KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 10, 2020:  The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) recently upgraded the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to the Caribbean Region to Very High. The projection is now that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Caribbean economies could be worse than that of the 2008 Global Recession. The tourism sector is likely to be the hardest hit of all the major economic sectors in the region.

Before the full onslaught of the pandemic, it was projected that Caribbean tourism would grow by 5 to 6 percent in 2020. Various destinations have, however, since revised their projections to reflect the declining fortunes that most destinations have been witnessing over the past several weeks and will continue to experience indefinitely in the coming months to years.

The entire tourism industry in many destinations is now facing imminent closure as a consequence of  the strict measures being adopted by authorities both domestically and externally to contain the spread of COVID-19. The imposition of international travel restrictions in many source markets has forced the cancellation of thousands of flights and advance reservations.

Major hotel chains across the region have reacted by announcing suspension of their operations and have sent home thousands of workers. Jamaica is projected to lose US$564 million in 2020 as a direct impact of the virus while the Bahamas faces a US$2.7 billion in lost tourism revenues if the pandemic shuts down stopover visits for the rest of 2020.

The socio-economic fallout from any prolonged disruption to the tourism sector will be dire for the region. The tourism sector supports 16 out of 28 economies in the Caribbean. The Caribbean is, in fact, the most tourism-dependent in the world with 10 of the 20 most tourism-dependent countries in the world being located in the region led by The British Virgin Islands with 92.6 % dependence. Jamaica is listed among these 10 Caribbean countries.

Overall, Travel & Tourism contributes 15.2% of the Caribbean’s GDP and 13.8% of employment. However, in around half of the countries analyzed, the sector accounts for over 25% of GDP – more than double the world average of 10.4%. In Jamaica, tourism directly employs 120,000 people and generates another 250,000 indirect jobs, equivalent to 1 in 4 Jamaicans.

The pace and consistency of tourism growth in the Caribbean has outpaced most other sectors in the region. The data indicate that in virtually all Caribbean countries the contribution of agriculture to GDP has fallen over the past 5 decades. The mining and manufacturing sectors have witnessed similar patterns of decline. In contrast, the tourism sector has been growing at an estimated rate of 5 percent per annum since the 1970s.

Tourism in Jamaica has expanded by 36 percent of the last 10 years relative to total economy growth of 6 percent. More importantly, tourism has established valuable linkages with the manufacturing and agricultural sectors as well as several others including transportation, telecommunications, utilities, banking and finance, food and beverage, and culture and creativity.

Evidently, a healthy tourism sector is indispensable to the region’s sustained economic progress. In recognition of this fact, efforts must be doubled to expediate the recovery of the sector. Ideally, recovery interventions should  be based on intensified partnerships between government and the private sector aimed at protecting the livelihoods of workers, providing fiscal support through the extension of vital, interest-free loans to tourism entities, and injecting liquidity and cash to support tourism enterprises of all sizes, as well as offering targeted support to severely-affected segments within the sector.

Ultimately, the magnitude of the impact of COVID-19 on tourism will depend crucially on not only the spread of the virus and the duration of the outbreak but also on the measures countries in the region and elsewhere undertake to save the sector from indefinite uncertainty.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 09, 2020:  Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that the Government of Jamaica has received over 7,000 applications on the website for the COVID-19 Allocation of Resources for Employees (CARE) programme, which was launched earlier today.

Speaking at a digital press briefing, the Tourism Minister said, “I am pleased to advise that as of now, the Government of Jamaica’s site for the stimulus package has had 7,000 applications and 6,500 of those applications have already been approved.”

The Government of Jamaica, through the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, launched the programme, to offer financial assistance through grants and relief packages across various sectors.

Tourism is currently one of the most affected sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, The CARE website includes special components to assist the tourism sector. These include the Business Employee Support and Transfer of Cash (BEST Cash), the Tourism Grant, and the Supporting Employees with Transfer of Cash (SET Cash) Programme, which can also be applied for on the WECARE website (www.wecare.gov.jm).

The Tourism Minister explained that through the CARE programme, 19 categories of businesses/workers in the industry are set to benefit. These include:

·         Jamaica Tourist Board licenced hotels

·         Jamaica Tourist Board licenced attractions

·         Jamaica Tourist Board licenced villas 

·         Jamaica Tourist Board licenced apartments

·         Jamaica Tourist Board licenced water sport operators

·         In-Bond Merchants

·         Jamaica Tourist Board licenced tour operators

·         Jamaica Tourist Board licenced guest houses

·         Jamaica Tourist Board licenced homestay businesses

·         Jamaica Tourist Board licenced car rentals

·         Jamaica Tourist Board licenced bike rentals

·         Travel Agency Companies

·         Raft Captains

·         Craft Vendors

·         Craft Producers

·         Contract Carriage Businesses

·         Airport Red Cap Porters

·         Golf Caddies

·         Tour Guides

“These categories are in our direct and indirect tourism partners. We then have the induced, such as the thousands who are involved in agriculture, manufacturing, the service industry and a number of other key areas that are central to the tourism delivery system.

They are also going to benefit, based on the document we have received from the Ministry of Finance in the other broad areas,” said Minister Bartlett.

As part of the COVID-19 Taskforce, the Tourism Ministry will be driving the implementation of the stimulation package for our tourism stakeholders. The Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) and the Jamaica Tourist Board have been collating data from our subsector suppliers (craft-vendors, transportation operators etc.) through Destination Assurance Managers who will need to access these benefits.

“It has become clear, that the pathway for the tourism recovery is being laid – it begins with the workers of the industry. I am proud to say that my Government has made the first and important move, to secure the well-being of the workers in the tourism industry and also for all workers of Jamaica,” said Minister Bartlett.

Applications for the COVID-19 Allocation of Resources for Employees (CARE) programme will close by June 30. Beneficiaries are expected to receive payments within 30 days after application and confirmation that all eligibility requirements are met.

The Ministry of Finance and Public Service has noted that the high number of applications has resulted in users experiencing glitches on the site. However, the team is working assiduously to have the problems resolved.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 09, 2020:  The Spanish Jamaica Foundation has donated US$200,000 (J$28 million) to the Government of Jamaica’s COVID-19 Recovery Programme. The donation will go towards the procurement of well-needed protective gear and ventilators. The announcement was made during a digital press briefing hosted by the Ministry of Tourism earlier today.

The Spanish-Jamaican Foundation includes members from various Spanish-owned hotels and companies that hold investments in Jamaica. It is a non-profit organization objective is to foster partnerships between both countries through projects and initiatives of educational, cultural and social character.

“This donation is very important to us because the Tourism industry is a critical part of the whole recovery programme for COVID-19. We are impacted greatly by it, as you know, but we also must be a central part of the management and recovery activities,” said Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.

Ambassador of Spain to Jamaica, His Excellency Josep Maria Bosch, stated that “The members of the foundation have expressed a will to cooperate with the Government of Jamaica…Almost every dollar that was in their accounts has been allocated for special donations to the Ministry of Health to support the fight against the virus. Spain will try to be closer to Jamaica, it may be a small part of the fight, but we are very happy to be contributing to this effort. The amount will be US$200,000 and some of the companies are thinking of doing special new donations. So maybe the figure will be increased in the future.”

Minister Bartlett added that this donation is one of many donations and gestures being done by the sector. He shared that in some instances, workers who have been laid off have been given care packages to help sustain them through this period among other incentives.

“The donation from the Spanish Jamaica Foundation now brings us to over US$1.2 million from our hotels to various aspects of the recovery programme for COVID-19,” said Minister Bartlett.

Senior Advisor and Strategist, Delano Seiveright noted that many stakeholders are doing their part to assist the Government in its aggressive efforts to manage Covid-19.

“Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) members are collaborating with the Ministry of Health and Wellness to provide well-needed rooms for recovery/quarantine of COVID-19 patients. Sandals Resorts International has provided rooms, transportation for healthcare workers, hand held thermometers and ventilators in excess of J$20 million; the Issa Trust Foundation has donated J$32 million in critical supplies; Round Hill Hotel and Villas is working with Hanover Charities to use all perishables to support soup kitchens in Lucea, where they will continue to feed up to 700 persons on a frequent basis; the Hendrickson group are putting together major support and many others have or are coming onboard.” Seiveright noted.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 2, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett today announced that his Ministry donated communication equipment, valued at approximately J$1.5 million, to assist farmers affected by the now-dormant tourism sector, which was their primary market.

Farmers, who supply the tourism industry, have been severely impacted by the closure of hotels and attractions as well as the downturn in businesses from restaurants, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The equipment, which included six laptops and six mobile phones, was donated to the staff of the Agri-Linkages Exchange Project (ALEX), who typically communicate directly with farmers to facilitate the distribution of their produce to the tourism sector. The donation will allow the six members of staff to work from home and find new distribution channels for the produce.

Speaking at a digital press briefing hosted at the Ministry of Tourism’s Kingston office earlier today, the Tourism Minister said, “One of our biggest partners in the tourism industry is agriculture. We know at this time the hotels are closed but hopefully for a short time.

However, the need for the ALEX app is more critical now because small farmers, who have been producing for the industry, would now have an excess in produce and would need an opportunity to connect with other entities, so they know what you have, where you have it and the cost.”

With the closure of the hotels, the Centre, which is housed at RADA’s St Andrew office, will be focused on selling the produce to restaurants and supermarkets.

State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Floyd Green, welcomed the donation sharing that it would help reduce the large amount of excess produce, which may be wasted.

“For the month of March, due to the downturn in tourism, we have approximately 9000 tonnes of produce that would normally go into the tourism sector that are now an excess. We are talking about billions of dollars that would have been taken up by the tourism sector, that have no place to go.

But every challenge presents an opportunity and we want to thank the Ministry of Tourism for recognising that even in this time of difficulty, we can innovate and strengthen the things we do,” said Minister Green.  

He added that members of the public are being encouraged to utilise the platform to purchase fresh produce in smaller quantities and support the farmers.

“If the general public is wondering how they can get access to this excess produce that we have, they can visit www.agrilinkages.gov.jm.

The site used to be for big orders but the platform is so configured that you can order even two pounds of tomatoes. Now that the team is working from home, they can call the farmers and get them to deliver right to your gate,” he said.

The Agri-Linkages Exchange Project (ALEX) is a joint agreement with the Ministry of Tourism, through the Tourism Linkages Network, and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture & Fisheries (MICAF), through the Rural Agricultural Authority (RADA).  

It was developed in 2017 to establish a bridge between sellers (farmers) and buyers (tourism stakeholders) to facilitate the exchange of goods.

Through this exchange centre, farmers have had access to a physical space dedicated to calling or emailing about the produce they have available to supply the tourism sector. The Centre then markets this information to the hospitality sector and provides support to other key agricultural stakeholders. 

There are currently over four hundred farmers registered on the platform.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 2, 2020: Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett this morning announced the launch of a free online training programme for tourism workers affected by the negative impact of Covid-19.

“Faced with the dramatic consequences of Covid-19, the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) which is in the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), is acting to face this emergency, to serve sector. The JCTI will provide on-line certification programmes to employees who have been laid off, and who want to use this time to improve their qualifications. These courses will be offered Free of Cost.” – Bartlett noted.

The programme will be undertaken in collaboration with employers, to ensure that they are aware of the persons with the best possible skills to support their companies when they reopen after Covid-19.

“The programme will become active after Easter and will be piloted by the head of the JCTI Carol Rose Brown. The Holness administration and Minister Bartlett are very concerned about the welfare of our tourism workers and want to ensure that many strategies are activated to ensure their continued advancement despite the challenging circumstances” noted Delano Seiveright, Senior Advisor/Strategist, Ministry of Tourism.

 This intervention will be implemented in collaboration with local and international partners, as follows:

 -        The National Restaurant Association (NRA)/ The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) and

 -        Human Employment and Resource Training-National Service Training Agency (HEART-NSTA Trust)

“This is a demonstration of the importance of the Government’s Human Capital Development strategy, being implemented by the JCTI.  One of the important goals of this strategy is to find ways to help tourism workers become certified.” – Bartlett highlighted.

The programme will support the development of people in the sector by offering opportunities for them to achieve the certification required to support themselves as we move forward. It will prepare employees to return to their jobs with better skills, help businesses ensure that the workforce meets the highest standards, and ensure employees and their families are not left alone in the face of these challenging times.

This initiative is also intended support the future development of our economy and foster social protection.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 27, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has met with craft vendors, one of the key subsector groups in tourism, to discuss strategies to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses.

“With the closure of our borders and general measures instituted to reduce the spread of the disease, tourism has come to a halt leaving many workers and businesses displaced.

In my meeting yesterday, held via teleconference, with heads of various craft associations, i had fruitful discussions on the way forward and highlighted some of the financial arrangements being put in place to help these vendors,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Minister has also had meetings with travel agents and the transportation subsector to discuss strategies to help reduce the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses as well.

The island’s tourism has come to a halt following restrictive measures to help reduce the spread of the disease.  

“I am aware of the severe difficulties being encountered by our suppliers and recently devised, with my colleague Minister of Finance, a grant of 1.2 billion dollars to businesses operating in tourism and related sectors,” said Minister Bartlett.

In addition to this grant, the government has been implementing fiscal actions to cushion the economic impact of Covid-19. These include:

·         Discussions with commercial banks for them to provide temporary cash-flow 

·         support to businesses and consumers in affected sectors through deferral of principal payments, new lines of credit and other measures

·         Introduction of the Covid Allocation of Resources for Employees (CARE) programme which has four elements:

a. Introduction of the Business Employee Support and Transfer of Cash (BEST Cash) – which will provide temporary cash transfer to businesses in targeted sectors based on the number of workers they keep employed.

b. Supporting Employees with Transfer of Cash (SET Cash ) – which will provide temporary cash transfer to individuals where it can be verified that they lost their employment since March 10, (the date of the first Covid case in Jamaica) due to the Covid virus and this will be available for a specific period.

c. Special soft loan fund to assist individuals and businesses that have been hard hit.

d. Supporting the poor and vulnerable with special Covid related grants.

 Minister Bartlett added that, “This is a unique time as we all grapple with this novel pandemic but together we are working to come up with the best possible solutions to ensure we recover.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 24, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has announced that his Ministry along with the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), will be partnering to provide rooms for COVID-19 patients, should the need arise.

“I am in discussions with my colleague Minister of Health and the president of the JHTA to identify suitable rooms in the event they may be required to deal with recovery cases with COVID-19. Right now it is all hands on deck and tourism stands ready to support in any way it can to mitigate against the impact of this pandemic,” said Minister Bartlett.

The COVID-09 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on several countries globally. To date, there has been over 400 thousand cases with over 18 thousand deaths associated with the disease.

“Partnerships at the local, regional and global levels are critical at this stage to help manage this disease and this is just one such example,” added Minister Bartlett.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon Christopher Tufton has welcomed the initiative, which he says will help to ease the burden on the already limited public health resources.

Speaking on the response by the JHTA, President Omar Robinson said, “The JHTA has requested from our members with closed properties to enter into a partnership arrangement with the Ministry of Health & Wellness in the provision of rooms for quarantine/isolation purposes. We have also requested of our members to donate linens and other soft goods for use at hospitals, and isolation/quarantine rooms.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 20, 2020: Senior officials at Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism yesterday participated in a virtual meeting with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), to discuss a global coordinated partnership to mitigate the impact of the Coronavirus on the world travel and tourism sector.

The partnership will include UNWTO, governments around the world, global private sector organizations and other international organizations.

Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett pledged his support for this initiative which will mitigate the impact of the pandemic that has made tourism particularly vulnerable.

During the discussions, Minister Bartlett noted that, “For the Caribbean and other countries in the Americas, the stakes are much higher than for most other regions. The Caribbean is the most tourism-dependent region in the world, one in every four Caribbean national is employed in the tourism sector while tourism supports 16 of 18 economies in the region.”

He added that, “Despite the initial positive outlook for global and regional tourism in 2020, we can now reasonably anticipate negative repercussions from the unexpected fallout associated with the COV1D pandemic. These repercussions will likely extend into 2021.”

The Minister also provided the international body with an update on the response taken by the Government of Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. He shared that key issues so far include:

·         Effective management of public health systems in our territories

·         Maintenance of the tourism product quality during this period to ensure a strong recovery

·         Human capital and welfare concerns for employees

The meeting also included senior executives from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), World Health Organization (WHO), Chairs of UNWTO Regional Commissions in Africa, South Asia, Europe and the Middle East, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), European Commissions, International Maritime Organization (IMO), Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), International Air Transport Association (IATA) as well as the Airports Council International (ACI).

“The crisis at hand also reaffirms the important role of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre. The Centre represents the primary institutional framework in the region for assessing, forecasting, mitigating and managing risks to the tourism sector,” said Minister Bartlett.

To respond to the COVID-19 threat, the Centre recently appointed Dr. Elaine Williams as Coordinator of Pandemics at the Centre. Dr. Williams, who is a well-known pathologist, will be working with key stakeholders in health to build clinical resilience in the industry.

“We are also actively engaging all our stakeholders and partners, including travel agencies, cruise lines, hoteliers, booking agencies, marketing agencies, airlines etc. WTO, CTO CHTA etc. – and we will be announcing more measures shortly,” he said.

The UNWTO is the leading international organization in the field of tourism. UNWTO promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

The UNTWO’s membership includes 159 countries, 6 Associate Members and over 500 Affiliate Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 18, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has been working with the Ministry of Finance and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) to institute fiscal arrangements that will help to cushion the impact of COVID-19 on workers in the sector. The pandemic, whilst negatively impacting all sectors, has brought global tourism to a standstill. 

“I want all workers in the sector to know that we are aware of the challenges and ripple effects of this pandemic as activities grind to a halt and questions surrounding job security arise. Based on these new developments, I have been in discussion with my colleague Minister of Finance and the JHTA to iron out a plan of action to help safeguard all our workers, over the last several weeks,” said Minister Bartlett.

Already, the Government is in short order implementing fiscal actions to cushion the economic impact of Covid-19. These include:

·         Discussions with commercial banks for them to provide temporary cash-flow 

·         support to businesses and consumers in affected sectors through deferral of principal payments, new lines of credit and other measures

·         Introduction of the Covid Allocation of Resources for Employees (CARE) programme which has four elements:

a. Introduction of the Business Employee Support and Transfer of Cash (BEST Cash) – which will provide temporary cash transfer to businesses in targeted sectors based on the number of workers they keep employed.

b. Supporting Employees with Transfer of Cash (SET Cash ) – which will provide temporary cash transfer to individuals where it can be verified that they lost their employment since March 10, (the date of the first Covid case in Jamaica) due to the Covid virus and this will be available for a specific period.

c. Special soft loan fund to assist individuals and businesses that have been hard hit.

d. Supporting the poor and vulnerable with special Covid related grants.

“I am appealing to all workers in the sector to remain safe by following the hygienic protocols we have laid out and to listen to credible news reports to get the necessary updates to stay abreast of the situation,” added Minister Bartlett.

Minister Bartlett noted that he and senior members of his team have been in touch with all key stakeholders here and overseas and will maintain in contact as part of his efforts to work together to find the best possible solutions to lessen the impact on the sector.

March 16, 2020 – Kingston, Jamaica – Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton and other senior Government officials hosted a video conference call with over 30 Hotel Executives inclusive of the leadership of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) last night (Sunday March 15) to get frank and detailed sector specific situation analyses in light of COVID-19.

Also on the video conference led from the Health Ministry’s Covid-19 Emergency Operations Centre in New Kingston was Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dunstan Bryan; Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jacqueline Bisasor-McKenzie; Senior Advisor and Strategist in the Tourism Ministry, Delano Seiveright. Video Conference participants included President of the JHTA, Omar Robinson; Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), Chairman, John Lynch; JTB Director, Donovan White and executives of several major resorts including Sandals, Beaches, RIU, Bahia Principe, Royalton, Half Moon, Round Hill, Moon Palace, Iberostar, Jamaica Pegasus among several others.

Senior Strategist, Delano Seiveright noted that, “Minister Bartlett and the Ministry’s leadership has been working closely with the Ministry of Health over the last several weeks. This was further deepened following Prime Minister Andrew Holness chaired National Disaster Risk Management Council meeting on COVID-19 recently and now established tourism health protocols that have been adopted by all tourism entities. The Protocols cover three basic elements – developing the required infrastructure, providing support to the Ministry of Health and educating all stakeholders about the COVID-19 virus.”

“It is clear however that with escalating travel restrictions and broad discouragement of non-essential travel, here and abroad, the sector will be reduced to a trickle for some time.”, Seiveright noted.