 2020/21 winter tourism arrivals. Completion is expected in 2021.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; October 8, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has underscored the need for tourism interests around the world to embrace and leverage a new smart tourism model, to ensure the success of the industry in the post-COVID-19 era. This as Minister Bartlett continues to make his mark as a thought leader in the international tourism community, with his participation recently in another major international webinar – the SAHIC Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference.

Minister Bartlett said: “In the long-term, this crisis presents us with an opportunity to harness the potential of digitalization to drive new tourism experiences. In the absence of physical travelling experiences, millions of people in quarantine have been seeking out cultural and travel experiences from their homes.”

He added that, “rapid digitalization coupled with emerging technologies, such as virtual and augmented realities, can create new forms of cultural experiences, dissemination and new business models with market potential.”

Mr. Bartlett highlighted that the international community can expect to see the growth of smart tourism, with more destinations increasing the production of visitation data, such as tourists' time spent at attractions, which will aid in crowd management – which he believes is an essential factor in a post-COVID-19 world.  

“Smart tourism can be helpful in promoting social distancing by focusing on controlling human traffic to major tourist sites like a museum, a cathedral or a public park, as we seek to maintain the quality of visitors' experiences,” said the Minister.

Bartlett also shared the strategies employed locally that have been impactful, such as the ‘Rediscover Jamaica’ campaign, as well as the health and safety protocols created by the Ministry of Tourism and its agencies working in collaboration with industry partners and other government stakeholders.

“The Re-discover Jamaica initiative has received tremendously positive reception from local residents, with some hotels reporting 50%-60% reservations from locals,” he explained.

“As we look to the future, the gap in seasonal downturns in international tourist arrivals and volatility in the global tourism market can be offset by sustaining these staycation packages that target local residents who have traditionally felt excluded from higher-priced all-inclusive vacation packages that are designed to attract international tourists,” the Minister added.

SAHIC is a two-day virtual event focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean, which featured 9 hours of networking opportunities with key players and strategic sessions with prominent members of the hotel investment community.

Other government speakers, included, Hon. Ivan Eskildsen, Minister of Tourism for Panama and Hon. Gustavo J. Segura, Minister of Tourism for Costa Rica, in regional discussions.  Additional speakers included Gloria Guevara Manzo, President and CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC); Brian King, President, Caribbean & Latin America, Marriott International and Rogerio Basso, Head of Tourism, IDB Invest.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; October 7, 2020:  Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett says his Ministry remains committed to working with Jamaica’s rural communities to strengthen their resilience, create jobs and build economic opportunities.  This focus on rural development is a critical pillar in the Ministry’s plan to rebuild the industry, which has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the Tourism Awareness Week Webinar, hosted at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel recently, the Minister said: “As we re-imagine our tourism product in these uncertain times, the focus on rural development seems quite timely. Tourism in rural areas will provide key opportunities for recovery, as these communities seek to bounce back from the harsh economic setback caused by the pandemic.”

He outlined that 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,” Mr. Bartlett said.

“Unfortunately, both at home and abroad, COVID -19 has resulted in major job losses, while the falloff in business and earnings has been astounding… However, tourism is the heartbeat of our economy and it will serve as the catalyst of Jamaica’s Post-COVID-19 economic recovery,” said the Minister.

One key project the Ministry of Tourism and key partners will be completing soon, to benefit rural communities, is Jamaica’s first Artisan Village at the Hampden Wharf in Falmouth, which is on target to open at the end of 2020.  The TEF-financed project will see other artisan villages being established in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, and Negril.

The Minister also highlighted community tourism initiatives being carried out in partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund, under its Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI), which is facilitating the sustainable growth of community tourism enterprises across the island. 

Just recently, the second phase of the initiative (REDI II) was launched at the Office of the Prime Minister, which is a US$40-million World Bank-funded programme seeking to unlock the full potential of rural communities.  

Stressing the importance of developing rural communities, he shared that globally, persons in rural communities who have small and medium enterprises drive 80% of tourism. 

“The essence of the experiences of visitors across the globe is found in rural areas. Tourism has that capacity to transform rural communities from sleepy areas into buzzing centres of economic activity and we saw that here in Jamaica. Ocho Rios for example, was a sleepy fishing village 60 years ago and today it is a buzzing centre of commerce – creating jobs and providing economic well-being,” said the Minister.

“We want this transformation to happen all across Jamaica in our rural areas. We are now re-defining the destination to enable that transformation. So, St. Thomas in the next frontier for us and the rest of the South Coast is also on the radar for us,” he added. 

The Tourism Awareness Week 2020 webinar was hosted by the Ministry of Tourism and its agencies, under the theme: “Tourism and Rural Development”.  The event, was moderated by Dervan Malcolm, and included presenters such as, Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett; Director of Tourism, Donovan White; Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) President, Clifton Reader; and Chairman of Jakes Hotel and Villas, Jason Henzell; Angella Bennett – the Jamaica Tourist Board’s (JTB) Regional Director, Canada; and Donnie Dawson – JTB’s Deputy Director, The Americas.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; October 6, 2020: As the tourism sector seeks to rebound from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jamaica Tourist Board’s ‘Rediscover Jamaica’ campaign is being hailed as a major success in helping to drive this process. In highlighting the positive contribution of the campaign, Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett said it “has been a great success, with some hotels reporting up to 50% to 60% occupancy from local bookings.”

Minister Bartlett, disclosed this recently as he welcomed the reopening of the 49-suite Zoetry hotel in Montego Bay, following a seven-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. Bartlett expressed confidence that “this initiative will continue to reduce the impact caused by the fallout from a decline in international tourism receipts and ensure continued buoyancy of the sector until some semblance of normalcy returns.”

He also noted that currently Jamaica is enjoying the highest booking rate in the region with more bookings directly rather than through travel agents. If current levels of interest are maintained, “we are potentially looking at over one million visitors by year end, which would be a fairly impressive achievement, given the current environment,” stated Minister Bartlett.

Regarding investments, he said investors continue to show confidence in the Jamaican market, adding that 90% of previously planned projects are still on target, despite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Among those slated to come on-stream are a 1700-room hotel in St. James, 2,000 rooms in Green Island, Hanover, and tourism development programmes for Kingston and Port Royal.

“This show of confidence in Jamaica by investors has helped to boost our image as a leading tourist destination,” said the Minister as he noted that these investments are creating job opportunities and further fuelling the expansion and diversification of the tourism product.

For its part, government was working to create an environment that attracts and fosters premium investments in the sector and to this end, “we are investing in infrastructural development, including the modernization and expansion of the two international airports, improvement of the road network, and expansion and development of our cruise ship piers,” disclosed Minister Bartlett.

He noted that as the country recovers from the current COVID-19 crisis, there was little doubt that the future growth of the nation must be through tourism.  “If tourism’s recovery is to be responsible and sustainable, we must look beyond investments in accommodation and encourage investment in experiential marketing arrangements that will keep Jamaica competitive and cutting edge at all times,” the Tourism Minister said.

Zoetry is one of several properties operated in Jamaica by AMResorts, including the 700-room Secrets Resort, and Breathless Resort, which also reopened its 150 room property recently. Secrets has been back in operation since August 8.

Associate Director of Sales, Kaylia Harrison disclosed that a day after reopening, Zoetry hosted a wedding and most prior bookings had rebooked for October, “so the occupancy is not looking badly at all. This weekend we will be in the 50s and 60s percentage wise, so that’s good.”

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; September 29, 2020: The Ministry of Tourism will be taking strategic steps to facilitate the development of tourism in St. Thomas and the expansion of the sector along the South Coast and in other parts of the country that have untapped tourism potential. 

This was revealed by Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett as he addressed the Tourism Awareness Week 2020 Thanksgiving Church Service, on World Tourism Day (September 27). He said: “We will continue to build out a framework of support that will include product development, training, infrastructural improvement and access to financing for rural communities.”

With more major projects set to come on-stream, Minister Bartlett said: “We are committed to adding depth and diversity to our tourism product while providing economic viability in communities beyond Jamaica’s traditional resort areas. This will lay the foundation for a more equitable, sustainable and inclusive tourism sector that benefits all Jamaicans.”

The service, hosted by Trumpet Call Ministries International in Montego Bay, was one of several activities by the Ministry, as it joined the global community and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in observing World Tourism Day and to kick-start the local Tourism Awareness Week (TAW) activities. 

Other activities for the week include: Daily advertorials highlighting rural development initiatives of the Ministry of Tourism and its agencies, a virtual expo, a virtual webinar, social media competitions, and a youth photography competition.

Minister Bartlett said this year’s World Tourism Day theme: “Tourism and Rural Development” highlighted the unique role that tourism plays in providing opportunities outside of big cities and preserving cultural and natural heritage all around the world. The theme is guiding local activities from September 27 – October 3 to raise awareness of tourism’s significant contribution to the island’s wide-scale growth and development.”

Minister Bartlett has expressed confidence that the industry will help to foster the country’s economic rebound. He said: “Tourism is the heartbeat of our economy and will serve as the catalyst of Jamaica’s Post-COVID-19 economic recovery.”

The Minister added that “as we re-imagine our tourism product in these uncertain times, the focus on rural development seems quite timely. Tourism in rural areas will provide key opportunities for recovery, as these communities seek to bounce back from the harsh economic setback caused by the pandemic.”

The week of activities is being supported by the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and newly-elected president, Clifton Reader expressed assurance that “COVID has dealt us a severe blow but we will rise again.”

Mr. Reader commended the tourism sector’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols and said he had “never seen the industry so united and we must keep it that way.” He also said he had spoken with the president of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) and there was a commitment, through linkages, to connect all small communities catering to tourism.

In emphasizing the importance of leveraging the link between tourism and the agriculture sector Mr. Reader said “I am working with some of the culinary organizations to further development from farm to table, because the farmers need to know where their products end up finally and the quality they should produce at.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 29, 2020: Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett was recently welcomed into the International Tourism Hall of Heroes by the Rebuilding Travel Group, for his wide-ranging expertise and accomplishments in tourism.

The Minister was one of 16 tourism leaders from across the globe to receive the honour, during a virtual ceremony hosted on World Tourism Day 2020 (September 27).

During his acceptance speech, the Minister highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global tourism industry. 

“As global tourism seeks to rebound from the current crisis and anticipates equally disruptive forces in the future, the single most important challenge of the industry will be to respond to the question of its adaptability and sustainability,” said Bartlett.

“More so now than ever before, the adaptive tourism sector will be required to take account of its current and future economic, social, political and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities while fortifying its own capacity for risk management and resilience,” he added.

Also recognized from Jamaica was Diana McIntyre-Pike, for her role as a leader of community tourism and in the training of communities in entrepreneurship.

RebuildingTravel is a group of tourism leaders from 119 countries that came together when the COVID-19 pandemic became the largest threat the travel and tourism world has ever faced. It is a non-political pro-tourism industry group comprised of members of tourism boards, ministers of tourism, professional associations, industry stakeholders, researchers and academics, and travellers. The group is moving to unite the tourism industry as it faces its greatest challenge.