With the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic having taken a toll on tourism-dependent businesses islandwide, vendors at the popular Scott’s Cove food and rest stop on the border of St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland are expressing gratitude to local customers for their continued patronage. More commonly known as ‘Border’ because of its location, Scott’s Cove, a haven for fish and bammy lovers,...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says discussions are under way with the University of the West Indies to have the operations of the Centre for Hotel and Tourism Management (CHTM) in The Bahamas relocated to Jamaica. Addressing the virtual graduation ceremony for participants in the online training programme for tourism workers on August 12, the Minister said this means...

The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has donated an ambulance to the Negril Fire Department in Westmoreland, which was procured at a cost of $18 million. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, in his remarks at the handover ceremony held on Friday (July 31) emphasised that fire departments are important in ensuring visitor safety on the island. “Safety enables a feeling...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says he is pleased with the level of compliance of tourism operations in Westmoreland with the protocols put in place by the Government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the sector. He was speaking at a press briefing held at the Bluefields Bay Villa in the parish on Friday (July 31),...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the appreciation being shown by employees within the hospitality sector to be back at work is an affirmation of the Government’s move to reopen the sector. Speaking to JIS News following recent visits to several of Jamaica’s top north coast attractions, Mr. Bartlett said he was moved by the personal testimonies of some...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the virtual staging of Reggae Sumfest 2020 was a major boost for Jamaica and the local tourism sector, with more than two million viewers tuning in to watch the July 20 to 25 event. Speaking to JIS News, Minister Bartlett said it is his understanding that when the Middle East and Africa are...

The Sandals Resorts International chain has taken proactive steps to enhance and revamp all operational protocols, to ensure a consistently safe environment for guests and staff. This was noted by Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Sandals Resorts International, Shawn DaCosta, as he addressed team members and media practitioners following a tour of the Sandals Ochi Beach Resort in St. Ann,...

Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Sandals International Resorts, Shawn DaCosta, says despite the impact COVID-19 has had on the tourism industry globally, persons still have not lost their appetite for travelling. Pointing to the 80 per cent occupancy at the flagship Sandals Montego Bay property for the month of July, Mr. DaCosta said Jamaica is both strategically placed and so...

The world renowned Dunn’s River Falls and theme park in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, has been recording an uptick in patronage since being reopened to the public on July 21, following a four-month closure due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.   The popular 28-acre facility got the go-ahead from the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) on July 17 to...