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The official inauguration ceremony for the members of the Tourism Courtesy Corps will be held this Friday (Jan. 23) at the Old Hospital Site on Gloucester Avenue in Montego Bay. A total of 120 courtesy officers will be installed at the event, which will be hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, through its agencies, the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo)...

As part of its Jamaican Winter Rescue Programme, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has collaborated with the national carrier, Air Jamaica, to provide New Yorkers a chance to win a tropical getaway to the island. This exciting promotion encourages individuals to look out for taxicabs bearing special Jamaican advertisements, throughout the month of January. When a cab is spotted, New...

Contract carriage operators within the tourism sector can now benefit from a $50 million loan facility to assist with the purchasing of new vehicles. Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, making the announcement at a recent press briefing at the Ministry's New Kingston office, informed that $1 million will be made available to each operator at an interest rate of three...

Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has said that despite the economic downturn in the major markets overseas, Jamaica experienced a four per cent growth in tourist arrivals last year and earned US$2 billion in revenue. "Last year, we ended the difficult year with a four per cent increase over 2007. We welcomed 1,757,000 visitors to the island, which was 63,000...

Minister of State for Industry and Tourism, Dr. Wykeham McNeill has said that the annual Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival has a tremendous impact on the hospitality industry, as it helps to boost visitor arrivals.He told JIS News, that 22,600 persons attended last year's festival and said he was optimistic that this year's event would be "bigger and better."...

Black Entertainment Television (BET), one of the top American television entertainment networks, will again join forces with the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) to promote the annual Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival. The event will be held from January 26 to 28 on the picturesque Rose Hall Estate, located just outside the resort city of Montego Bay. Cybelle Brown, Vice...

Minister of Industry and Tourism, Aloun Ndombet Assamba, has appealed to students to make use of every educational opportunity to prepare for a productive future and to contribute to the country's development. The Minister, who was addressing the annual Youth Tourism Awareness Conference where she spoke on the topic: 'Tourism and Me,' told the students to consider what their lives...

With the winter tourist season fast approaching, the Port Authority of Jamaica has been working assiduously to increase cruise ship arrivals in Port Antonio, as it continues with efforts to reposition the town as a major resort and cruise ship destination. Ted Tatham, Vice President for cruise shipping at the Authority, told JIS News that the organization was making representations...

The Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) will be partnering with the Portland Parish Development Committee to refurbish attractions in the parish for the upcoming winter tourist season, which begins in December. In an interview with JIS News, Syble Rendle, Chairperson of the Portland Parish Development Committee said a planning committee has been established to work out the details of the...

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...