KINGSTON, Jamaica; February 13, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says major hotel brands in Israel have expressed interest in investing in Jamaica and are expected to visit the island soon.

“I am very happy to share that our meetings in the Mediterranean have been very fruitful. We have met with a number of hoteliers including the luxury brand Brown Hotels. Their properties are a very trendy group, similar to the Hard Rock brand, and I am sure it will be a great addition to our Kingston or Montego Bay offerings,’ said the Minister.

Brown Hotels is a rapidly-expanding global boutique hotel brand with roots in Tel Aviv. Conceived by native Israelis, Leon Avigad & Nitzan Perry with partner Nir Waizman. Their properties include four hotels in Tel Aviv, two in Jerusalem and one in Croatia.

The Minister also noted that the investors have accepted his invitation to visit Jamaica, and should be in attendance at the upcoming Jamaica Rum Festival.

The Festival, which will take place at place at Hope Gardens on March 9 and 10, is being presented by J. Wray & Nephew Limited’s Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum brand in partnership with the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF). It aims to promote brand Jamaica, boost tourism in Kingston and showcase Jamaica’s cultural excellence in rum, food and music.

“I am looking forward to continuing our discussions when the team arrives in Kingston next month. I am also excited that they will get an opportunity to attend this major food festival we will be hosting in Kingston. This is a potentially big find and they are ready for the Caribbean particularly Jamaica because of our music and rum which are so appealing to young people,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Minister is currently in Israel to participate in the Annual International Mediterranean Tourism Market.

The International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM 2019) is an annual tourism event that brings together professionals and service providers from the tourism industry and introduces new attractions and tourist destinations. 

The Minister is expected to return to the island on February 18.

Resilience is everybody’s business. All policymakers in the Caribbean must be concerned about the resilience of their national sectors amid a wide range of constantly evolving threats facing the region.  The concern is however especially urgent for policymakers in the tourism sector which is simultaneously one of the most resilient yet volatile segments of the economies of small island states.

The risks facing tourism are indeed dynamic. They are traditional as well as non-traditional.   They range from natural disasters to made-made disasters such as climate change to epidemics and pandemics to terrorism to the emerging threat of cybercrimes.

Despite the presence of these threats, The IDB Action Plan for Latin America and Caribbean has noted that with a few notable exceptions, the region has not pursued policies that reflect an understanding of its vulnerabilities and that identify actions to redress them. It noted a lack of comprehensive capacity building for disaster and emergency preparedness and response.

As we move forward indifference to the potentially existential threats facing the region’s tourism sector can no longer be the order of the day.  Mitigation and resilience will require Caribbean destinations to engage in proactive planning against anticipated disaster risks rather than repeatedly being caught reacting to events as they occur. This would demand greater levels of coordination, collaboration and integration between tourism agencies and local disaster management agencies to address disaster vulnerability and risk.  The region’s tourism policy makers must take seriously the recommendations of the World Travel and Tourism Council that the important matters of climate change, disaster degradation and resilience be prioritized over the next several years.

Resilience strategies to protect the future of tourism in the Caribbean are especially urgent given the unquantifiable importance of a healthy and secure tourism industry to the economic sustenance of the region.  As I have stated many times before the Caribbean is the most tourism-dependent region in the world with tourism being the largest generator of foreign exchange and jobs in 16 out of 28 countries in the region and the sector receiving the most FDI. A major disruption to tourism will likely devastate the economic livelihoods of millions and stymy the sustainable development of the region. 

Coming out of the 2017 UNWTO Global Tourism Conference held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, to mark the commemoration of 2017 as the year of sustainable tourism, The Montego Bay Declaration was adopted affirming  the commitment of governments, the UN system, global and regional financial institutions and the private sector  to cooperating to promote safe, secure and seamless travel and build resilience for tourism by advancing crisis preparedness and management capabilities as well as the full integration of tourism in emergency structures.

The 2017 Global Tourism Conference closed with a call for Government, private sector, donors and the international and regional organizations to support the establishment of a Global Tourism Resilience Centre in the Caribbean, including a Sustainable Tourism Observatory, to assist destinations’ preparedness, management and recovery of crises which impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods. On February 30, 2019, a little over a year later, this call was answered with the launch of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre to be housed at The University of the West Indies (Mona Campus).

The Centre is tasked with the responsibility of producing and generating toolkits, communication strategies, guidelines and capacity building programmes to enhance assist destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods in the region.  The establishment of this Centre will constitute an important enabling mechanism for achieving our institutional goals of increasing the quality of the output of the global tourism product by providing outstanding support through research, action, and advocacy.

The Centre will be engaged in a wide range of activities geared towards promoting mitigation and resilience including the development of indicators to measure resilience; risk assessment mapping and planning; promoting innovation systems for climate adaptation and resilience; cross-border intelligence sharing; widespread training and education to build capacity and promote behaviour modification;, developing a regional funding model to coordinate regional responses; fostering deepened  knowledge of cyberspace policy; promoting counter-terrorism studies;  developing urban resilience and building meaningful partnerships.

The Centre will act as both a practical solution facing destinations globally and an intellectual space for academics and practitioners to share information on contemporary issues in and strategies for global resilience management with the establishment of an International Journal of Tourism Resilience Management and an academic Chair in Resilience Management at UWI to develop and enhance scholarship in the area of Resilience Management for universities around the world. The Centre will also provide research fellowship opportunities for individuals seeking to either expand their knowledge or, gain experience in tourism resilience and crisis management, through postdoctoral research, and (2) internships for undergraduate and graduate students in fields of study related to tourism resilience and crisis management.

Given the globally recognized importance of tourism management, the centre will certainly position Jamaica as a global thought leadership in tourism resilience and crisis management and is thus a critical development enabler for countries around the world.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; February 07, 2019:  Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says the Jamaica Rum Festival will broaden the country’s market by adding value to the Gastronomy Tourism product offerings.

Speaking at the Launch, which took place on February 05 at the Office of the Prime Minister, Minister Bartlett stated that “The logic behind celebrating our indigenous foods is very clear and the implications on tourism arrivals and growth is equally big…This rum festival is a great opportunity for us to broaden the market by bringing more people to the destination to indulge and then after they leave Jamaica, they will return. We already have a 42% repeat business, but that can multiply if we have events that are products that become annual events for tourism.”

The Festival, which will take place at place at Hope Gardens on March 9 and 10, is being presented by J. Wray & Nephew Limited’s Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum brand in partnership with the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).  It aims to promote brand Jamaica, boost tourism in Kingston and showcase Jamaica’s cultural excellence in rum, food and music.  

According to the organizers, patrons will be exposed to the rum-making process, learn about the unique provenance of Jamaican rums and sample a variety of blends. They will also learn about ideal rum & food pairings, while enjoying entertainment from some of Jamaica’s finest musicians. 

TEF’s Executive Director, Dr. Carey Wallace, shared that approximately $10 million has been invested in the Jamaica Rum Festival to assist with marketing and the build out of Artisan Villages, which will be a key feature of the event. The artisan villages will allow patrons to purchase authentic and personalised Jamaican craft items.

Patrons will also be encouraged to explore the Jamaican competitive spirits through their participation in rum-based culinary and mixology competitions, domino contests and other games. 

“Gastronomy is an important part of tourism and our exceptional culinary delights such as our coffee and rum are among the top-three reasons why persons visit Jamaica. Every day, many tourists are driven to travel to Jamaica to taste our rich cultural dishes. This is the primary reason we have invested in building out this very important passion point of our visitors," said the Minister.

The Jamaica Rum Festival will take place a week after the Blue Mountain Coffee Festival – a major food festival being organized by the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Tourism enhancement Fund. It will feature Blue Mountain coffee and coffee related products, food stalls, entertainment, cultural presentations, tastings and demonstrations, and workshops.

“This rum festival is a product that will join the coffee festival and the cocoa festival which is coming and we are going to be looking at other commodities of which Jamaica has some level of comparative in terms of the quality of our product and to use those to leverage the experiential tourism that we are marketing,” said Minister Bartlett.

FALMOUTH, Trelawny; February 7, 2019: Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Most Honourable Andrew Holness has welcomed the new USD 250Million (J$34 Billion) investment from Spanish Hotel chain, H10, which officially broke ground today in Coral Spring, Trelawny.

Construction is already underway by the H10 Hotel chain to construct 1000 new rooms. The hotel, which is expected to complete 500 rooms by the end of the year, will be called Ocean Coral Spring.

In welcoming the new development, Prime Minister Holness also reiterated that new tourism investments in the country must include Jamaicans to ensure inclusive growth in the sector, “Growth is all about value creation. Yes we could be receiving new investments and bringing in new capital but we must ensure that the value that is being created in the local economy. This means supplying the sector with local products.”

Prime Minister Holness added that, “So what contributes towards growth is when the farmer can get their products into the hotels to be sold. What we want is for every single Jamaican to feel that they are included in the growth and development of this industry.”

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, added that “This beginning of H10 in Jamaica promises to be an exciting and financially enabling relationship because it is going to enable a large number of workers to generate income and this defines what tourism is all about. It is about inclusive growth, by creating jobs, enabling consumption and enabling revenue.

Additionally I am happy that the advent of H10 will bring with it a number of other investment properties over the next few months.”

Director of International Division for H10 Hotels, Mr. Antonio Hernandez says the construction of Ocean Coral Spring is a “significant opportunity to start a long term success story in this beautiful and exciting country.”

Chargee d’Affaires from the Spanish Embassy, Ms. Victoria Garcia Ojeda said Spain remains the second largest investor in Jamaica with tourism as the main beneficiary. She added that ‘We intend to continue this partnership that will result in more economic growth and job creation.”

Ocean Coral Spring will consist of two five star all-inclusive hotels and several entertainment and gastronomic facilities. The property will be the only one of its kind in the English speaking Caribbean and form part of the H10 group that has over 55 hotels in 19 destinations worldwide. 

MONTEGO BAY, St. James; February 2, 2019: Jamaica is once again in the spotlight as top Caribbean Cruise Destination of the year for 2018. Jamaica received the award from Caribbean Journal, the world’s largest website covering Caribbean travel and trade news.

The award recognizes destinations that record consistent growth in cruise arrivals. Last year, Jamaica continued to attract new cruise ships such as Carnival Horizon and popular cruise brand, TUI also increased their call to Montego Bay.

This follows Jamaica’s recent record wins at the World Travel Awards in Portugal and Travvy Awards held last month in New York, where the island was awarded Best Wedding destination, Best Honeymoon destination and Best Culinary destination among others.

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, who accepted the award said, “Jamaica is highly honoured that we continue to attract the attention of the world and receive accolades for the continued high quality experience that destination Jamaica provides.

This award as the Caribbean’s lead cruised destination is symptomatic of that strong presence of Jamaica as a go to place to enjoy and consume rich cultural assets. I congratulate the stakeholder and partners all and I am confident that Jamaica will continue to repeat these performances as our experiences continue to exceed expectation.

Executive Vice President and Managing Editor of Caribbean Journal, Guy Britton said, “Jamaica’s cruise sector continues to grow and visitors are increasingly seeking out the authentic experiences at the various ports in Montego Bay, Falmouth and Ocho Rios.”

As part of efforts to improve the overall cruise experience, Jamaica Vacations (JAMVAC), an agency of the Ministry of Tourism which has responsibility for the cruise sector, has implemented local entertainment at all ports to encourage more disembarkation of guests; and has real time monitoring of guest experiences through their digital happy or not motors among other things.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; February 1, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says recent figures from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) reveal that Jamaica welcomed 202,192 visitors in January, which represents a 9% increase over the same period in 2018.

“I am very pleased to share that Jamaica’s tourism sector continues to grow and surpass our projections. These figures from January are indeed, very impressive and are a result of the strong marketing efforts our team has been utilizing in key markets across the globe, “said Minister Bartlett.

The data also outlines that for the period of January 1 - 31, 2019, Montego Bay welcomed 173,745 which is an 8.2% increase over the same period in 2018. Kingston also saw a 14% increase, with a record 28,447 visiting the city last month.

“The growth of tourism locally underscores the invaluable worth of the industry as a powerful driver of economic growth and development. This 9% increase represents 16,661 more arrivals, when compared to the same period in 2018,” said the Minister.

These figures follow on the country having a record 2018, with over 4.3 million arrivals and $3.3 billion in earnings.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; January 31, 2019: The Organization of American States (OAS) has launched a US$500,000 project to assist the region’s small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) to build resilience to natural disasters.

The project was launched during the 2nd Global Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs), hosted at the Montego Bay Convention Centre by the government and the United Nations World Tourism Organization on January 29.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett said, “We are so happy to have the vast expertise of the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Nestor Mendez, at the launch who I am pleased to say comes bearing gifts. This very important resilience project for our SMTEs will help build the capacity of our sector to better help us become more resilient when disruptions occur.” 

The project is funded by the United States Department of State and managed by the OAS Secretariat for Integral Development. It will assist small tourism enterprises in the Caribbean to overcome the various challenges that affect the ability of Governments and businesses alike to continue their business operations during and after catastrophic events in the Caribbean.

Participating countries set to benefit include: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago

It will be carried out in a two-year period, with the primary aim being to reduce the severity, impact and duration of disruptions caused by a disaster on the operations of the small enterprises in the Caribbean. 

“The Caribbean is among the most tourism-dependent regions in the world and there is no other region whose travel and tourism industry is as vulnerable to disasters as the Caribbean. It is undeniable that climate change presents an existential threat to small island developing states and low lying coastal areas, which include the countries of the Caribbean,” said Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Nestor Mendez.

He also noted that “The OAS identified, among the main long-term needs of the region, the need for tourism-related disaster preparedness and crisis management, communications plans as well as methodologies to follow before and after a disaster.”

This 2nd Global Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs), is a direct response to the global conference on jobs and inclusive growth hosted in Jamaica in 2017, which brought to the fore many of the perennial challenges faced by SMTEs, including issues of access to credit, marketing, technology and business development.

The conference organisers therefore saw it prudent to have another event focused solely on SMTEs and best practices that have direct relevance to their development.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; January 31, 2019:  Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness says that greater effort has to be placed in strengthening linkages with key industries to create a more resilient and sustainable tourism industry.

 “Crisis management requires coordination and a joint-up approach from the point of view of government and stakeholders. So it is important that we get all stakeholders on board. I am very pleased with the performance of the tourism industry but tourism does not exist in a vacuum by itself.

It has to coordinate with all the agencies and so a part of the ability to be more resilient, and to adapt is how we connect and create linkages. Resilience depends on the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Education. Greater effort has to be placed in ensuring that, if we are going to be effective in managing crises, “said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister made these remarks during the launch of the Global Resilience and Crisis Management Centre at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on January 30, 2019.

“Jamaica’s strategy is not just to ensure that Jamaica is safe, but to collaborate with all other countries…visitors to the island can rest assured that they are in a safe, secure and healthy environment,” said Prime Minister Holness.

The focus of the Centre will include: Risk Assessment, Mapping and Planning; Cyberspace Policy and Counter-Terrorism; Resilience-Related Research Collaborations; Development of Innovation Systems; Coordinating resilience policies with the government, Resource Mobilization, Capacity Building and Cross-Border Intelligence-sharing.

Speaking at the launch, Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett said, “There are four key deliverables that the Centre is focusing on at this time. One, is the establishment of an academic journal, which will be a compendium of scholarly publications, on various elements of the 5 segments of disruptions. The editorial board has already been established, headed by Professor Lee Miles of Bournemouth University, with the assistance of George Washington University. Within the next four months, that journal will be ready,” said the Minister.

The other deliverables include: a compendium of best practices/ a blueprint for resilience; a resilience barometer to measure the resilience in countries and provide benchmarks to guide countries; and to establish an academic chair at the University of West Indies for innovation and resilience.

“I am pleased to announce that we have two proposals before us for the funding of that Chair. One is from Spain and the other is from Jamaica. We are still looking because part of what we must have are the resources to manage the facilities over time,” said the Minister.  

The Centre which is housed at the University of the West Indies, will be staffed by local, regional and internationally recognized experts and professionals in the fields of climate management, project management, tourism management, tourism risk management, tourism crisis management, communication management, tourism marketing and branding as well as monitoring and evaluation.

“We are looking forward to the work that is going to be done and we want to work closely with the University of the West Indies because we believe it will be beneficial for us to understand how the rest of Government can benefit from the lessons that you can teach us, to ensure that we are resilient and can manage crises,” said the Prime Minister.

The Centre will also provide research fellowship opportunities for individuals seeking to either expand their knowledge or, gain experience in tourism resilience and crisis management, through postdoctoral research, and internships for undergraduate and graduate students in fields of study related to tourism resilience and crisis management.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; January 30, 2019:  Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says tourism is driving positive change by creating jobs and injecting revenue into local communities while helping to spark innovation and provide opportunities for Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs).

“We are strengthening the linkages between tourism and other sectors of the economy to increase the economic impact of tourism. Through our five Tourism Linkages Networks – Gastronomy, Health and Wellness, Shopping, Knowledge and Sport and Entertainment – we have been leveraging SMTEs to build out our visitor experiences,” said the Minister. 

The Minister was speaking at the 2nd Global Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs), hosted at the Montego Bay Convention Centre by the government and the United Nations World Tourism Association on January 29.

The Ministry of Tourism, through the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), has been spearheading a number of initiatives to support the financial needs of the SMTE subsector and through the National Export-Import Bank of Jamaica (EXIM Bank), several players in that sector have been benefiting from a billion-dollar revolving loan fund.

In his remarks, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw commended the Ministry for this initiative and added that “In my Ministry, in collaboration with the Jamaica Business Development Corporation, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Culture has also formulated the National Craft Policy, aimed at facilitating improvement of quality, variety, value, sale and customer satisfaction in the Jamaican economy.”

He also noted that, “for tourism to be sustainable, it has to work for everyone, including our farmers, entrepreneurs and entertainers. In light of our expanding tourism and hospitality market, we support every effort to make the industry a truly inclusive one.”

Minister Bartlett also stressed the importance of the tourism industry, and used the opportunity to urge SMTE stakeholders to take full advantage of the information and opportunities that the conference will provide.

 “80% of global tourism is owned by SMTEs but 80% of the returns from tourism go to the 20% of those who invest. So when we go to look at the real beneficiaries of tourism, it is not the owners of tourism. This conference will examine that.

At the centre of that recognition is the simple fact that tourism today is the largest industry in the world, 10.4% of global GDP, 1 in 11 of all workers of the world employed to tourism, US $385 billion of foreign investment across borders, 30% of trading services and US $8 trillion of expenditure last year by 1.5 billion people who travelled across the world last year,” said the Minister.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; January 30, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says tourism has to be sustained and this requires ongoing investment to improve existing products and develop new ones.

The Minister made this statement yesterday, during the official opening of the 2019 Caribbean Travel Marketplace at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

“The future growth of the region is through tourism, the fastest growing industry in the world. But it is not good enough that 80 percent of world tourism comprises small enterprises who receive only 20 percent on return.

Our financial institutions and our investors have a role to play in all this. They must see tourism as a viable investment and be more flexible in their loan portfolio for investment in the industry. Tourism has to be sustained and this requires ongoing investment to improve existing products and develop new ones,” said Minister Bartlett.

He also shared that critical to these investments is human capital development, which his Ministry has placed as a major priority.

“Investment in people is also a must. Our tourism workers must be trained to be professionals at what they do; whether they are Bell Hops, Scullions, Room Attendants or people in management. There is no room for mediocrity in 21st century tourism with a highly demanding clientele,” he said.

The Caribbean Travel Marketplace is the largest and most prominent tourism marketing event in the Caribbean. It is hosted this year by Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) and Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and serves as an important platform to enhance exchanges between tourism suppliers from around the world.

This year, for the 37th staging the theme is: “One Region. One goal,” and offers infinite business opportunities for 26 Caribbean islands and the 20 markets that are represented.

“We are extremely pleased to have this opportunity, as host of Caribbean Travel Marketplace, to showcase the many wonderful natural, social, economic and cultural resources that Jamaica has to offer

We must use opportunities such as that presented by Caribbean Travel Marketplace, to sell collectively to the rest of the world, the uniqueness of our mixed culture, the friendliness and welcoming spirit of our people, the delight of our Caribbean cuisine, the excitement of our attractions and, beyond question, the unmatched beauty of our respective islands,” said the Minister.  

Dignitaries and travel buyers attending this year’s Caribbean Travel Marketplace represent the nations of: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, India, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Poland, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In addition, for the first time in Caribbean Travel Marketplace history, the CHTA will also host a large contingent of Chinese travel buyers.