Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the Jamaica Rum Festival will serve to further enhance the country’s global appeal as a travel destination. The two-day event, slated for Hope Botanical Gardens in St. Andrew from March 9 to 10, will be jointly staged by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), in collaboration with J. Wray and...

Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Nestor Mendez, says establishment of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, in the Caribbean, is not only vital but also “very timely.” He was addressing the official launch of the Centre, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, in Rose Hall, St. James, on January 30. Mr. Mendez  said...

The Government is to increase access to loan funding for Small and Medium Tourism Enterprise (SMTE) operators, to expand and improve their businesses. Making the disclosure, Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, said SMTEs are to benefit from additional funds through the Jamaica National Small Business Loan Limited, as the Government will be providing $200 million in the 2019/2020 fiscal year...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says Jamaica is proud to be associated with the conceptualising and launch of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, which will provide solutions to emerging or existing threats to tourism across the Caribbean region and globally. Among these threats are climate change and natural disasters, cybercrime, pandemics, terrorism, war, population and...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the opening of the S Hotel has created an economic boost for Montego Bay. He said that beyond the jobs generated, there is spin-off for manufacturing and other sectors from the use of locally made furnishings, and other products and services. “So, you can see how this property is adding dimension to Jamaica’s...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the interests of small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) must be safeguarded to ensure the industry’s sustainability. He contended that achieving this requires SMTEs being fully leveraged to build sustainable economies in tourism-dependent nations. “Nowhere do we understand this more than here in Jamaica, as a member of the most tourism-dependent region in the...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is encouraging Caribbean leaders to collaborate on ways to collectively strengthen tourism across the region. He contends that while there is high demand for the product, collaboration will further boost its allure and competitiveness. The Minister was speaking at the 26th World Travel Awards (WTA) Caribbean and North America Gala Ceremony at Sandals Montego Bay...