Latest

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (centre); Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange (second right); Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (right); President and Chief Executive Officer, Port Authority of Jamaica, Gordon Shirley (left); and Permanent Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister, Audrey Sewell, walking through the newly constructed Port Royal Cruise Port facility on Monday (January 21), to greet passengers of the Marella Discovery II.

Port Royal Welcomes First Cruise Ship

The historic town of Port Royal, in Kingston, welcomed its first cruise ship, the Marella Discovery II, on Monday (January 20). It was also the first time that a ship was stopping at the newly constructed Port Royal Cruise Port,...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (right) and Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange (centre) enjoying a light moment with Chairman of the Jamaica Carnival Stakeholders Committee, Kamal Bankay (left) at the 2020 Launch of Carnival in Jamaica on Thursday (January 16) at AC Hotel by Marriott in Kingston.

Tourism Ministry To Develop Cultural Events Into Products

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (second right), converses with (from left) Chief Executive Officer of Island Grill, Thalia Lyn; Senior Director of Public Affairs at J. Wray and Nephew, Tanikie McLarty Allen; and Director of Marketing at J. Wray and Nephew, Marsha Lumley, at the Rum Festival launch on January 15 at Devon House in Kingston.

Tourism Minister Wants Jamaica Rum Festival Added to Offerings

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, addresses press conference at the Jamaica Tourist Board offices in New Kingston, on January 15.

With the Minister is Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Jennifer Griffith. — Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, addresses press conference at the Jamaica Tourist Board offices in New Kingston, on January 15. With the Minister is Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Jennifer Griffith.

Jamaica To Benefit from Hosting UNWTO Summit

President, Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ), Professor Gordon Shirley provides an update on Port Royal’s redevelopment as the country’s newest cruise port terminal at the Port Authority’s Harbour Department, Newport East, during a media sensitization tour on January 17.

Port Royal Welcomes Cruise Ship On Monday

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmond Bartlett (right), displays the 2019 Tourism Sector Performance report at a press conference held today (January 15), at the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) offices in New Kingston. With the Minister is Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Jennifer Griffith.

6 years ago Tourism

Tourist Industry Earns US$500 Million More Than Last Year

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmond Bartlett, says preliminary report from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) is showing that in 2019, the sector earned between US$3.7 billion and US$3.8 billion, some US$500 million more than in 2018. Speaking at a press conference, today (January 15) at the JTB offices in New Kingston, Mr. Bartlett said stopover arrivals for the year grew...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (left), enjoys a cup of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee on the occasion of the inaugural visit of the ‘Norwegian Bliss’ at the Ocho Rios Port in St. Ann on January 10. Joining him (from 2nd left) are Chairman of the National Cruise Council and St. Ann’s Bay Mayor, Michael Belnavis; Norwegian Bliss crew members - Captain Robert Lundberg, General Manager Djamel Benatmane and Chief Engineer, Rolf Isakson.

6 years ago Tourism

Over 1.5 Million Cruise Passenger Arrivals In 2019

Preliminary data from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) indicates that cruise passengers accounted for over 1.5 million of the approximately 4.3 million tourists visiting the island in 2019. This was disclosed by Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, who spoke with JIS News following last Friday’s (January 10) arrival of one of the Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) flagship vessels – the...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (second left), shares a light moment with Minister of Culture, Gender and Entertainment Hon. Olivia Grange (right); Businessman Chris Blackwell (left); and Chief Strategist/Adviser in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright, at Golden Eye, St. Mary, recently.

6 years ago Tourism

Jamaica Looks To Capitalise On Endorsements From Major News And Travel Outlets

The Ministry of Tourism is looking to capitalise on recent endorsements by international media companies CNN, Bloomberg and The Travel, which have hailed Jamaica as one of the must-see destinations for the new year. CNN’s travel editors, in compiling their annual list of favourite places to visit, said “with James Bond, Bob Marley, turquoise waters and dazzling waterfalls, Jamaica has...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (right), sips coffee along with (from left): Chairman, Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association, Norman Grant; Chief Executive Officer, Stoneleigh Coffee, Stephen Shirley; Acting Director General, Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority, Gusland McCook; and Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) President, Lenworth Fulton. They were at Thursday’s (January 9) launch of the third annual Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston.

6 years ago Tourism

Complimentary Coffee Tasting Being Introduced For Cruise Ship Visitors

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says complimentary coffee tasting for visitors arriving at Jamaica’s cruise ship ports will commence on Friday (January 10), when the Norwegian Bliss docks in Ocho Rios, St. Ann. “So 4,000 cruisers and 1,700 crew will arrive… and they will all get a cup of our Jamaican coffee,” Mr. Bartlett said. The Minister noted that this...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (third left), addresses a stakeholder meeting on the development of Port Royal, at Jamaica House, in St. Andrew, on January 8. Listening keenly (from left) are: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett; Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange; Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Daryl Vaz; Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Pearnel Charles Jr.; and Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Audrey Sewell. The meeting brought together representatives from the Port Authority of Jamaica, the Urban Development Corporation, the security forces and other stakeholders regarding the development of Port Royal.

6 years ago DevelopmentPrime MinisterTourism

PM Says Port Royal Will Be Safe And Hassle-Free For Tourists

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says anti-harassment initiatives and security measures will be implemented at Port Royal, Kingston, to ensure a safe and hassle-free environment for tourists. “We are not going to allow this new tourist destination to descend into chaos. We are not going to tolerate harassment and public disorder in this area and I am relying...

Director of Tourism, Donovan White addresses a function.

6 years ago Tourism

Jamaica To Target New Tourism Markets

Director of Tourism, Donovan White, says Jamaica will be targeting new markets for 2020. Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Mr. White said focus will be placed on the Asian market, notably India, Japan and China. “The Indian market is huge and we believe that our newly crowned Miss World –Toni-Ann Singh – can play a major role in...

6 years ago Tourism

A ‘December to Remember’ for Tourism

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the sector is poised to exit 2019 and enter 2020 on the back of a healthy 10 per cent increase in earnings and an equally impressive 1.7 per cent spike in visitor arrivals, based on the out-turns for December. He told JIS News that the figures, which will translate into a US$400-million increase in earnings and...