The Government has partnered with professionals from international tourism training institutions for the design and development of a hospitality school, which is set to be opened in 2018. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, said Professor Emeritus of Management and Tourism Studies, George Washington University, Donald Hawkins, will be leading a team tasked with developing the design of the institution...

The Government will, in partnership with the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, be establishing a Craft Development Institute (CDI), to be completed for September 2018. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, addressing a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House on January 11, said work on what is to be the first institute for craft development in...

The Ministry of Tourism is looking to add the annual Accompong Maroon celebration to its annual calendar of events as it looks to take advantage of the country’s rich cultural heritage to bring more visitors to the island. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, said the Ministry intends to work with the Accompong community to develop the experience and market it...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says an additional $20 million will be allocated to complete the road leading to the Accompong Maroon village in St. Elizabeth. Addressing the annual Accompong Maroon celebrations in St. Elizabeth on January 6, Mr. Bartlett said he is satisfied that the initial sum of $9 million that was used to improve roads in the...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the Ministry’s decision to venture into territories that were once considered inaccessible was an important contributor to the overall success of tourism in 2016. Speaking to JIS News, the Minister noted that a number of these new markets have started to open up, giving stakeholders a renewed sense of optimism and the belief...

Chairman of the National Cruise Council (NCC), Michael Belnavis, is lauding the Government’s anti-harassment efforts on the streets of Ocho Rios, noting that there are early indications they have been working. Mr. Belnavis points to the start of the cruise-shipping season where Ocho Rios has been experiencing an unusual amount of walking traffic from the cruise pier into the main...

Health tourism is poised for expansion as the Government takes steps to engage the diaspora as the first market in the sector. President of Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Diane Edwards, said the country is developing a competitive advantage over other Caribbean countries, as focus is placed on diagnostic and dental services. “We see opportunity for the health tourism industry taking...