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.

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.”