Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has hailed Carnival in Jamaica as an economic engine generating billions of dollars for the economy. Research from the University of the West Indies (UWI) indicated that last year’s staging generated J$165.7 billion, up from J$111.7 billion in 2024, representing an increase of nearly 48 per cent in a single year. With a projected 10...

Executive Director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), Dr. Carey Wallace, is encouraging Jamaicans to seize opportunities in tourism, describing the sector as the country’s main engine of growth and a pathway to stable, gainful employment for families. Speaking during a recent Tourism Linkages Network speed networking forum in Negril, Westmoreland, Dr. Wallace described tourism as both transformative and innovative,...

The first cohort of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) Tourism Entertainment Academy (TEA) is now benefiting from the live performance stage of the programme. The cohort includes 18 participants across jazz, reggae and comedy. Speaking in a recent interview with JIS News, Executive Director, TEF, Dr. Carey Wallace, said that participants are gaining practical experience and exposure that will prepare...

Jamaica is looking to capture a larger share of the global gastronomy market, estimated at US$2.1 trillion last year, by positioning its local cuisine as a key driver for tourism and economic growth. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, said that culinary experiences are a primary driver of tourist expenditure. He noted that last year, global tourism saw 1.4 billion...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has announced that the Tourism Workers Pension Scheme has now surpassed $5 billion in savings since its inception. “I would like to indicate, by way of out-turn, that the world-class, world-standard, historic Tourism Workers Pension Scheme, in its first two years… notwithstanding [Hurricanes] Melissa and Beryl… stands now at $5.1 billion,” he said. Mr. Bartlett...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, announced on March 6 that all hotels are expected to be fully operational by December 2026, following the devastation caused to the sector by Hurricane Melissa. He noted that while early stakeholder assessments had suggested that only about 80 per cent of rooms would be available, the recovery outlook has since improved. “The energy and...

Two of Jamaica’s premier festivals will converge on Saturday, March 7, when the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival partners with the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival to deliver a one-of -a-kind gastronomic showcase. The event will be held on Saturday, March 7 at Hope Gardens, from 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m. Director of the Tourism Linkages Network, Carolyn McDonald Riley,...