Santiago, Chile; April 22, 2018: Diners at one of the largest restaurants in Santiago, Chile last night erupted in rapturous applause after a Chilean couple was presented by Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett with a free honeymoon in Jamaica after Andres Tejeda proposed to his girlfriend Ariel Stockl.

Bartlett was having dinner with Donovan White, Head of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB); Senior Advisor/ Strategist, Delano Seiveright; Fiona Fennell, Director of Communications, Ministry of Tourism; Donnie Dawson, Deputy Director of Tourism, Sales/USA and Latin America, JTB and Alex Pace, JTB’s Latin America Business Development Manager at a popular eatery in the city. A few tables away Tejeda proposed to his girlfriend Stockl to widespread applause. Bartlett quickly jumped to his feet and offered the couple an all-expense paid honeymoon in Jamaica resulting is applause by excited diners. Private sector tourism partners will cover the costs of the honeymoon.

Coincidentally, Tejeda noted that his Aunt had just earlier returned from vacation in Jamaica and gifted his girlfriend Ariel with a Jamaican souvenir. 

Bartlett also announced to excited diners additional nonstop flights between Latin America and Jamaica making it easier for them to travel to Jamaica for vacation. 

Chile is the second largest market for tourists from Latin America to Jamaica after Argentina with over 10,000 travelling to Jamaica over the last two years on vacation. It is also the richest economy in terms of GDP per capita in South America. 

Jamaica recorded a 16 percent increase in tourist arrivals from Latin America last year and over 12 percent increase for the first two months of this year. 

Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett is headlining a JTB tour across Argentina, Chile, Peru and Colombia. Engagements include meetings with the leadership of Latin America’s largest airlines including COPA, LATAM and Avianca; the largest tour operators; leaders of travel focused TV, Radio, print and online media; Government officials and influential travel agents.

Kingston, Jamaica; April 13, 2018:  Following a successful presentation on Jamaica’s plans to establish a Centre of Tourism Innovation through the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), Jamaica was asked to lead the development of a similar centre for the region.  

“Jamaica is excited as we are honoured to be asked to establish this centre – especially given the fact that we ourselves have created the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation. Our presentation was well received and has gone a long way in helping to establish Jamaica as a leading destination in the development of smart tourism,” said Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett. 

The announcement was made during the 63rd meeting of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Regional Commission for the Americas (CAM) currently taking place in Asunción, Paraguay.

The Minister noted that the new model of TEF restructured to operate as Jamaica’s Centre of Tourism Innovation, will “create the added value that the industry needs to go one step further, by being ahead of competition and defining the new ways in which Jamaica is going to remain top-of-mind in the industry.”

The restructured TEF will include new divisions such as the Tourism Linkages Network, the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) and the Craft Development Institute.  It will also include a Data Analytics Division, which will use big data to monitor new trends in the industry globally to guide decision-making within the Ministry.

The Minister also shared that he provided members of the CAM with an update on the development of the Global Centre for Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management, which TEF’s Centre of Tourism Innovation has also been charged to assist with the data management of the facility.   

“Today the Americas accepted the presentation on the Resilience Centre and embraced the small and medium tourism enterprises as a critical programme for which the world is being encouraged to support,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Minister went on to explain that the ultimate goal of the Centre – which will be established at the University of the West Indies, Mona – is to assist with global destination preparedness. It will specifically target the management and recovery process of affected states from disruptions and/or crisis that affects tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally.

The Centre will also include a Virtual Tourism Observatory, which will provide access to a broad collection of information, data and analysis on current trends in the tourism sector. This will be made accessible to anyone interested in data on tourism in any country – such as the latest available figures on the sector's trends and volumes, economic and environmental impact, and the origin and profile of tourists.

Minister Bartlett’s presence at the CAM was critical as, Jamaica is one of the four English speaking Caribbean Member States of the UNWTO.  The country also occupies one of the five (5) seats allocated to the CAM on the Executive Council of the UNWTO for the period 2018 – 2021. 

The 63rd Meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Americas is the first meeting since Jamaica was elected and it is first time that the new Secretary General of the UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili, has participated in the CAM meeting.

Minister Bartlett also used the opportunity to discuss Jamaica’s input in the T20 Tourism meeting, which will inform the G20 Summit – both are scheduled to be held in Argentina immediately after the CAM meeting.  

The Minister is accompanied by Permanent Secretary, Jennifer Griffith at the Commission of the Americas meeting and will later be joined by his Senior Advisor/Consultant Dr. Lloyd Waller, at the G20/T20 meetings. He is expected to return to the island on April 26, 2018.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 12, 2018:  Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) will be repositioned within the next month as the country’s primary producers of tourism innovation, better allowing his Ministry to meet demands of the industry.

The Minister, who was speaking at a meeting with TEF staff and board members at his New Kingston offices on Tuesday (April 10), shared that the new direction of the agency will “create the added value that the industry needs to go one step further, by being ahead of competition and defining the new ways in which Jamaica is going to be remaining top-of-mind in the industry.”

“TEF was used like the ATM of government and we were making commitments all over the place and ended up with overhangs taller than the skies. Now in a more structured and organized way, we will be looking at TEF’s flows and outcomes within a cycle to better measure and manage outcomes,” said Minister Bartlett.

The new model will see TEF expanding to include new divisions such as the Tourism Linkages Network, the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) and the Craft Development Institute.

It will also include a Data Analytics Division, which will use big data to monitor new trends in the industry globally to guide decision-making within the Ministry. The division will receive assistance from the Jamaica Tourist Board to develop a well-equipped website that will be launched in May.

TEF has also been charged to assist with the data management of the Global Disaster Resilience Centre, which will be established at the University of West Indies, Mona, Jamaica later this year.  It will provide the centre with critical marketing and analytical data that will help to guide the broader communications that the centre will make to the rest of the world.

He went on to explain to staff that, “the primary function will continue to be to manage the inflow and direct it to the consolidated fund. But, central to your function will be, developing innovative projects, and enabling iconic attractions to be developed across the island. Within the area of projects, you will also see to the destination assurance by way of building out the physical infrastructure.”

The Minister also shared that the information produced by the new TEF will be of particular interest to small and medium tourism enterprises, as it will provide entrepreneurs with information to modify their business models as needed, to adapt to new trends in the industry and by extension keep their businesses afloat.

“I am excited about this change in TEF and think that it will be an incubation for the industry overall as we begin to make others understand the trends that are taking place in the industry and prepare us for the changes that are coming,.” said the Minister.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 11, 2018: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett urged more Jamaicans to embrace innovative tourism enterprises, such as Airbnb, as they have the potential to have a major impact on the local economy. He noted that in 2017 some 910 Kingston hosts earned a collective US$2.4 million from the digital home sharing site.

The accommodations website has also brought in 15, 300 guests to Kingston and about 5,100 Jamaicans have used Airbnb to travel abroad.

Speaking at the launch of the Airbnb Kingston Host Club yesterday at the East Lawns of Devon House, Minister Bartlett expressed “the democratisation of tourism is now being brought about by the sharing economy. It creates a new approach to ensuring greater inclusiveness in the tourism industry to provide an opportunity for the small and medium tourism enterprises to grow and expand.”

Airbnb has already launched over 200 home sharing clubs around the world – 9 in Mexico; 14 in Brazil and 2 in Argentina.  The launch event in Jamaica is significant as the country is now the first host club in the Caribbean.

“It is no coincidence that we have selected Jamaica to launch this initiative in the Caribbean because essentially we have received such a warm welcome from everyone in Jamaica – not just our host community but government and other sectors who understand how the home sharing economy and partners such as Airbnb can benefit the entire community in Jamaica,” said Carlos Muñoz, head of public policy at Airbnb Inc, Central America and the Caribbean.

The tourism minister went on to share that platforms of this nature also create a unique marketing opportunity for the destination, as it allows the world to see in real-time by visitors, that the destination is safe.

“The greatest statement of security that any country can hope to have is from the experiences of those who are actually in your space. So, when the visitor comes and stays in Trench Town and shares a room in Greenwich Town, and then moves around, he can authenticate the safety of the destination,” said the Minister. 

According to data received from Airbnb there are now 3,100 hosts in Jamaica, up from 2,300 in December 2016. Listings also saw a minor increase from 4,000 in 2016 to 5,900 in 2017.  Visitor usage saw the most significant increase from 32,000 in 2016 to 59,500 in the last 12 months.

In November of last year, Airbnb launched its ‘Experiences’ platform in Jamaica, adding the island to the growing list of international destinations that offer unique experiences and activities designed and directed by local hosts that allow visitors to discover local communities in an authentic way.  Since its launch, 48 different experiences were made available on the platform with 319 bookings made and Jamaicans collectively earned US $13, 925.

The Minister noted that his Ministry was quick to collaborate with Airbnb as it represents a new type of tourism model – primarily targeted to the millennial traveller.

“Jamaica must be at the cusp now of understanding this change and respond to it, or we are going to be left behind, and we will become hewers of wood and drawers of water.

“We can’t allow ourselves to be left out, so we have to engage our small operators and local partners who feel threatened by these disruptions taking place in the industry. We are going to work with you and educate you more and put funding in place for transition through innovation,” said Minister Bartlett.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 11, 2018: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett leaves the island today to attend a series of meetings in South America. While there, he is expected to make a presentation on the Global Disaster Resilience Centre that is to be established in Jamaica, as well as garner more support for Small and Medium Sized Tourism Enterprises.

The centre, which was first announced at the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) global conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism held in Montego Bay last November, will be located at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.

It is being designed to help vulnerable states to recover quickly from natural disasters and is currently endorsed by World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, and the Caribbean Tourism Organisation.

While in South America, the Minister will visit Paraguay to attend the 63rd Meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Americas. This is the first meeting since Jamaica was elected to serve on the Executive Council and will also be the first time that the new Secretary General of the UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili, participates in a Commission of the Americas meeting.

He will then attend the 8th G20/T20 Tourism Ministers Meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on April 15. The meeting will be held under the theme “Tourism as Protagonist of Sustainable Growth: An Engine for Employment” and aims to highlight significant contributions that the tourism sector makes towards the growth and development of the global economy.

While in Argentina, he will also participate in a panel discussion on Recovery and Resilience in Crisis Management for Tourism during the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 18th Global Summit, which is scheduled to take place on April 18, and 19, 2018.  

The Minister will be accompanied by Permanent Secretary, Jennifer Griffith at the Commission of the Americas meeting and will later be joined by his Senior Advisor/Consultant Dr. Lloyd Waller, at the G20/T20 meetings. He is expected to return to the island on April 26, 2018.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; April 10, 2018: The Ministry of Tourism is providing $100 million in a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, to launch the first certification programme for high school students to gain entry level qualification in tourism.

Disclosing the sum involved, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett said there has been agreement with Education Minister, Hon Ruel Reid “to put in $100 million to establish, a curriculum in high schools for the certification of students in hospitality, starting September.”

The announcement came, as both minsters gave keynote addresses at the historic graduation of over 150 hospitality workers to be graduated by the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) on Sunday at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

Minister Bartlett said the collaboration was part of a wider programme being pursued by both ministries “and it is an important part of the whole stage of development of the professional path in the human development strategy of the Ministry of Tourism under the 5x5x5,” a growth strategy to achieve 5 million tourists visiting Jamaica in 5 years and enabling the country to earn US$5 billion.

The human capital development programme also includes Team Jamaica educating and generally sensitizing tourism workers at the broad grass root level to what the industry is all about; HEART National Training Agency providing training in various areas of competence for entry level into the industry; tertiary level institutions providing academic qualification in hospitality; and culminating in JCTI  certifying professionals in the various areas and offering scope for continued advancement in the sector.

Minister Bartlett said the JCTI was eight years in the making and he welcomed “the partnership that we’ve been able to forge with the Ministry of Education in helping to build out this strategy of human capital development which has been so much a part of what we want to do in tourism.”

To rousing applause, he acknowledged the pioneering graduates for being the trailblazers and admitted that, “it is for me a deeper sense of accomplishment based on not just a commitment, a vision and a direction but a deep emotion, not for the like but absolutely for the love.”

He said the ultimate goal was for “value added as we want to take the knowledge that we have from the pursuit of information gathering that we have been engaged in over the years and convert that knowledge into material value.”

Endorsing the JCTI initiative, Minister Reid pointed to a number of social needs and said if the society was going to pull people out of poverty, it had to make sure that the tourism product thrived so that the benefits could be used to tackle social problems.

He implored the graduating supervisors to understand that now that they have been trained and certified, “your whole perspective has been opened up and you have to ask yourself, am I in the right industry, because, if you’re in the right industry you need to deliver the kind of services that are consistent.”

Minister Reid underscored that the tourism investment in training was not final, urging the graduates to seek to move from being a supervisor to a manager, then on to being a general manager and ultimately to become owner of a hotel or an attraction.

Stressing the importance of innovating to stay ahead of the game, Minister Reid spoke of “the need of a culture that invests in human capital development” and to that end, he said he wanted a firm MOU (memorandum of understanding) “or we’re going to have to put this in law” that hotel operators, owners of hotels and owners of industry “need to set aside a minimum of three weeks per year for professional development.” He stressed that “It is necessary.”

Of the over 150 graduates, 75 have been certified as hospitality supervisors; 13 lecturers and 12 students with Certification in Hospitality Analytics (CHIA); 11 completed the American Culinary Federation (AFC) certification; 2 ACF Certified Executive Chefs have received certification as Certified Evaluators and 50 from the Centre of Occupational Studies programme as  supervisors.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 5, 2018: Despite a record breaking 2017, Jamaica tourism numbers for the first quarter of the year have hit new records, according to Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.

 “Total stop over and cruise passenger arrivals, stood at approximately 1.3 million for the first quarter of 2018 (January to March), that is over 80 thousand more tourists than the corresponding period last year or 6.6% in percentage terms. Provisional data shows that the month of March also recorded a whopping 11.3% increase in stopover arrivals over the same month last year. Of note also is that for the period, gross estimated Foreign Exchange Earnings stood at US$821.2million representing an increase of 8%.”, said Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett.

These figures come on the heels of last year’s record growth in arrivals which eclipsed the total increase of the previous four years, 2012-2015 with total arrivals of approximately 4.3 million and foreign exchange earnings reaching approximately US$3 billion.

Bartlett said that “These increased figures are as a result of a dynamic and multifaceted stakeholder engagement campaign cutting across our main markets - the U.S, Canada and Europe - by our team and our first-rate partners in the private sector. We have over the last several months and weeks before and after the implementation of enhanced security measures in St. James met with major industry players to reassure the world that Jamaica is open for business and is a first-class destination”.

 “This continued growth in arrivals also indicates that we are well on our way of surpassing our 5 million annual visitor arrivals target before 2021 under my ‘5x5x5’ growth strategy. The consistent increase in arrivals is also proof that our tourism product remains robust and highly sought after by tourists’ worldwide.” said Minister Bartlett.

The Ministry intends to transform the island’s tourism sector and has implemented a ‘5x5x5’ growth plan to attract five million visitors by 2021; generate US$5 billion in tourism earnings, increase the total direct jobs to 125,000 and add 15,000 new hotel rooms.

Senior Advisor/Strategist, Delano Seiveright noted that the dynamic and multifaceted stakeholder engagement campaign continues later this month with visits to several key South American markets including Argentina, Chile, Peru and Colombia. “No stone is being left unturned in our team’s zeal to achieve our targets. Stopover arrivals from Latin America grew by over 16 percent last year alone and much more growth is in the works. Minister Bartlett, Director of Tourism, Donovan White and other team members will be meeting with executives of the two of the continent’s largest airlines and several key industry stakeholders as we aggressively build out this vast market” he said.