Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has announced the establishment of a special committee which has been charged with developing an entertainment industry policy for Jamaica’s tourism sector. Speaking recently at a ceremony for establishment of a new hotel in Montego Bay, Minister Bartlett disclosed that the committee, headed by entertainment promoter Kamal Bankie, is to focus on developing a policy...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the country is on course to exceed the 3.7 million tourists, who visited the island last year, bringing earnings of $2.5 billion. Since the start of the year, Jamaica has welcomed 2.1 million visitors, and $1.3 billion has been earned from the industry. The Tourism Minister was addressing scores of farmers and patrons...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett recently (July 29) broke ground in Montego Freeport for the establishment of Jamaica’s first Hard Rock Café, an international chain of theme restaurants. The US$2-Million facility, which is being spearheaded by businessman André Dixon, will be located at the former Seawind Beach Club on the Secrets Resorts property. The 400-seat café is scheduled to come...

The Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) has received nine fogging machines from the Ministry of Tourism valued at $21 million. These will be used in vector control operations in Westmoreland, Hanover, St. James and Trelawny. The machines, which were funded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), were presented by Portfolio Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, to WRHA Chairman, Tony Hart, at...

The Government plans to spend just over $1billion to develop the old Hampden wharf in Falmouth, Trelawny, into an artisan village. The village will feature 300 shops where craft and other indigenous products are sold, as well as an area to facilitate the production of these items by local artisans. It will be the first to be constructed locally and...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has assured local and international tourism investors of the Government’s support for the continued development of the sector. He noted that tourism is a key part of the national growth strategy and is a priority area of focus. “Tourism, being such a major part of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP), would be the...

Cabinet has approved the sale of 96 ½ acres of land at Success Estate in Rose Hall,  St. James, to Celebration Jamaica Development Limited for US$40.1 million for an integrated resort development project. Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, informed that the lands, known as Northern Estate, are owned by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC)....