Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has welcomed heightened optimism among sector interests about the industry’s growth prospects and its potential to contribute significantly to further boosting the economy. This comes against the background of an anticipated higher number of visitor arrivals this year. At a recent meeting in Montego Bay, several business interests and stakeholders hailed tourism as a significant...

Changes have been made to the Customs Tariff Regime, which will enable ground transportation operators in the tourism sector to diversify, upgrade and replenish their fleets. This was disclosed by Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, while opening the 2017/18 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives yesterday (April 4). The new framework will see an increase in the upper cost,...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says Jamaica’s hotel room capacity will increase by more than 1,000 during the 2017 calendar year. “Over 3,000 rooms are currently (available) or are being made available, which we never had the winter before. Of that amount, close to 2,000 have already been added or will be coming on stream in the next few weeks...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says several projects are coming on stream under the Shovel-Ready Initiative. “The initiative seeks to directly assist investors by obtaining preliminary development approvals, conducting carrying capacity studies, assessing appropriate land utilisation and installing preliminary infrastructure,” he said. The Minister was opening the 2017/2018 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on April 4. His address...

Chairman of the National Cruise Council (NCC), Michael Belnavis, says upgrading of the Dunn’s River Falls attraction in Ocho Rios will further boost Jamaica’s growing cruise sector. Mr. Belnavis told JIS News that Jamaica was already on course to becoming the number-one cruise destination in the region and that the recent Dunn’s River upgrade has all but sealed the deal....

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says Jamaica is once again a favourite getaway spot for the rich and famous, proving even more that there is a lucrative market for high-end resorts. The Minister added that the island is also the number-one destination in the region for honeymooners. “Just the other day, we had Prince Harry and his actress girlfriend,...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government will be placing focus on the development of Falmouth, noting that the town has the potential to become a tourism Mecca. He noted that while Falmouth continues to dominate the cruise ship landscape, its rich culture and history have not been tapped. “The town has so much history; the architecture...