KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 04, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says the re-opening of the sector, at this time, is crucial to assisting the over 350,000 pandemic-displaced workers and the many tourism enterprises that are at severe economic risk.

Speaking at his Ministry’s digital media briefing earlier today, he said, “I am mindful of the public sentiment that we are moving too fast and this will pose a health risk to the Jamaican people. I want to assure you that the reopening will be carried out safely and in a way, that protects our frontline tourism workers, Jamaican citizens and our visitors. As our Prime Minister stresses, we must continue to protect lives while securing our livelihoods.”  

As part of the Ministry’s wider work to safeguard the wellbeing of the tourism workers when the sector reopens, the Ministry recently donated 10,000 masks to frontline industry workers. This is being undertaken through the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) and Tourism Linkages Network.

“We are spending just a little over $5 million in this exercise and we are excited  because  not only is the initiative facilitating the provision of much-needed protective cover, but is contributing to economic sustainability by generating opportunities for small enterprises to create a cottage industry through the making of masks.  Some 22 small entrepreneurs were engaged to make these masks,” said the Minister.

He also noted that since the tourism sector came to a halt, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country’s economy has suffered severely.

The estimated overall loss to the economy from visitor expenditure from stopover arrivals is J$107.6 billion.  While the projected loss of direct tourism revenue to the Government due to COVID-19 from April 2020 to March 2021 is J$38.4 billion.

“Tourism is big business – 80% of which is small business – the restaurants, craft vendors, tour and transportation operators, attractions, bars, duty-free shops.  Due to tourism’s transversal nature and the linkages with other productive sectors, it also stimulates agriculture, manufacturing and the creative economy,” Minister Bartlett explained.

It is within this context that we are anxious to revive tourism, which has been severely crippled by the pandemic,” he said.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 03, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says the newly opened Adam and Eve Day Spa location will add value to Jamaica’s health and wellness tourism market when the country begins to welcome visitors to the island.

“The Ministry of Tourism is very driven by health and wellness and the impact that can have on the development of people but also on the creation of a new products that will encourage more visitors can come to Jamaica during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, to get refreshed and rejuvenated.

The new Adam and Eve facility that Garth and Kimisha Walker have put together here, can be put against the best that exists in the Caribbean, if not the Americas,” said Minister Bartlett following a tour of the facilities yesterday (June 2).

The spa, which began operations in April 2007, recently opened its new 10,000 square foot compound on Old Hope Road in Kingston. It features a rainforest massage-room, a spa and salon, in addition to retail and training spaces — with all furniture made in Jamaica.

“This Adam and Eve development is a statement of growth and of how small great ideas can develop and expand. Today’s tour has really been a fulfillment of a big vision and I want to congratulate the Walkers for taking this journey so well.

I looked at all the modern equipment that is here that will enable ultimate relaxation but more so, it is the statement of how wellness is going to be enhanced in Jamaica,” said the Minister. 

The Ministry has placed much emphasis on developing Health and Wellness over the years and has created a Network, headed by acclaimed scientist Dr. Henry Lowe, to assist with creating an effective governance framework to make Jamaica’s wellness industry more internationally competitive. The Network has also been packaging, promoting and marketing health and wellness assets as an important tourism niche area.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 02, 2020 (JIS NEWS): The Ministry of Tourism has provided 10,000 masks for frontline industry workers as part of safeguards against the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), when the sector reopens.

The masks, one element of the personal protective equipment (PPE) used in the fight against COVID-19, were handed over to industry representatives by Portfolio Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett.

The presentation was made during a virtual ceremony at the Ministry’s offices in New Kingston on Friday (May 29).

“We are recommending that all the workers of the tourism industry should wear their mask. The Prime Minister [the Most Hon. Andrew Holness] has already made that a condition for all of us, and the medical fraternity has supported that; so we want to assist in ensuring full compliance,” Minister Bartlett said.

The wearing of masks in public spaces globally has been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.

According to Mr. Bartlett, this latest initiative, being undertaken through the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) and Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), is another Ministry intervention aimed at safeguarding workers’ wellbeing.

“We are spending just a little over $5 million in this exercise and we are excited that it will do a number of things,” he said.

The Minister explained that not only will the initiative facilitate the provision of much-needed protective cover, but will contribute to economic sustainability by generating opportunities for small enterprises to create a cottage industry through the making of masks.

“So far, we have some 22 small entrepreneurs who are making masks for us to make up this 10,000, and we are going to add some more as we go along,” he informed.

Mr. Bartlett also explained that due to the industry’s vulnerability to pandemics and epidemics, rigorous development of safeguards, such as screenings, is consistently being undertaken to protect locals and visitors.

He said that until a vaccine is found “we have the responsibility to manage the risk that this virus is causing in our own space and build layers… of protection so that the risk can be reduced”.

“The Ministry of Tourism continues to create innovative and game changing policies and strategies while we manage the virus. We are committed to making sure that of all the people who have to interface with the industry… that the workers, in particular, are protected because they are our frontline people,” Minister Bartlett added.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; May 13, 2020: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that his Ministry hired international crisis recovery expert Jessica Shannon, to the COVID-19 Tourism Recovery Task Force’s secretariat, in an effort to strength the country’s resilience plan for the sector.

Speaking at a digital press briefing hosted by the Tourism Ministry earlier today, Bartlett noted that, “she comes to us with a wealth of experience in crisis management. Her work with PWC internationally is going to play a big role in our being able to draw on international best practices, based on her own experiences.”

Shannon is a Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) Advisory Partner and has served as their deployed point partner throughout the Ebola crisis, focusing on the response and recovery efforts in West Africa. In this context she served as a senior advisor to private companies and government organizations in the design of strategy, policies and protocols as well as risk identification and monitoring. 

“She was very essential in working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention among others to work out the protocol for the Ebola pandemic…. So, bringing her on board, particularly for her to focus on fine-tuning the protocols over the next few days, is going to be seminal, in terms of enabling us to deliver that protocol the Prime Minister wants in short order,” he added.

In addition to her current client engagements, she is part of a small task force established to refine and drive the implementation of PwC's global near- and mid-term strategic transformation in the wake of COVID-19.  

She has been a Subject Matter Expert for the G20 think tank on economic and financial resilience and a speaker at conferences hosted by Harvard University, the World Bank and the United Nations.  Prior to PwC, she gained strategy experience as a management consultant with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and on the global leadership team at EY. She also has an MBA from Harvard Business School.  

This is the second addition to the committee from Price Waterhouse Coopers, as it also includes PWC’s Senior Partner, Wilfred Baghaloo, who chairs the COVID-19 General Tourism Working Team sub-committee.

Baghaloo was also the Co-Chairman of the Tourism Working Group for the Jamaica Tourism Linkages Committee which assessed how to ensure more local linkages to tourism industry and the development of local supply industries to the tourism sector.

The Ministry established the Covid-19 Tourism Recovery Taskforce last month, with a public-private sector collaboration consisting of key stakeholders from the tourism sector, the Ministry of Tourism, and Agencies of the Ministry. It will be supported by two Working Teams – one for general tourism and another for cruise tourism – and a Secretariat.

The Task Force has been tasked to bring about a realistic view of the sector’s baseline or starting position; develop scenarios for multiple versions of the future; establish the strategic posture for the sector as well as a broad direction of the journey back to growth; establish actions and strategic imperatives that will be reflected across various scenarios; and establish trigger points to tackle action, which includes a planned vision in a world that is learning to evolve rapidly.

“It is an honour and a pleasure to support the Jamaican tourism sector in this regard. I appreciate the opportunity… I have worked in a number of different crisis response situations to support Governments and the private sector,” said Shannon.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; May 12, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says his Ministry remains committed to facilitating the reopening of the tourism industry in a safe and seamless manner, in the post COVID-19 world.

He noted that this move is being guided by his Ministry’s Tourism Recovery Task Force, as well as the recently announced Tourism Industry Post Covid-19 Protocol, which was developed to ensure the safety of the workers in the industry, as well as to build confidence among travellers to adapt to “the new normal” of additional health and hygiene practices.

“As we adapt to the new normal in the travel industry, we know that in order for us to reopen, we have to be proactive in our approach and ensure that Jamaica’s tourism and hospitality is COVID secure. We want to make certain that our workers are safe, while also restoring the much-needed confidence of our visitors to come our destination when the borders of the world fully re-open,” said the Minister.

The protocol document is consistent with guidelines from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, to reduce future risk of infection and to provide a higher level of safety for both visitors and citizens of Jamaica.

Protocols for the management of Post-Covid-19 were established to guide operations for: Airports; Cruise Ports; Accommodations; Attractions; Tourism Transportation Operators; Craft Traders; Water Sports Operators; General Security and Public Safety; and Mega Events.

“The process, which will be managed by the Tourism Product Development Company, entails a whole range of responses that the workers of the industry will have to make and also quite a bit of infrastructure adjustment that the hotels will have to make, as well as the transportation subsector. It will also involves some changes at the airports and the seaports. So, it’s a pretty comprehensive set of protocols covering all points of entry, as well as the experience of the visitor within the destination,” said the Minister.

The Minister also provided an update on the Tourism Recovery Task Force, noting that Jessica Shannon, a Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) Advisory Partner based in Jamaica, is the newest addition to the Secretariat.

Shannon served as PWC’s deployed point partner throughout the Ebola crisis, focusing on the response and recovery efforts in West Africa; in this context she served as a senior advisor to private companies and government organisations in the design of strategy, policies and protocols as well as risk identification and monitoring. 

In addition to her current client engagements, she is part of a small task force established to refine and drive the implementation of PwC's global near- and mid-term strategic transformation in the wake of COVID-19.  

Shannon has been a Subject Matter Expert for the G20 think tank on economic and financial resilience and a speaker at conferences hosted by Harvard University, the World Bank and the United Nations.  Prior to PwC, she gained strategy experience as a management consultant with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and on the global leadership team at EY. 

This is the second addition to the committee from Price Waterhouse Coopers, as it also includes PWC’s Senior Partner, Wilfred Baghaloo, who chairs the COVID-19 General Tourism Working Team sub-committee.

Baghaloo was also the Co- Chairman of the Tourism Working Group for the Jamaica Tourism Linkages Committee which assessed how to ensure more local linkages to tourism industry and the development of local supply industries to the tourism sector.

The Ministry established the Covid-19 Tourism Recovery Taskforce last month, with a public-private sector collaboration consisting of key stakeholders from the tourism sector, the Ministry of Tourism, and Agencies of the Ministry. It will be supported by two Working Teams – one for general tourism and another for cruise tourism – and a Secretariat.

The Task Force has been tasked to bring about a realistic view of the sector’s baseline or starting position; develop scenarios for multiple versions of the future; establish the strategic posture for the sector as well as a broad direction of the journey back to growth; establish actions and strategic imperatives that will be reflected across various scenarios; and establish trigger points to tackle action, which includes a planned vision in a world that is learning to evolve rapidly.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 29, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has branded future travelers as Generation- C amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Minister did so today at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) UK Chapter’s Annual General Meeting, where he poke in depth about the advent of a new type of post-pandemic traveller.

Invited to the CTO’s AGM as the keynote speaker, Minister Bartlett was interviewed by Travel Weekly’s Editor-in-Chief, Lucy Huxley, on the key challenges for the Caribbean region facing COVID-19 and measures in place for recovery. He defined the term Generation-C or GEN-C as intergenerational, a merging of the demographics the island traditionally targeted and importantly one which was essentially ageless.

Minister Bartlett said, “We as an island and as part of the global travel and tourism industry need to adapt swiftly to the requirements of this new type of traveller post pandemic. GEN-C will be unsettled by the crisis they have lived through this year, they will need reassurance and evidence that their experience overseas will enhance their lives, not put their loved ones at risk.”

The global tourism industry has been severely impacted by the pandemic with tourism related activities coming to a halt as countries try to contain the spread of the disease.

“We are working hard to create new protocols for our industry to be implemented as soon as we can safely welcome visitors back.  These measures will tackle sanitation and hygiene requirements, protocols for behaviour at swimming pools, on our beaches and in our restaurants.

They will respond to the new sensitivities of the post-COVID-19 traveller and will be holistic covering all aspects of the vacation experience.  They will be measures that without a doubt will become the new norm,” added Minister Bartlett 

During the interview, Minister Bartlett also spoke of the new online training programme and certification courses that have been rolled out to thousands of out of work tourism workers in Jamaica in an effort to fortify the industry for a strong economic future. 

“Our online training programme which is being offered by the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation forms a part of the overall recovery strategies being implemented to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic so when we emerge out of this disruption we will be ready and better able to manage when the sector reopens,” said Minister Bartlett.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 26, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has announced that registration for the recently launched free online training for tourism workers closes today, Sunday, 26^th April, 2020 at 4pm.

So far, over 6500 tourism workers have registered since the programme launched on Wednesday April 22 with all courses being oversubscribed. The cut off is to accommodate the official start of the online programmes on Monday April 27.

Under the program, tourism workers are being offered 11 free online courses to hone their skills and improve their qualifications.

“The responses for this free online training for our tourism workers have been overwhelming and shows that our workers see the value in getting certified. I am pleased that our workers are taking the initiative to access these courses which will provide them with stackable credentials,” said Minister Bartlett.

The initiative, which is being driven by the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI), a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), is geared towards assisting tourism workers, who were laid off as a result of the closure of hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The courses that were offered are as follows: Laundry Attendant, Guest Room Attendant, ServSafe Training in Food Safety, Certified Hospitality Supervisor, Introduction to Spanish, Public Area Sanitation, Hospitality Team Leader, Certified Banquet Server, Certified Restaurant Server, and DJ Certification. These are certification programmes, which means that only candidates will actual work experience are eligible.

“We are aware of the high traffic the website experienced due to the high interest of our workers to register and will be looking at how we can expand the programme,” added Minister Bartlett.

The programme is being administered in collaboration with our major partners.  HEART/National Service Training (HEART/NSTA) Trust, will be offering courses free to candidates and paying all the tutors.  The National Restaurant Association (NRA), the owners of the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), will be offering their signature ServSafe Certification, and the Universal Service Fund (USF) will be supporting individuals who need access to the Internet.

All courses will include certification examinations and successful candidates will receive certificates from certifying institutions, including the National Restaurant Association, the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute and HEART Trust/NSTA.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 23, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has officially launched free online training for tourism workers. The initiative, which is being driven by the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI), a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), is geared towards assisting tourism workers, who were laid off as a result of the closure of hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the programme, tourism workers are being offered 11 free online courses to hone their skills and improve their qualifications.

The Ministry is reporting that so far, 2,279 users have registered since the programme launched yesterday afternoon, with several candidates placed a wait-list, given the high demand for specific programmes (such as certification in Hospitality Team Leader, Restaurant Servers, Hospitality Supervisor and Spanish).

Speaking after the digital launch, Minister Bartlett said, “We are very proud that the programme is so well-received by our hospitality workers.  In fact the portal crashed moments after our launch, due to the influx of interest, but I am happy to report these technical issues have been addressed. So I encourage all hospitality workers to take advantage of this opportunity.”

The Minister added that this initiative was very important because he wanted the workforce to be more qualified after the period of this pandemic, than when it started.

“The COVID-19 crisis has hit our tourism sector hard. As hotels and attractions have shuttered operations and borders have closed all of the 160,000 workers directly employed in tourism have been impacted in one way or another. Forty thousand remain employed while 75% [120,000] have been laid off.

Therefore, I am pleased to announce that we will be offering our tourism workers a lifeline. There is no better time than now for them to retool and upskill. It is a smart investment in staying resilient, which will pay handsome dividends when the tourism sector returns to normal,” he said.

The programme is being administered in collaboration with our major partners.  HEART/National Service Training (HEART/NSTA) Trust, will be offering courses free to candidates and paying all the tutors.

The National Restaurant Association (NRA), the owners of the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), will be offering their signature ServSafe Certification, and the Universal Service Fund (USF) will be supporting individuals who need access to the Internet.

“The USF, in particular, is a critical partner as we seek to ensure access for those who do not have the technology at home. The USF has 193 functional Community Access Points (CAPs) throughout Jamaica, each with 25 computers with internet access,” said Minister Bartlett.

He further added that, “The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), will be partnering with the USF to use select CAPs in Trelawny, St. James, St. Ann and Westmoreland so that students without access to a smartphone will be able to utilize the CAPs in these parishes to participate in the courses and access course material.”

The JCTI initiative includes 11 free online certifications, which will ensure the continued advancement of local tourism workers despite the challenging circumstances.

The courses are as follows: Laundry Attendant, Guest Room Attendant, Kitchen Steward Porter, ServSafe Training in Food Safety, Certified Hospitality Supervisor, Introduction to Spanish, Public Area Sanitation, Hospitality Team Leader, Certified Banquet Server, Certified Restaurant Server, and DJ Certification.

These are certification programmes, which means that only candidates with actual work experience are eligible.

All courses will include certification examinations and successful candidates will receive certificates from certifying institutions, including the National Restaurant Association, the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute or HEART Trust/NSTA.

Registration continues at www.tef.gov.jm/jamaica-centre-of-toursm-innovation

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 17, 2020: Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett has announced that his Ministry will be offering a six-month moratorium on licenses and fees that are to be paid by certain tourism entities.

Minister Bartlett made this announcement earlier today during a digital press briefing hosted by his Ministry to update stakeholders.

According to the Minister, the categories of entities that are set to benefit include all accommodation and  Ministry approved places of interests that have to go to the Jamaica Tourist Board and the Tourism Product Development Company for licenses.

“The accumulative revenue that we forego for that six-month period, which will end in September of the year, will be J$9.7 million. This will give you some level of reprieve and hopefully help with the cash-flow situation for a number of our partners,” said Minister Bartlett.

This six-month moratorium will be reviewed depending on the length of time it takes for the country to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the briefing the Minister also announced that Professor the Hon. Gordon Shirley, President and CEO of the Port Authority of Jamaica, has agreed to chair a cruise recovery programme for COVID-19.

“The panel that we have established is a very eminent one, which includes some of the best minds in the cruise sector and we are hoping to have them begin to work, as early as next Monday [April 20]. This will allow us to start putting protocols in place and begin engaging with our partners, to get that sector back on track as quickly as possible,” said Minister Bartlett.  

Minister Bartlett also provided an update on the Tourism Recovery Task Force, which was first announced during a digital media briefing on April 9.

“We will be working on a hard 2-week drive, to get the framework of the recovery ready, for first discussion with a major international company. This company will be working with us to develop the technical aspect of the plan.

We are going to be taking that plan to our partners... We want to create a new tourism after COVID-19 because we recognize the changes that are going to take place,” said the Minister.

The task force will consist of two layers of partners whose mandate is to, among other things, provide a recovery and growth stimulation framework for the sector.

It was created to establish a realistic view of the sector’s baseline or starting position; develop scenarios for multiple versions of the future; establish the strategic posture for the sector as well as a broad direction of the journey back to growth; establish actions and strategic imperatives that will be reflected across various scenarios; and establish trigger points to tackle action, which includes a planned vision in a world that is learning to evolve rapidly.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 16, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says the initial $250 million of the $1 billion committed to long-awaited Tourism Workers Pension Scheme by the Government has been paid over to the newly selected-fund manager, Sagicor Jamaica Limited.

“The long awaited Tourism Workers Pension Scheme has reached another milestone. We can now announce that we have an Investment Manager, which is Sagicor and finalizing arrangements with a Fund -Administrator. Additionally J$250 million of the J$1 billion from the Ministry’s injection has been disbursed to seed the fund to ensure these workers have a pension,” said Minister Bartlett.

He noted that he is currently awaiting the House’s approval of the regulations, which will pave the way for the Scheme’s implementation, once industry workers return to their jobs.

“The well-being of our workers in the industry remains a priority for us at the Ministry of Tourism. We are forging ahead with this scheme because we want to ensure that after the coronavirus (COVID-19) has passed, the pension programme will be in place,” said the Minister.

The pension scheme is a defined contributory plan supported by legislation and will require mandatory contributions by workers and employers.

The Tourism Workers Pension Scheme is designed to cover all workers ages 18-59 years in the tourism sector, whether permanent, contract or self-employed, the ministry said. It further noted that this includes hotel workers as well as persons employed in other tourism subsectors such as craft vendors, tour operators, red cap porters, contract carriage operators and workers at attractions.

Benefits will be payable at age 65 years or older.

The Ministry of Tourism is providing $1 billion to seed the fund, so that immediate benefits can accrue to qualified pensioners, who have met the vested period of five years.