KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 17, 2018:  Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says plans are now underway by his Ministry to develop the parish of St Thomas as Jamaica’s newest tourism destination.

Speaking at the ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday for Lyssons Beach, in the parish, Minister Bartlett said, “We are currently developing the newest destination in Jamaica – St Thomas. Already we have commissioned a tourism development assessment and spent over $30 million, bringing technical and key skilled planners, designers and tourism destination aficionados – people who understand how to build a destination.”

He further noted that, “Tourism development is a means by which we can diversify a local economy, minimise the rural urban drift and drive inclusive and sustainable development.  We can agree that the parish of St Thomas needs this at this time.  In fact, the Government of Jamaica has targeted the parish for special developmental focus and tourism has been selected as a key driver for that development.”

The tourism destination assessment of the parish was done over the past six months to better understand: the current state of tourism in the parish and options the parish has in respect to the development of its tourism sector. They also assessed methods to best focus its product development and marketing strategies to sustainably develop the destination, while also bringing the greatest benefits to the greatest number of residents.

“They are at the verge of delivering the document to us and I want to make it known that the idea of developing this South Eastern Corridor of the country is that of our Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Michael Holness.

The developments relate also to an infrastructure development plan, which is to see the alignment and creation of the new highway arrangement that will connect Kingston to Port Antonio along this corridor. This will open up new areas for development. The responsibility I have as Minister of Tourism, however is to make St Thomas a top-class pristine tourism destination,” said the Minister.

The consultations have been widespread among several related government agencies, the private sector and NGOs, taking into account the views of the citizens and even first time visitors to the parish. 

The research is detailed and ongoing and as the consultants move into the next phase of preparing a Tourism Destination Development and Management plan, it is the Ministry’s hope that it will position St Thomas as a premier tourist destination within Jamaica’s broader structure of tourism as well as upgrade the readiness of St Thomas to ensure a competitive product.

“While the consultants are still in the field, there are recommendations for several themed catalyst projects in St. Thomas that represent tourism business development opportunities that could be attractive to tourism investors and stimulate inclusive social and economic developments in the parish to the benefit of residents,” said the Minister.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 16, 2018: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett yesterday participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the renovated Lyssons Beach in St Thomas.

The beach received a $49 Million upgrade, as part of the Tourism Enhancement Fund’s National Beach Development Programme. The Tourism Product Development Company managed the project, with construction done by M.A.E. Construction Ltd in the first phase and Stone Plus Ltd in the latter.

“St. Thomas is a parish that has immense potential for tourism development and we will continue to examine ways to expand and diversify this most important industry.  I am particularly delighted to be here at Lyssons Beach, with its most scenic tranquil vibe that has attracted many to its location over the years.

This is not about building beaches for tourists. This is about building beaches for the people of Jamaica that tourists will also enjoy,” said the Minister.

The  improvements carried out at Lyssons Beach included renovation of the restrooms, upgrade of the sewage system, construction of five gazebos, construction of a foot bridge and walkways, rehabilitation of the lower driveway and parking area, fabrication of three (3) lifeguard stands, construction of a guard house and an outdoor shower area.

Phase two of the project included the construction of a wooden perimeter fence and the fabrication of a chain link fence for demarcation purposes, construction of seating around the trees on the beach, the establishment of a parking lot and driveway and landscaping to prescribed areas.

“Tourism investments often lead to the development of infrastructure to support the sector.  This is what we have here today at Lyssons.  I am delighted to be in your company and to do the honours of cutting the ribbon to officially declare open the Lyssons Beach. 

I implore the residents of the parish to see it as your own, to treasure it and to be creative in the use of the space so that you can leverage it to bring greater wealth and an improved quality of life,” said Minister Bartlett.

Other beaches improved under the initiative include Marking Stone Beach in St. Mary and Burwood Beach in Trelawny. Work has also been initiated for developments to take place at Salem Beach in Runaway Bay, St Ann. 

Another twelve beaches are in the design phase for this financial year.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 15, 2018:   Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, yesterday (November 14) officially launched the Jamaica Tourist Board’s (JTB) new and fully integrated website which will transform its marketing strategies.

The website forms part of the JTB’s overall strategy to compete in the ever- changing global marketplace as well as plans by the management to revolutionize its methods of marketing and promoting Jamaica as a destination.

Speaking at the launch at ATL Automotive in Kingston, Minister Bartlett noted that, “This is a monumental step in our effort to digitally transform the tourism sector. We see the changes globally and are making sure that we keep apace and can respond to the new trends and needs of the market,

Our visitors are technologically savvy and can with the click of a button on their smart devices decide which destination they will go to next. With this powerful website, we will be able to give each visitor a reason to choose Jamaica.”

This new website will host and promote all aspects of the destination and provide real time access and content to tour operators and travel agents globally to be more efficient in selling Jamaica.

Minister Bartlett added that, “This is money well spent and our return on investment will be priceless as Jamaica yet again shows thought leadership in this age of digital transformation,

I am also pleased that our local suppliers will be able to utilize this powerful marketing tool.”

The new site also has added features to segment visitors and personalize content. With personalization, the JTB will be able to obtain data including pages viewed, time spent on the site, bounce rates and goal conversions, which will better help in sharing messages to resonate with every visitor, both from overseas as well as locally.

Director of Tourism, Donovan White, indicated that, “To compete in this new global marketplace, the JTB’s number one strategy will be the use of our new, fully integrated website. We will have predictive capabilities and anticipate our visitors’ needs.”

For more details on the JTB’s website go to www.visitjamaica.com

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 14, 2018:  As part of efforts to reduce littering in municipalities island wide, The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has spent $35million to brand and install 1000 Spruce Up garbage disposal bins. The initiative forms part of the Ministry of Tourism’s ‘Spruce Up’ campaign which seeks to provide a clean and aesthetically appealing environment to increase attractiveness for visitors and businesses in Jamaica’s resort areas.

Speaking at the official handover of the garbage disposal bins yesterday at flag circle in  downtown, Kingston,  Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett reiterated the need to safeguard our environment, “Putting trash and rubble around the place impacts the health security of our communities and areas and puts us all at risk with diseases due to unsanitary conditions,

We in tourism are guardians of health security and enabling an environment that is conducive to life and to keep more and more people healthy as part of our overall commitment to a safe, secure and seamless destination.”

The Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation has received 97 garbage bins and the remaining bins have been installed in most areas across the island.

Minister Bartlett added that, “The enhancement of our township is about our people first and if we get it right and it is clean and appropriate for our Jamaicans then it will be clean and appropriate for the visitors who come,

So Kingston has to get it right and this expenditure will help to build out the capabilities for cleanliness within the communities.”

Executive Director of the TEF, Dr. Carey Wallace said, “We choose Kingston to do the official handing over of the bins primarily because we want everyone to know that we take this parish seriously as in fact a tourist destination,

 We are also quite proud of making this investment but more proud of the partnerships we have created in the many projects we have done and one that is demonstrated is with the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation.”

Mayor of Kingston, His Worship Senator and Councillor Delroy Williams applauded the initiative and thanked the TEF and Ministry of Tourism for their effort to improving the aesthetics of Kingston and St. Andrew.

Environmental safety and beautification is a vital part of the product of the tourism sector.  As such, part of the Ministry of Tourism’s mandate is to make the destination assured and is doing so through partnership with the providers of the services that secure the infrastructure of the country.

 Earlier this year, the Ministry of Tourism, through Spruce Up Jamaica, embarked on a Three Hundred and Forty Million dollar ($340,000,000.00) programme with the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) to implement the Tourism Resort Maintenance Programme. The programme will focus on keeping resort areas such as Negril, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Falmouth, Ocho Rios, Treasure Beach and Kingston clean and sanitary to meet global standards.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 12, 2018: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has been appointed to the board of sitting ministers and appointed public officials, of the newly formed African Tourism Board association.

Bartlett received the appointment while in London, last week, during the official unveiling of the multinational-body at this year’s World Travel Market. The organization, which is part of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners, was developed to promote the hospitality sector in Africa. 

Other members include Hon. Jose Gonçalves, Cape Verde’s Minister of Tourism; Hon. Minister Mahmoud Kombo, Zanzibar’s Minister Information, Tourism and Heritage;  Pascal Viroleau, CEO The Vanilla Islands Organisation; and Hon Dr. Memunatu Pratt, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Tourism & Culture. 

The leadership of the group also includes a number of international travel journalists, as well as leading African travel and tourism companies.

During the unveiling ceremony last Monday, the initiative received endorsement from Former Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Dr. Taleb Rifai and President of the World Travel Awards Graham Cooke.

The African Tourism Board provides aligned advocacy, insightful research, and innovative events to its members. It aims to enhance the sustainable growth, value, and quality of travel and tourism to-from-and-within Africa.

The association will provide leadership and counsel on an individual and collective basis to its member organizations. It is also expanding on opportunities for marketing, public relations, investments, branding, and promoting and establishing niche markets.

The official launch is scheduled to take place in Cape Town, South Africa next April.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 08, 2018: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has expressed deep sadness at the passing of celebrated architect and hotelier, Earl Levy.

“On behalf of all of us in tourism, I would like to offer my condolences to the family and friends of Earl Levy, during this very difficult time,” said Minister Bartlett.

Levy is the mastermind behind the luxurious Trident brand in Portland. He opened the Trident Vacation Villas in the mid-1950s; then later designed the lavish Trident Castle, Hotel & Villas, in the 1980s. Over the years, Trident has received a number of service awards and has played host to a large number of celebrities such as Audrey Hepburn, Kate Moss, Johnny Depp and Denzel Washington.

He also assisted with the refurbishing of the iconic Devon House attraction in Kingston, as well as designing a number of well-appointed residential properties across the island.

“The contribution that Mr Levy, or the Earl of Portland as he is affectionately called, has made to the tourism industry is significant. He was an outstanding entrepreneur, family man and designer. He will certainly be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him,” said the Minister.

Mr Bartlett also noted the influence Levy had in strengthening brand Jamaica through his extraordinary designs.  

“Earl Levy is truly irreplaceable but we take comfort in knowing that the industry will benefit from his contributions for many years to come,” said Minister Bartlett.

KINGTON, Jamaica; November 6, 2018: Jamaica has been listed as one of the top five trending destinations to travel to in January 2019 by international travel website Kayak.  In a recent Kayak report, Jamaica landed at number five among the top ten trending destinations with a thirty percent (30%) increase in year-over-year searches for New Year's by travellers seeking to visit.

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says this positioning augurs well for the country’s international appeal by visitors and speaks to “The safe, secure and seamlessness of our tourism products and offerings. This is an indicator that Jamaica’s tourism remains robust and sought after and we are committed to ensuring that our visitors and locals alike are safe as they enjoy what the island has to offer.”

Kayak.com, sometimes styled as KAYAK, is a popular travel website operated by Booking Holdings. KAYAK's website and mobile apps are currently available in over 18 languages and more than 30 local markets, including the United States, the United Kingdom, India, China, and France among many other countries.

Minister Bartlett added that, “Jamaica is already poised for another record year of growth in arrivals and earnings and I believe that this will only add to our projections. For the first six months of 2018, we recorded a 4.7% increase in arrivals to bring total arrivals for the period to a record near 3million and by the end of the year earnings are expected to reach US3.3 billion dollars,

We are working aggressively through our agencies to improve and market the product and offerings so as to achieve our 5X5X5 growth targets and attract 5 million tourists by 2021; generate US$5 billion in earnings; increase total direct jobs to 125,000 and add 15,000 rooms.”

For the full report visit https://www.kayak.com/holidaytravelhacker/2018/trending-nye/Jamaica-5

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 06, 2018: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says the first Board of Governors and Associates meeting for the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre in London, was a huge success. It covered a range of key operational and policy arrangements, concerning the January 2019 opening of the Centre.

“We made a number of decisions, which will have to be carried out within the next three months. Firstly, the Centre will develop a toolkit for resilience. Secondly, we will develop a major programme for the creation of a barometer, which will measure the level of resilience in countries. This is the first of its kind and will also make Jamaica a true centre of reference, for critical resilience development issues,” said Minister Bartlett.

The meeting  was held on November 4, at the Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel and lasted for approximately 4 hours. It was chaired by former United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary General, Dr. Taleb Rifai, who has committed to serving as Chairman pro tem.

The Tourism Minister, who served as co-chair, noted that the meeting was well-attended by all the board members, including video conferencing connections with honorary chairperson of the Centre, the Most Hon. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, President of Malta, as well as, Hon Earl Jarret – board member and General Manager of the Jamaica National Building Society.

The Centre will be housed at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus and is being designed to be the world’s leading research, advocacy, training and policy institution, to assist global tourism destinations with destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and/or crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally.

“Another key point which was raised during our meeting was the establishment of a chair, at the University of the West Indies, on innovation and resilience. This chair will be operating through the university system but will be supported fully and resourced by the Centre,” said the Minister.

The Chairperson will be responsible for the overall management of the Centre. Additionally, he/she will provide the operational, organizational, and institutional direction of the Centre, and will report directly to the Board of Governors.

“We had a number of groups that became collaborators of the Centre and will give it a big push initially, in terms of how it will be able to start operating on a global basis, before our launch in January. These new partners include The International Institution for Investment in Tourism, The Pacific Asia Travel Association and The Mediterranean Tourism Foundation. On Wednesday, another major entity will partner with the centre as well,” said the Minister.

He went on to note that, “these partners are separate from our global partners, such as the UNWTO, The World Travel & Tourism Council and the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association that were originally a part of the organizational structure.  These developments have made it clear that this is becoming the most significant global institution in the world, in relation to resilience and crisis management issues,” said Minister Bartlett.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 3, 2018:   Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says the first board meeting for the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre is scheduled to take place in London tomorrow. The group will discuss the creation and implementation of an official strategy, for the development of the Centre.

“We will be hosting, for the first time in the history of tourism, the board of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre. I look forward to working alongside the esteemed members of the board, during this very important meeting. Our board is extremely diverse, and has academics from every continent. This diversity I think is the greatest impact this institution will have on our future,” said the Minister.

The Centre will be housed at the UWI Mona Campus and will be officially launched during a conference coinciding with the Caribbean Marketplace Expo in Montego Bay, from January 29-31, 2019.

The overall goal of the Centre will be to assess (research/monitor), plan-for, forecast, mitigate, and manage risks related to tourism Resilience and Crisis Management. This will be achieved through five objectives - Research and Development, Advocacy and Communication, Programme/Project Design and Management, as well as Training and Capacity Building.

It will specifically be tasked with creating, producing and generating toolkits, guidelines and policies to assist with preparatory and recovery efforts of tourism stakeholders affected by climatic, pandemic, cyber-crime and cyber-terrorism related disruptions.

According to the Minister, “The first output we will have from the Centre after the launch, will be a global policy framework for climate tourism resilience which will assist nations to plan for and recover from major climate disruptions. This framework was an outcome of the recently held Tourism Resilience Summit of the Americas at The University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters on September 13, 2018” .

The meeting is being chaired by Former United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary General, Dr. Taleb Rifai, who has committed to serving as Chairman pro tem.

Board members include Hon. Earl Jarett, Chief Executive Officer, The Jamaica National Group; Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice Chancellor of The University of the West Indies; Professor Lee Miles, Professor of Crisis and Disaster Management, Bournemouth University; and Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage.

Other board members for the Centre are Mr. Brett Tollman, Chief Executive Officer, The Travel Corporation; Ambassador Dho Young-shim, Chairperson, UNWTO Sustainable Tourism for Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) Foundation, World Tourism Organization; Dr. Mario Hardy, Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Asia Travel Association and Mr. Ryoichi Matsuyama, President, Japan National Tourism Organization.

Minister Bartlett noted that the meeting would also include other specially invited guests such as, President of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, Patricia Affonso-Dass, President  & CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council, David Scowsill and Director of the National Travel and Tourism Office at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Isabel Hill.

“This constellation of global personalities, that we have been able to pull together, is a testament to the effectiveness of Jamaica on the international scene as a major tourism player. We are excited about the prospects of bringing that knowledge, level of experience and expertise into Jamaica and the Caribbean, that will enable us to become the real reference point for global resilience discussions,” said the Minister. 

The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre was first announced in the “Montego Bay Declaration”, which was unveiled at last year's UNWTO Global Conference on Sustainable Tourism, in Montego Bay, St James.

The facility will include a Virtual Tourism Observatory, which will monitor, forecast and evaluate threats to destinations globally.

While in London, the Minister will be joined by Donovan White, Director of Tourism; Jennifer Griffith, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism; Dr. Lloyd Waller, Senior Advisor/Consultant, to the Minister; Gis’elle Jones, Research and Risk Management in the Tourism Enhancement Fund; and  Anna-Kay Newell, Executive Assistant.

They will to return to the island on November 9, 2018.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 2, 2018:  Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says his Ministry has set a January 2019 target, to rollout new policy arrangements, which will lead to the resumption of Jet Ski activities in the country.

Speaking yesterday at a Jet Ski Taskforce meeting, at the Ministry of Tourism’s New Kingston Office, the Minister said, “I believe that we are now at a point where we can make a cabinet submission in relation to a policy for the water-sport industry in Jamaica.

We are in a position now where we can look at the necessary infrastructure and how we can resource these infrastructure requirements to enable the proper execution of the policy.”

The tabled document will address and provide a framework for the management of all water sports in Jamaica and facilitate the lift on an island-wide suspension of all commercial Personal Water Crafts (PWCs) operations and the ban on the importation of PWCs into the island. 

The Ministry of Tourism has now finalised the policy for water-sport and the cabinet submission has been prepared. Once tabled, the Ministry will then engage stakeholders with further consultations, so that this policy can become a White Paper.

“We are committed to working with small players in the industry, to determine launch sites, which we are looking to have in Ocho Rios and Negril. We started, but did not get very far because of commercial activities, which intervened, but we are continuing the process. We will do this within the next three months, so that all stakeholders will have equal access and enable us to manage and monitor the process in a better way,” said the Minister.

The measures were applied in the wake of a number of accidents involving PWCs across the island. Some of these accidents resulted in fatalities, serious injuries, and damage to vessels.

“It would be wonderful to say that we are going to re-engage this activity within the next 12 weeks, but the reality is, there are bits of legislative arrangements that still have to come together. In particular, the maritime authority has some tweaking to do,” said the Minister.

He also noted that the Task Force, which was established to bring PWC activity under stronger management and enforcement, will continue to work together to meet their targets.

The PWC Task Force was set up by the Ministry of Tourism to establish measures to safeguard the water-sports subsector. It includes Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), the Marine Police Division, JDF Coast Guards, the Jamaica Customs Agency, and the Port Authority of Jamaica.

“The bigger issue was the need for a revised architecture to enable this very important element of the attractions of the industry to be able to operate in a seamless, safe and secure way. It has taken some time, because a lot of detailed work has to be done and a careful determination in terms of how we re-engage.  But more so, to build out the infrastructure that will secure the operations and enable all participants to be able to operate seamlessly,” he said.