New TPDCo Office in Black River to Expand Tourism Access for All Jamaicans

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the newly opened Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) office in Black River, St. Elizabeth, will serve as a vital community hub, helping Jamaicans at all levels to access opportunities in the industry.

Speaking during the official opening on July 16, Mr. Bartlett encouraged residents to engage the office actively and reach out if expectations are not being met.

“This office… is the repository of knowledge, information and guidance. It is not all about the regulatory and legislative arrangements around tourism but to enable the development of your capabilities to do better in your space. If it isn’t happening that way, let me know. Because that’s the purpose of this office here,” the Minister said.

Mr. Bartlett emphasised tourism’s power to uplift Jamaicans from all walks of life.

“Tourism is perhaps the only industry in the world where… a single guy who makes two crabs race… [can] buy a car [or] a house [and] send his children to school… that’s the power of tourism,” he declared.

Minister Bartlett reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to broadening stakeholder access to the industry and fortifying its economic resilience.

“We’re looking at a brand-new arrangement to make sure more Jamaicans can become [more] inserted in the supply side of tourism, because that’s where the wealth is,” he stated.

The TPDCo Black River office is expected to facilitate key initiatives, including licensing, community tourism development, and continued support for south coast streetscape improvement projects.