Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says Jamaica’s tourism recovery will be guided by a “Blue Ocean Strategy” where market boundaries can be reconstructed by the actions and beliefs of industry players. The Minister, who was speaking at the recently concluded Global Citizen Forum staged in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates on December 13, described the strategy as the...

With an uptick in cruise arrivals and a positive forecast for stopover visitors, tourism officials and other stakeholders are predicting the best winter season for Jamaica since 2019. In fact, the level of buoyancy currently being displayed throughout the sector is such that the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) is projecting an average 65 per cent occupancy for the...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is urging workers in the industry to take charge of their health and that of those around them. He made the call in a video message at the Tourism Product Development Company’s (TPDCo) HIV Awareness Webinar, held recently. The Minister noted that the webinar was held to increase awareness about HIV, AIDS, and other Sexually...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation (JCTI), will launch a technology platform in early 2022, which will help to connect certified tourism workers with potential employers. “In early 2022, The JCTI will be rolling out the database of certified persons, which will enable certified job seekers to upload their resume to the online portal,...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says entertainment remains an important value-added product which should be utilised more strategically within the tourism industry to enhance the sector’s growing fortunes. Mr. Holness, who was speaking at the recent official opening of the 444-suite all-inclusive Ocean Eden Bay Resort in Falmouth, Trelawny, said entertainment and culture are “low hanging fruits” on...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says despite being delayed by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the pension scheme for tourism workers will be introduced on January 1, 2022. Mr. Bartlett, who was speaking at the official opening of the 444-suite Ocean Eden Bay Hotel, in Trelawny, on December 9, said the introduction of the scheme is also coming...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says $20 million has been allocated to assist some 651 craft traders, who have been impacted by the pandemic, under a ‘Special Winter Tourist Season Capacity Building Support Programme’. The initiative, being spearheaded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), will benefit licensed and coronavirus (COVID-19) compliant craft traders across the island. Minister Bartlett said...