TPDCo Hosts Licensing Expo – A One-stop Shop For Tourism Operators

The Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) is once again championing ease of doing business for tourism stakeholders with the fourth staging of its Licensing Expo.

The event, which began on May 29 in Ocho Rios, will run until July 9 in the major tourism areas across the island.

On June 17, it will be held in Montego Bay, June 19 in Falmouth, June 25 in Negril, June 30 in St. Elizabeth, July 7 in Portland, and July 9 in Kingston.

Each event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Licence Processing and Registration Manager at TPDCo, Sheryl Lewis, told JIS News that the expo is designed as a “one-stop shop”, bringing together all the necessary regulatory agencies that are required to grant any permit or certificate required for operators who intend to offer a tourism product.

Among the participating entities are the Ministry of Tourism, Companies Office of Jamaica, the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, Jamaica Fire Brigade, National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), the Public Health Department, National Export-Import Bank of Jamaica (EXIM Bank), JN Small Business Loans, Marathon Insurance Brokers, along with Municipal Corporations in each of the resort areas.

“TPDCo is a facilitatory agency, and so we’re always facilitating this interaction between the operators, regulatory agencies and any other body that they may have a challenge with or would need some assistance from,” said Ms. Lewis,

She invited persons to use the opportunity to submit or renew their Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) licence applications.

For more information, visit @tpdcoja on Instagram, X, YouTube, or email Tatanya Burnett at tatanya.burnett@tpdco.org. She may also be reached at (876) 881-7363.

The TPDCo Licensing Expo was first held in 2022 as ‘Bring Your Application Day’ before being rebranded.

It has since become a cornerstone event for Jamaica’s tourism sector, bringing together key regulatory agencies, insurance providers, financial institutions and business consultants under one roof.

The TPDCo is the central agency mandated by the Government of Jamaica to facilitate the maintenance, development, and enhancement of the tourism product.

It is also charged, on behalf of the Jamaica Tourist Board, to process applications for entities requiring a JTB licence.