Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has outlined that Jamaica recorded a major increase in stopover arrivals over the Easter holiday weekend, with the island recording the highest number of visitor’s since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “According to preliminary data from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), Jamaica recorded some 14,983 visitors to the island from April 1 to 5,...

Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett has revealed that Jamaica has finalized arrangements with global cruise company, Norwegian Cruise Line, to homeport one of their vessels in Montego Bay, with service set to begin on August 7, 2021. “I am very pleased to announce that Jamaica will be a homeport for Norwegian Cruise Line, which will see the return of cruise tourism...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has cautioned global leaders that any requirement for proof of vaccination for travel, which does not take into account the unequal access and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally, could be considered discriminatory. The Minister made his comments in his capacity as Chair of the Organization of American States (OAS), Inter-American Committee on Tourism (CITUR) Working Group 4,...

With Americans being vaccinated against COVID-19 at a very fast rate, Jamaica could see the return of cruise shipping in the short term, local officials and stakeholders argue. A good sign, they say, is the announcement by the Royal Caribbean Group, the second largest cruise company in the world behind Carnival Cruise Line, that they will resume cruising in June...

The first cohort of students who participated in the Hospitality and Tourism Management Programme (HTMP) have completed their course of study. The initiative, which enables students to receive certification from the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) and an Associate Degree in Customer Service, was rolled out in select high schools in September 2018. It was launched in collaboration...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that the $6 million tourism linkages backyard gardening project, which has been implemented by the Tourism Enhancement Fund, will be expanded across the island to enable even more Jamaicans to benefit from the tourism sector. The project has already paved the way for ten young men and women to receive certification from the...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers of Carnival in Jamaica will forego the annual road march and related activities for April 2021, until further notice. “After a number of consultations with the relevant stakeholders, we can now announce that Jamaica will not be hosting Carnival in Jamaica...