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Minister of Industry and Tourism, Aloun Ndombet Assamba has said that with new and powerful trading blocs emerging in Europe, China and the Americas, Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean had no option but to adopt new and responsive regional measures to ensure their survival and competitiveness. Mrs. Assamba pointed out that due to the process of globalization, the...

Some 20,146 loans valued $670.5 million, were made to the micro and small business sectors during the 2004/2005 financial year, leading to the creation of some 12,675 new jobs. Industry and Tourism Minister Aloun Ndombet Assamba, who made the announcement yesterday (July 27), said the figure represented a 27.6 percent increase over the number of loans in the previous year...

Strong representation is being made at several levels for an extension of the implementation date to meet the requirements under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), for Americans travelling to Jamaica to hold passports for re-entry to the United States as of January 2006. This was noted by Industry and Tourism State Minister, Dr. Wykeham McNeill during his contribution to...

Jamaica recorded its best ever year in tourism in 2004, reflecting an overall growth of 4.8 per cent, with a record 1,414,786 stopover visitors. This was reported by Dr. Wykeham McNeill, State Minister in the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, when he spoke in the 2005/06 Sectoral Debate in the House on Wednesday, June 29. He said the industry recorded...

Commissioner of Police, Lucius Thomas, has said that preliminary work was being carried out for the establishment of a 20-man police station in the Farm Heights area of St. James. "We have done our surveys, we have done our work and the documentation is in. It is recommended that we put in a 20-man station. I will meet with the...

The 2005 staging of the Calabash literary festival, has been touted as a huge success, with the staging of the event last weekend in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth described as the best ever in the festival's five year history. Principal Organiser of the event, Justine Henzell told JIS News, that there was vast improvement in the "on the ground organisation"...

The resort town of Ocho Rios continues to record high cruise ship arrivals, with over 91, 000 passengers expected for the month of March. Manager of the Ocho Rios Cruise Ship Terminal, Dennis Richards told JIS News, that 42 cruise ships were expected to arrive at the Ocho Rios and Reynold's piers this month. "This figure will be the highest...

While thousands of American students continue to converge on Jamaica's hot spots for the annual spring break vacation, several others from Georgetown University in Washington arrived in the island earlier this week for a non- traditional vacation of sorts. These students, who are part of the university's Habitat for Humanity chapter, will participate in building and refurbishing homes in Claremont,...

On behalf of the parish of Westmoreland, the Sir Clifford Campbell Primary School, has played its part in the historical hosting of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, who paid a three-day visit to the island, from February 25 to February 27, 2005. The Westmoreland leg of the Royal visit took place on Sunday, (February 27), when Her Royal Highness...

Rafts men operating on the Rio Grande River in Portland have received cheques totalling $680,000 to enable them to revive their operations after setbacks caused by Hurricane Ivan last September. The money came from the Tourism Development Fund, which was set up by government to provide grant assistance for tourism-related businesses. The fund is administered by the Jamaica Business Development...

The eighteenth staging of the St. Mary Agri Expo will be held at the James Bond Beach in Oracabessa from March 27-28. This year's show will be held under the theme: 'Agriculture and Tourism: A Partnership for Progress'. It was cancelled last year due to the outbreak of the Mocho Disease, which affected the banana industry. The show is being...

Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), Dennis Morrison has called for greater collaboration between the tourism and agricultural sectors for the country to achieve sustainable economic and social development. Mr. Morrison, who was addressing the media launch of the St. Mary Agriculture Expo 2005 on January 29 at the Beaches Boscobel Resort and Golf Club, said that closer partnership...