KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 18, 2020: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett, today chaired the high level 65th meeting of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Commission for the Americas (CAM). During the virtual session he led a team of 22 Member States from across the Americas, in high-level discussions to develop a strategy for sustainable growth, as some tourism industries across the globe, prepare for the recovery period from the economic and social impact experienced, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our governments stand at this most critical juncture to “stop, look, listen and pivot”. That is we must, assess the situation; craft strategic policies and responses; monitor the effective implementation of these policies; and prepare ourselves to further adjust and creatively manage vital developments vis-à-vis COVID-19,” said Minister Bartlett. 

He also provided an update on Jamaica’s tourism sector, sharing that: “Border re-openings and re-engagement with the international community are necessary to advance national and global recovery. In this regard, Jamaica welcomed tourists to re-discover our island, earlier this week on 15 June.”

He added that “the Jamaican Government rests confident that it has considered all relevant precautionary measures, including the adoption of necessary workplace protocols as well as tailored protocols for the tourism industry.”

During the meeting the Minister was joined by the UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, who expressed that: “The temporary suspension of tourism has had a significant impact on the Americas. This meeting showed the shared determination to grow back stronger and better once the conditions allow.”

He noted that: “Sustainability and innovation will be at the heart of tourism’s recovery, both in the Americas and in every other global region. The sector’s return to growth will be a lifeline for many millions of people across the Americas while also helping protect and promote the region’s many cultures and natural heritage.”

The virtual meeting was the second held since March. It also included a presentation of the UNWTO’s joint project with the IFC (International Finance Corporation) called the “Green Investments for Sustainable Tourism” initiative. According to the UNWTO, this project was designed to “promote more investment in the greening of the sector, with a special emphasis on hospitality and on small-and-medium-sized businesses.”

The Regional Commissions typically meet once per year to allow member states to maintain ‎contact with each other and with the UNWTO Secretariat between sessions of the bi-annual General ‎Assembly. Jamaica is one of the four English speaking Caribbean Member States of the UNWTO and currently chairs the CAM for the biennium 2019-2021.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Monday, June 15, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett and Health and Wellness Minister, Hon Christopher Tufton have jointly lauded the collaboration that enabled today’s full reopening of Jamaica’s borders to international travel and, in particular, the restart of the country’s tourism industry.

Over 100 health workers were on hand for the first commercial passenger flight to touchdown at the Sangster International Airport following the reopening of the borders.

Minister Bartlett was pleased with the execution of the protocols led by the health team in screening and testing the passengers off American Airlines Flight 2446 from Miami with a mix of tourists and Jamaicans who, in the words one passenger, described going through the protocols as “So far so good.”

Describing today’s arrival of just over 600 visitors as “a soft opening of the tourism industry and by extension the economy of Jamaica,” Minister Bartlett said, “this morning it was the fulfilment of the realization of real collectivism.”

The Tourism Minister, who led a team in welcoming the joyful group of passengers, commented, “Never in recent times have all the key partners and key elements come together so seamlessly in such a short time to create a seamless flow of a process.  This is going to see not just Jamaica position itself as being one of the first countries to be open, but also one where the protocols are all in place. Everybody understands them and the responses in terms of action are in keeping with those protocols.”

While commending the collaborative effort of the many agencies involved, Minister Bartlett singled out the Ministry of Health and Wellness as “the backbone of this whole effort.”

Minister Tufton, who kept a watchful eye on the procedures, said, “our health protocols have been put in place, working closely with tourism (and) we’ve spent the last couple of days working out the logistics here on the ground at the airport working with a range of agencies.”

He said it was still early days yet “but so far so good, we have over a 100 public health officials on the ground” and with persons complying with the directives given, it should be a seamless process. He said the number of persons who have expressed an interest in flying here over the next couple of weeks was very encouraging.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Sunday, June 14, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has expressed confidence that adequate systems have been put in place for the reopening of Jamaica’s tourism industry. This, as he lauded the efforts of tourism partners and stakeholders for the preparations that have been made at the Sangster International Airport to facilitate the smooth reopening of the sector on Monday (June 15).

Minister Bartlett and key stakeholders had a walk-through of all areas of the airport through which the passengers will travel, with special emphasis on Immigration and Customs, before being tested for signs of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) prior to departing the airport for their respective vacation spots.

Minister Bartlett said the logistics were in place to enable as seamless a process as is possible for the dawning of a new era in tourism. He commended all partners and players who have been working overtime to make sure all parts come together effectively.

He underscored that the airport team had introduced numerous changes to facilitate social distancing consistent with stipulated health protocols. Furnishings within the airport have been arranged, technology to capture the temperature of passengers and sanitization stations installed to satisfy health requirements under COVID-19.

While maintaining that the processing of arriving passengers on Monday “will not be an insurmountable task,” Minister Bartlett said: “We’re really hoping that our locals and visitors alike will have an experience that they will be comfortable with bearing in mind the many challenges posed by this pandemic. This is a very unique situation and we are doing our best to manage it properly.”

He said while everything was being done “we also ask for understanding that this is not perfection where everything will necessarily go as we planned but certainly what we have done is to put in place that which will enable a start on which we can now work to achieve perfection.”

Included in the high-level team that toured the facility were Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health & Wellness, Dunstan Bryan; Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jacqueline Bisasor-McKenzie; Regional Technical Director, Western Regional Health Authority, Dr Diane Campbell-Stennett; Director of Tourism, Donovan White; Senior Advisor/Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright, President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Omar Robinson; Director of Projects, Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Stephen Edwards; JTB Regional Director, Odette Dyer and JDF Captain Jevan Brown, in charge of logistics.

The airport team was led by Chief Executive Officer, Shane Munroe and Chief Operations Officer, Peter Hall.

The reopening of the sector will commence with some six flights landing at the Sangster International Airport from Jetblue, American and Delta Airlines. Passengers will be a mix of tourists and Jamaicans returning home.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Friday, June 5, 2020:  Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett has lauded local tourism partners for the high level of preparation evident in key sub-sectors of the tourism industry to protect tourism workers and visitors from the threat posed by the Coronavirus (COVID-19), ahead of the phased reopening of the sector.

On Wednesday, Minister Bartlett led a team on a tour of the Sangster International Airport, a number of hotels in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, the Coral Cliff and Margaritaville entertainment entities and Hospiten hospital. He said this was the start of a series of inspections of various tourism related locations to get first-hand knowledge of their level of preparedness and measures for the management of activities that will have to be instituted when the industry is reopened on June 15, 2020.

Given the degree of preparation that was observed, Mr Bartlett expressed that “the resilience that we want to build will enable us, first of all, to manage the risk and then be able to respond to anything unforeseen,” making Jamaica, perhaps, “one of the most prepared destinations in the Caribbean area.”

At the Sangster International Airport, Chief Executive Officer, Shane Munroe and Chief Operations Officer, Peter Hall highlighted the installation of plexiglass screens at counters as well as cutting-edge electronic devices, including thermal sensor cameras and hands-free equipment that will boost the capacity of public health frontline workers.

Preparations at Hospiten include dedicating a special wing to dealing with COVID-19 related cases. Country Manager, Samuel Diaz said his company was playing a key role in health security and that in addition to the hospital along the Elegant Corridor, there are medical stations located at several hotels as well as at the airport and seaports in Montego Bay and Falmouth. Hospiten’s Commercial Manager, Chevoghne Miller assured Minister Bartlett of the hospital’s full support in treating with COVID-19 for the safety of Jamaicans and visitors alike.

At the Holiday Inn, Sandals Montego Bay, Deja Resort and Jamaica Inn, protocols ensuring the safety of both tourism workers and guests are being implemented covering all areas, including rooms, restaurants and beaches. This will include the observance of social distancing and the wearing of masks.

“I am satisfied so far that the entities are buying and preparing the necessary COVID equipment and that the ability to use and manipulate this equipment are being taught and internalized by the workers,” said Mr Bartlett. He added that the examples seen at the locations visited showed that “we are all preparing ourselves with the layer of protection that the industry must provide to ensure that the people of Jamaica will not, in fact, be unduly exposed to the virus.”

Noting that “all of Jamaica is not at the same level of readiness,” Minister Bartlett said, what he termed, a resilience corridor, was being established “that will enable us to better protect our workers, manage the experience of the visitor, better account for the activities and also to be better able to track and trace their movements in order to ensure that there is the highest level of risk management as possible.”