PORT MARIA, St Mary, Jamaica, Thursday, July 26, 2018:  Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett has underscored that “our culture and heritage are the bedrock upon which Jamaica’s tourism has been built” and must be preserved.

Describing it, he said “it is rich, vibrant, multi-cultural and born out of a dynamic and tumultuous history that has influenced our music, our food, our visual and performing arts, even our native tongue.”

It was in that context that Minister Bartlett welcomed Rio Nuevo Village in St Mary expanding its attractions to include rafting and kayaking. “This landmark northcoast attraction is evidence of Jamaica’s rich culture,” said Mr. Bartlett, adding that 30 acres was a historic site once home to one of the biggest Taino settlements in the parish. As a multi-dimensional attraction it offers a museum with one of the most comprehensive collections of Taino artefacts in Jamaica.

Rio Nuevo was also the site on which the British and Spanish armies fought in a battle that resulted in Jamaica becoming an English colony.

“We welcome attractions like Rio Nuevo Village which expand our offering and enhance the overall tourism experience,” said Minister Bartlett in declaring it open yesterday. “As Jamaicans, we have embraced our culture wholeheartedly; we fiercely defend it and are proud to share it with the world.”

He said while Jamaica was a sun, and a sea destination “the strategic direction of my ministry is taking us to transform the sector into a product-focussed one. This is the outgrowth of a global movement towards more interactive experiential tourism. More and more visitors are seeking life experiences through travel; they want to live as locals, engaging with the people of the destination they visit, walking the streets, eating their food and dancing to their music.”

Minister Bartlett also supported a call for the restoration of the Rio Nuevo Bridge and putting it as a candidate to UNESCO to be declared an international heritage site.

Rio Nuevo Village has been in operation for the past seven years and owner, David Wilson said he invested over US$2 million to develop the attraction. Rafting and kayaking will now add to the museum, nature walk and other activities. Future plans include construction of cottages and other projects which will be supported by partners who have joined in the venture.

Development of the attraction has been given the approval by the local authorities, including the St Mary Municipal Corporation and Port Maria Mayor Richard Creary.

Wednesday’s ceremony was chaired by Burchell James and included drumming by Moustafa Reds and blowing of the conch shell by Percival Kerr.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 20, 2018:  The Tourism Linkages Network staged another highly successful ‘Christmas in July’ trade show yesterday (July 19), which saw a large turnout of enthusiastic patrons to view and purchase locally produced craft, gifts and souvenirs.

Some 115 local producers took part in the one-day trade show at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston under the theme “Tropical Wonderland”. The initiative encourages the purchase of authentic local products by stakeholders in the hospitality sector and corporate Jamaica looking for gifts for clients and staff.

Giving the main address, Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) Executive Director Dr. Carey Wallace said, “While we will always welcome foreign-direct and local entrepreneurial investment in tourism, our aim is to see Jamaican Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs) take ownership of the service side, producing the sheets and pillow cases, the beds and chairs and the paintings on the walls.”

Dr. Wallace said this was why TEF has made J$1 billion available to the SMTE sector through the National Export-Import (EXIM) Bank for a revolving loan scheme “at the lowest rate of interest you will ever get locally”, which allows businesses to upgrade their operations.

He noted that, to date, of the one billion dollars, EXIM Bank has approved more than $663.96 million in loan requests and $470 million distributed to borrowers. Currently, loan applications totalling $248.5 million are being processed.

In his address, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, said, “We cannot any longer afford to give lip service to linkages.”

The Minister said, however, “In as much as we have the problems we must recognise and give thanks for the opportunities and for those who are courageous enough to provide leadership.  He commended hoteliers Adam Stewart, Chairman of the Tourism Linkages Council, and his father Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart for buying local produce and supporting local farmers.  Last year, the Sandals chain consumed in their hotels 5.4 million pounds of produce and of that 4.9 million pounds of produce was purchased in Jamaica from local farmers.

Minister Shaw said he would be going on a crusade along with Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett to ensure that Jamaica’s hotels from near and far, including the Spanish hotel chains, include locally manufactured products in their vertical integration model.

For this year’s ‘Christmas in July’ tradeshow there were several new attractions to enhance the experience of both buyers and suppliers, including an Artisan Village, an interactive space where artisans showed their skills by producing products on site for display.

The annual event is a collaborative effort of the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), and its partners: the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA), Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA). 

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Thursday, July 19, 2018: In recognition of the tremendous success of the Jamaica Tourism Centre of Innovation (JCTI) and the significant role of Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett in its establishment, he has been invited by the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) to give the keynote address at its 54^th Annual General meeting.

Minister Bartlett who is the first Caribbean minister to be invited to speak at the SLHTA’s annual general meeting, left the island yesterday for St Lucia and will speak tomorrow, July 20. He returns to Jamaica on Sunday July 22.

In extending the invitation to Minister Bartlett, the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) noted that along with member hotels, they have placed significant importance on increased training and educational opportunities for hospitality staff to keep them fired up and motivated. 

The AGM will be held under the theme: “People, Passion, Purpose and Linkages; The Pathway to a Resilient Future” which the SLHTA says, speaks to the new and exciting developments and issues being currently debated in the global tourism industry.

Minister Bartlett who has emerged globally as a strong voice for excellence in tourism through training, says, “I am very pleased to accept this invitation which will allow me to share the innovation and success of the Jamaica Tourism Centre of Innovation with our Caribbean brothers.”

He adds, “While within the region we are competing in the same marketplace, the reality is that for the most part the Caribbean is seen as one destination and so we have to be supportive of each other and ensure that collectively we offer to the travelling world, tourism service excellence that is second to none.”

Minister Bartlett says he is also pleased that the concept of Jamaica’s Tourism Linkages Network had caught the attention of other regional destinations, recognizing that people were at the heart of the industry and given a purpose for which to serve, matched by the passion for which Caribbean people are known, everyone stands to benefit.

Minister Bartlett will also be sharing with tourism partners in St Lucia, details of the Global Tourism Resilience Centre to be headquartered at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica in St Andrew as of September, this year.

Establishment of the centre was the brainchild of Minister Bartlett was adopted in the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Montego Bay Declaration on “Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism” held last year November at the Montego Bay Convention Center on the occasion of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017.

It has been endorsed by UNWTO Member States and Affiliate Members, tourism administrations, international and regional organizations, local communities, private sector and academia. Among these are CARICOM, the University of the West Indies, World Bank Group (WBG), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Caribbean Development Bank, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHTA), Chemonics International, and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CEDEMA) through Mr. Ronald Jackson, the George Washington University and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

Subsequently, several other tourism-based countries, including those in Asia and the Pacific group have endorsed the centre and pledged their full support.

The UNWTO’s Declaration stipulates that “Governments, private sector, donors and the international and regional organizations shall 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.”

Minister Bartlett says all is in place for the Global Tourism Resilience Centre to start functioning in September with the official opening set for next year January as a feature of Caribbean Marketplace at the Montego Bay Convention Center.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Thursday, July 12, 2018: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, yesterday (July 11) described the Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme, which will receive $1 billion in funding from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), as the final piece in a four-point human capital development plan to enhance Jamaica’s tourism workers.

The defined compensation scheme is designed to cover all workers ages 18-59 years in the tourism sector, whether permanent, contract or self-employed.  This includes hotel workers as well as persons employed in related industries, 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 other three initiatives in the human capital development plan are training, capacity building and creating the ability of our people to have knowledge and convert that knowledge into practical applications; providing a pathway to professionalism and jobs; and improving the social conditions around which the tourism worker lives.

“The business of tourism with our workers is not just about taking you into the hotels and having you serve in style.  It is about how we include you in the development process,” Minister Bartlett told tourism workers at a Kingston sensitization and awareness session for the Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme at the Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston.

The Tourism Minister described the Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme as an “Act of a Government and people who recognize the value of a set of workers who have been on the wrong end of equity for a long time. This plan will correct much of those inequities.”

Minister Bartlett said tourism directly employs some 117,000 workers or 8.8% of the workforce and noted plans to bring 29,000 more workers into the tourism industry by 2021.  “For that to happen, it means we are going to have to build the capacity of our people to deliver at a higher level of efficiency and to be able also to command the top positions in tourism at every level,” he said.

He cited the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Ministries of Tourism and Education, Youth and Information for a $100 million certification programme for high-school students to gain entry-level qualification in the hospitality industry. Minister Bartlett noted that, “Over the summer, 13 teachers will be specially trained to enable us to bring the first cohort of 650 students to start the programme in 30 schools across Jamaica.  This is in addition to establishing the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI), a pathway professional organization to certify the workers of the tourism sector and enable them to be able to peddle their wares and express their professionalism anywhere is the world they go because they are now certified.”

“It is the first time in the history of tourism in our country where within a single year period we are looking at the total human capacity development structure and infrastructure that takes you from high school through university into the field of competence and then straight into professional pathways within the industry,” the Tourism Minister added.

Pledging his Ministry’s commitment to improving the social conditions of tourism workers, Minister Bartlett said this year his Ministry would be spending $170 million on housing solutions for tourism workers in resort areas across the island. This project is in partnership with the Housing Authority of Jamaica (HAJ) with funding from the Tourism Enhancement Fund.  In addition, the Tourism Ministry will work with the National Housing Trust (NHT) to design a special package to help the workers in the sector access housing solutions being developed by the agency.

Minister Bartlett also pointed to work being done to improve the social infrastructure with the communities around the resort areas.   “Already this year, I have paved almost all the roads off the Elegant Corridor that lead into where the people live opposite the wonderful hotels. This is the start of a programme that will run across the island in all the resort areas and beautification will follow,” said Minister Bartlett.

Endorsing the pension scheme, Executive Director of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Camille Needham, said her organization was extremely pleased that it was now becoming a reality.  “You are essential to the sector and go above and beyond the call of duty just to ensure your guests are catered to and they leave the island with a good impression and, more importantly with a desire to return. For these reasons the conclusion must be that you, the workers, take care of tourism and tourism in turn should, in fact must, take care of you,” Mrs. Needham told the tourism workers. 

She described the pension scheme as a step in the right direction and urged “every tourism worker to participate fully in the scheme so that you will reap the benefits in your golden years.”

The Kingston sensitization session was the final of eight sessions held in major resort areas across the island to provide tourism workers with details of the pension scheme and provide them with information on how they will benefit from the compulsory contributory retirement plan.  Other session were held in Ocho Rios, Negril, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Falmouth, Treasure Beach and Mandeville in the last four months.

MONTEGO BAY, St. James; July 8 2018:  Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett is confirming strong regional support for the establishment of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, which is expected to be operational in September of this year.

“Following a series of discussions with our partners and stakeholders, the Caribbean region has thrown its support behind the initiative. Most recently, the Caribbean Development Bank confirmed that it is fully committed to working with the Resilience Centre in terms of its establishment and the series of programmes and activities that will ensue,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Centre will be housed at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and is being designed to help vulnerable states across the world, to recover quickly from natural disasters. It will specifically target destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and/or crises that threaten economies and livelihoods globally, with real time data and effective communication. 

Minister Bartlett said, “During discussions with CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General, Trade and Economic Integration, Mr. Joseph Cox, at the just concluded CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Montego Bay, we were also able to gain full endorsement of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre from every Caribbean entity that is responsible for both governance and management of sectoral interests.”

“We have already received resounding support from the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CEDEMA) through Mr. Ronald Jackson and our long standing partner, the University of the West Indies Mona,           

“Now the region is fully aligned with the Resilience Centre which augurs well in terms of our campaigning worldwide to get buy in to make it successful and a centrepiece of global intelligence, information mining and communication for resilience building of the sector within the region,” added Minister Bartlett.

The official launch of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre is scheduled for January 2019, during the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, which will be held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. The Centre was first announced during the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Global Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism, held in Montego Bay last November during the International year of sustainable tourism for development as a response to political turmoil, climatic events, pandemics, shifting global economies as well as crime and violence which can be devastating to travel and tourism.

FALMOUTH, Trelawny, Friday, July 6, 2018:   The importance of safeguarding the environment was underscored by Executive Director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), Dr Carey Wallace at the official opening of a computer room furnished with 27 laptops and other computer equipment valued at $2.5 million to the Holland High School on Tuesday July 3, 2018. The computer room has also been outfitted with a projector and screen with surround sound.

Dr Wallace challenged the high school students who collectively earned the reward by placing first in the recent TEF-sponsored Sustainable Destination Alliance of the Americas (SDAA) recycling competition in the Falmouth area, to become ambassadors for recycling.

“You students have a responsibility that is bigger than yourselves, because you are trying to change a pattern of behavior that’s been habitual over generations and here you are now, the enlightened ones, needing to influence your own parents, your own community to change their habits and start practicing the new habit,” he told a gathering of students and invited guests.

Reminding them that it was their country and their future that was being protected, he underscored that “it is in your interest to make sure you are ambassadors for that change, so I charge you to think beyond just the school, the competition and in your own communities and try to influence the people around you.”

Over 4,000 students from five schools participated in the Falmouth leg of the competition, with the tagline, “Go Green and Win Big” aimed at engaging children and broadening the reach of solid waste management in Falmouth. Although not using plastic bottles on its campus, led by their Tourism Action Club Coordinator Aishea Lawrence Reid, Holland High collected more than 50 percent of the total of 247 bags of plastic bottles weighing 1,694 pounds in and around their community over four weekends.

Dr Wallace who said he was very impressed by the cleanliness and ambiance of the school, the show of hospitality by students and staff, assured them that “Falmouth, and Trelawny overall, is going to be the model for Jamaica.” Having emerged as a resort town, he said much attention was being given to uplifting the infrastructure in Falmouth but money was not all and was up to the people to make it happen.

In his greeting read by Chief Executive Officer of the Trelawny Municipal Corporation, Mayor of Falmouth Collen Gager also shared the view that “Holland is a force to be reckoned with since its inception in 2004” and winning the recycling competition was just one of its many achievements.

Chairman of the Holland High School Board, Fr Carl F. Clarke lauded the positive image built up by the school with its accomplishments in such a short time, noting that the school entered the competition to do good for the community and winning was in keeping with its hallmark of excellence.

Trelawny Custos Hon Paul Muschett also commended the Ministry of Tourism for running the recycling programme and had high praises for Holland High on winning.

Support for the competition was also received from Recycle Jamaica, the Organization of American States, the Trelawny Municipal Corporation, National Solid Waste Management Authority and the Trelawny Chamber of Commerce.

With its partners, the TEF also sponsored recycling competitions in Negril and Treasure Beach and participating schools in all three areas collected a total of over 275,400 plastic bottles.

Among participants in the ceremony, moderated by Marline Stephenson Dalley, were Deputy Head Girl Keryce Dookie, Assistant Vice Principal Dale Evans and a group of students doing a medley of songs promoting the importance of recycling. Also in attendance were Manager of the Falmouth Port, Mark Hylton, Principal Pauline Reid and Board member Mark Campbell.

MONTEGO BAY, St. James; Friday July 6, 2018: Quick, aggressive and sustained interventions by the Edmund Bartlett led Ministry of Tourism and the Jamaica Tourist Board, to counter some effects of enhanced security measures implemented in the parish of St. James in January of this year, have proven successful.

The country recorded overall market growth of 5.4 percent for the first six months of the year, with stopover tourist arrivals increasing by 5.9 percent and cruise by 4.8 percent over the same period last year.  

At a press conference, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, to announce the sector’s performance for the first six months of the year, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett said, “The strong on the ground marketing engagements which brought us face to face with key stakeholders here and around the world, by my team at the Ministry of Tourism and Jamaica Tourist Board has helped to not only stave off any fall out from these measures but increased growth in arrivals to our shores.” said Minister Bartlett.

“While the implementation of enhanced security measures did stir a whirlwind of concerns locally and internationally, particularly in the international press, several partners overseas welcomed the initiative as a necessary step and continue to support our nation’s security apparatus in their efforts to make Jamaica a safe place for all.” Minister Bartlett added.

For the period January to June 2018, Jamaica recorded over 1,253,236 million in stopover arrivals and 1,025,782 in cruise arrivals. This means over 100 thousand more tourists for the period and a sizeable increase in foreign exchange earnings.

Minister Bartlett said, “Of note is that the sector brought in US$1.556 billion in foreign exchange earnings which represents an increase of 7.3 percent. Stopover arrivals accounted for US$1.459.0 billion in earnings up 7.2% and cruise US$100.6 million, an increase of 9.4%.”

In highlighting work done, Director of Tourism at the Jamaica Tourist Board, Donovan White noted that “It has been all hands on deck as teams locally and overseas spread the message of destination Jamaica’s commitment to security and safety. As we ramp up digital marketing strategies among a range of other initiatives we are to improve on these figures.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 29, 2018:  Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett announced the unveiling of The Global Centre for Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management during the Resilience for Tourism Summit in Amman, Jordan this week to astounding endorsement from the international tourism community.

The conference brought together key stakeholders from the private and public sectors to discuss strategies for recovery and developing resilience, brand management for sustainable growth and effective communications. The conference highlighted the theory and practice of winning strategies that have resulted in resilience.

Minister Bartlett announced the creation of the Centre during the panel discussion, the ABC's of Resilience. Other participants of the panel included Dr Lee Miles, Professor of Crisis & Disaster Management at Bournemouth University, Isabel Hill, Director of the National Travel and Tourism Office at the United States Department of Commerce and Deepak Raj Joshi, Chief Executive Officer at the Nepal Tourism Board.

Isabel Hill, director of the National Travel and Tourism Office at the US Department of Commerce, commented during the panel: “Resilience is one of the most important things to talk about in travel and tourism. There are issues we deal with that can be a matter of life and death.”

Minister Bartlett added: “The Global Centre for Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management will ensure that we can continue to benefit from the economic, social, cultural, and historic value that tourism has to offer.”

The panel focused on resilience as a “rubber ball” factor, the ability to recover from whatever adverse occurs. Understanding resilience in the context of travel and tourism is imperative to sustainable positive growth as well as building confidence in travellers.

Minister Bartlett was invited to participate in a special press conference during the Summit to further elaborate on the Centre and its mission to carry out policy-relevant research and analysis on destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions or crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally..

Global figures in attendance of the Resilience for Tourism Summit included tourism ministers and officials, crisis management companies, insurers, hotel development corporations, destinations, NGOs, governments, academics, and media. Lending the support and endorsements of the event are leading global associations such as USAID, UNWTO, WTTC, PATA, Tourism Cares, USTOA and CLIA.

The Global Centre for Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management, which will be located at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, is expected to be operational in September, with an official launch scheduled for January 2019, during the Caribbean Travel Marketplace at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, June 25, 2018: Prominent PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) partner, Wilfred Baghaloo, has been appointed by Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett to lead technical arrangements for a Tourism Working Group assessing various issues in Jamaica’s rapidly growing tourism sector.

Baghaloo is the Managing Director for the South Cluster Region for the Deals Practice focusing on Barbados, Bahamas, Jamaica & Haiti and has been with PwC for more than 20 years, leading teams in assurance and advisory.

“This working group has been charged to work on various issues in the tourism space including entertainment, training and certification, issuing of work permits, craft vendors, ground transportation, and information for Tourism Demand Study. Our aggressive growth strategies is bearing considerable fruit and it is clear that work is required to ensure that Jamaican businesses and personnel get a bigger share of the pie while balancing reliability, consistency and quality. An official report on the way forward will be prepared and will likely include a series of recommendations for strong legislative and policy reforms”, said Bartlett.

Bartlett recently met with members of the Tourism Linkages Council and major hoteliers on the issues. He also met with Spain’s Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Josep Maria Bosch Bessa to update him on developments and also share concerns.

The Working Group chaired by Tourism Linkages Council head and Hotelier, Adam Stewart has been expanded and will include: Prominent Business leaders, Michael McMorris and Godfrey Dyer; Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), President, Omar Robinson and Senior Executive, Nicola Madden-Greig; President of the Jamaica Cooperative Automobile and Limousine Services (JCAL), Brian Thelwell; Jamaica Vacations, Chairman, Bert Wright; National Craft Traders and Producers Association, President, Melody Haughton-Adams; Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Executive Director, Dr. Andrew Spencer and representatives from the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport; Ministry of Labour and Social Security; Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) and the Ministry of Tourism.

Bartlett added that the Ministry and its Agencies will continue to encourage members of the sector to develop strategies that will entail a mix of policies and innovative business models to enable more success.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 22, 2018:  Entertainment in the island’s hotels received a boost, with the certifying of 26 hospitality workers, who participated in the inaugural Tourism Linkages Network's DJ Capacity Enhancement Training Programme.

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says the training initiative forms part of the ‘joined-up government’ approach, as his Ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, to improve the cadre of local entertainment providers in the industry in an effort to also develop valuable entertainment products and experiences for visitors to the island.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, hosted at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort yesterday, Minister Bartlett stated that “The Ministry of Tourism will be placing special focus on developing entertainment tourism as a major part of our growth strategy. The initiative will be driven by the Ministry’s Sports and Entertainment Network, which has been charged to take the necessary steps, to capitalize on the tremendous potential Jamaica has in entertainment, to significantly boost arrivals and tourism earnings.”

He went on to share that he is working closely with colleague Minister, Hon. Olivia Grange to ‘put out the final tourism products that are in demand, not just across Jamaica but across the world.’

“Minister Grange and I are committed to this process of building capacity and sharing resources as we make this the finest product that anyone can expect coming in to the Caribbean,” said the Minister.

The programme was designed and delivered by acclaimed local Disc Jockey (DJ) and producer Delano ‘DJ Delano’ Thomas, to build the capacity of hotel DJs, with an interest in enhancing both their hard and soft skill sets.

The Dreyfus Model was used as a framework for the assessment, delivery and evaluation of training for hospitality staff from: Hedonism II, Iberostar Hotels and Resorts, Sandals Ochi Beach Resort and the Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & Spa.

During his speech to the graduates, the Minister urged them to remember that as workers in the tourism sector, they have the added responsibility of being entertainment and cultural ambassadors for the country.

“As cultural and entertainment ambassadors, you are an integral part of our music tourism product.  I am therefore going to suggest the addition of Team Jamaica training as a module of this Programme. I think this would definitely round out participants’ training as adept resort deejays and certified tourism ambassadors, giving guests a piece of the authentic Jamaican experience through music,” said Minister Bartlett.

Team Jamaica is a programme offered by the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), which provides persons in the tourism sector with the knowledge, interpersonal skills and attitude for the delivery of quality service, and is the benchmark for tourism awareness programmes within the Caribbean.