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The Ministry of Tourism and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) have signed a US$15 million contract for the establishment of a community-based tourism policy. The policy, which is being implemented under the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) project, is funded by the World Bank and the Government of Jamaica through a US$15 million loan being invested over six years....

Despite the challenges of the global economic crisis, Jamaica's tourism sector continues to register growth, recording a 6.8 percent increase in stop over arrival figures for the fourth quarter, October to December, of 2010 when compared to the same period of 2009. Tourism Minister the Hon. Edmund Bartlett in making the disclosure noted that Jamaica's performance in stop-over arrivals have...

Prime Minister Bruce Golding says there will be a major boost to tourism with the opening next week of two new facilities. In his New Year Message, Mr. Golding said the Port of Falmouth will receive its first cruise ship on January 7 and the Montego Bay Convention Centre will be officially declared open. "Construction of the new Port of...

A new Cruise Liner, 'Thompson Dream', with about 1,700 passengers from the United Kingdom, made its inaugural trip to Jamaica docking at the Montego Bay Freeport's shipping pier on Thursday (December 30). Director General in the Ministry of Tourism, Carrole Guntley, led a team of officials from the Ministry and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), to welcome the crew and...

Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett is expressing regret at the passing of an Argentinean tourist who died in St. Ann last night in the aftermath of a suspected case of food poisoning, which also left several other visitors and Jamaicans hospitalized. The deceased was a member of a group which was vacationing at a villa in St. Mary....

Tourism Minister, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett has appointed a nine-man Tourism Advisory Council with the mandate of assisting in the shaping and implementation of policies for the tourism industry. The Council includes some of Jamaica's most successful tourism and business professionals. The members are Group Managing Director of Lascelles deMercado and Company, Mr. William McConnell, hoteliers Gordon "Butch" Stewart, Chairman...

The tourist industry will welcome increased AirTran Airways service for the winter season, from the Thurgood Marshall Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) airport, beginning February 26, 2011. The additional flight, which will operate between Baltimore/Washington and Montego Bay on Saturdays and Sundays, runs through May 1, 2011. Director of Tourism, John Lynch, welcomes the additional service. "The additional nonstop flight from AirTran,...

Jamaica reaffirmed its position as a top travel destination, being voted "Best Caribbean Destination" by readers of leading US travel industry magazine, Travel Weekly, in its eighth annual Readers Choice Awards. The award was announced on Thursday (December 16) at a gala dinner at New York City's Plaza Hotel. Jamaica edged regional counterparts Aruba, Barbados, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia and...

With a record 12,000 cruise passengers arriving at the Montego Bay and Ocho Rios Ports on day one of the 2010 Winter Tourist Season, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is expressing optimism that the season will be "very successful." "The 2010/11 Winter Tourist Season has started with a bang. Against the background of a seven per cent increase in...

Jamaica has been invited by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) to sit on its executive for the first time in its history, Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has disclosed. Mr. Bartlett, will take up the position in January 2011, where he will serve as representative of the Americas, comprising North Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Speaking...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has underscored the pivotal role played by stakeholders at the country's two international airports in enhancing the island's tourism product. Both facilities, the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA), and the Sangster International Airport, are situated in Kingston and Montego Bay, respectively. Speaking at an appreciation function for staff and officials at the NMIA on December...

Canadian travel agents have voted Jamaica the number one honeymoon destination and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) the favourite tourist board in the 2010 Agents' Choice Awards. This is the second year in a row that Jamaica has copped the top award in the honeymoon category and the fifth consecutive year that the JTB has been voted the choice tourist...