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There was a 19.9 per cent increase in visitor arrivals for the period January to April, 2012, when compared to the similar period last year. This was disclosed by Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, who noted that the increase was primarily due to a boom in cruise passenger arrivals, which grew by 55 per cent. The...

Chairperson of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Maxine Henry-Wilson, has emphasised that the Falmouth Port, in Trelawny is a natural economic asset, attracting thousands of overseas visitors, and members of the community must protect the facility. "The port won several awards recently, and last year about 500,000 persons came to that port. Trelawny is on the map again, you...

The Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment embarked on a series of activities, during the first 100 days of portfolio Minister, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill’s tenure, aimed at further boosting visitor arrivals. These came against the background of global developments which impacted the tourism sector of several countries around the world, including the small island Caribbean states, such as Jamaica. Speaking...

The reopening of the legendary Lover's Leap attraction in St. Elizabeth, and plans for the development of the facility, is seen as a significant boost to the tourism product on the south coast. The breathtaking attraction, which holds its fame in the powerful but tragic love story of two young slaves, reopened in March after being closed for almost two...

Tourism and Entertainment Minister, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill has kick-started high level discussions with senior officials from Canada’s leading holiday travel airline Air Transat and its parent company Transat A.T. Inc., aimed at boosting tourism and airlift to Jamaica out of Canada. This as Minister McNeill and other senior tourism officials including Director of Tourism Mr. John Lynch, Permanent...

The Runaway Bay HEART Hotel has been rebranded the Cardiff Hotel and Spa, and is being positioned to be a four star eco-friendly boutique hotel in the tourism sector.         The 56-room facility, located in the upscale Cardiff Hall community, in Runaway Bay, St. Ann, is undergoing extensive refurbishing as part of the rebranding process, all aimed at changing the...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Damion Crawford, says tourism can play a pivotal role in the development of the country. “It therefore means that we have to look at how we can improve on the benefits of tourism, because tourism can be the answer if it is correctly managed and correctly implemented,” he said....

Jamaica possesses the distinct qualities of a vibrant emerging market with enormous possibilities for trade and investment, said Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) Corporate Communication Manager, Mark Thomas.  He noted, however, that the vast opportunities are yet untapped by investors because of the perception of Jamaica as primarily a leisure location. "From a brand perspective, in terms of how the world...

Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, has identified health, community, cultural and sports tourism as key areas within the industry that are ripe for investment. Speaking Thursday March 1 at the ‘Invest in Tourism Roundtable’ session, held as part of the Jamaica Investment Forum now underway at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, the Minister said that these...

Jamaica is poised for major development in the tourism and energy sectors, with plans advanced for several projects to be undertaken over the short-term. Addressing a recent JIS Think Tank, President of JAMPRO, Sancia Bennett Templer, said that the projects will boost Jamaica’s position as a major destination for doing business. In terms of tourism, she informed that the Fiesta...

As part of efforts by the Ministry of Tourism to boost airlifts, particularly out of the North East tri-state area of the United States (US), Director of Tourism, John Lynch, will leave the island this weekend for the Fifth Routes Americas Conference in Nassau, Bahamas. The conference, which will last from February 19 to 21, brings together all the major...

Speaking at the Jamaica House press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister, on February 15, Dr. McNeill explained that  during that period, for the most part, stopover arrivals remained relatively flat, experiencing growth in only three of those months, resulting in a 0.8 decrease overall. He pointed to a number of factors which contributed to that decline, including...