Chairman of the COVID-19 Resilient Corridors, John Byles, says that as the world struggles to combat the effects of COVID-19, Jamaica has, over the last six months, emerged as a leader in the fight against the pandemic. Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank at the agency’s Montego Bay Regional Office on August 31, Mr. Byles said that...

Chairman of the COVID-19 Resilient Corridors, John Byles, has indicated that established safety protocols are being continually "reviewed” by tourism entities, in order to further improve and enforce them. Addressing a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank at the agency’s Regional Office in Montego Bay, St. James, on August 31, he said it is imperative that the lives of local...

Jamaicans have been visiting local resorts to take advantage of reduced staycation packages, as international travel has been reduced drastically. The move is also being pushed by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), through its Rediscover Jamaica programme, in an effort to provide a temporary cushion for the struggling hotel sector, which has seen a fallout in business over the past...

Owners of attractions are now repackaging their products to cater to the local market, as a result of the loss being experienced with the cruise-shipping business due to the fallout from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “Most if not all of Jamaica’s major attractions derived anywhere from 40 per cent to 60 per cent of their overall businesses from cruise shipping,”...

Despite the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) having taken a toll on tourism dependent businesses, craft traders in the island’s resort towns remain optimistic that better days are ahead. The traders, who operate in craft shops in Negril, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Falmouth, Port Antonio and Kingston, say they are hoping that the latter part of 2020, going into 2021 will be...

Tourism stakeholders are calling for an all-hands-on-deck approach in the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19). The group, which includesrepresentatives from the craft, transportation, duty free, hotel, destination management, and attraction sectors, said the recent surge in COVID-19 cases is definitely a cause for concern, and anything less than a united front could prove problematic. “The Government’s overall handling of the...

With the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic having taken a toll on tourism-dependent businesses islandwide, vendors at the popular Scott’s Cove food and rest stop on the border of St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland are expressing gratitude to local customers for their continued patronage. More commonly known as ‘Border’ because of its location, Scott’s Cove, a haven for fish and bammy lovers,...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, on Thursday (August 13), officially launched the new headquarters of the White River Fish Sanctuary, located on the Old White River Road in St. Ann. The facility forms part of a $16-million investment from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and other stakeholders to ensure sustainability of the fish sanctuary, which is being managed by...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says discussions are under way with the University of the West Indies to have the operations of the Centre for Hotel and Tourism Management (CHTM) in The Bahamas relocated to Jamaica. Addressing the virtual graduation ceremony for participants in the online training programme for tourism workers on August 12, the Minister said this means...