TPDCo Launches Licensing Expo 2026 to Improve Ease of Doing Business

The Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo) has officially launched its Licensing Expo 2026, as part of ongoing efforts to improve ease of doing business for tourism stakeholders and other entrepreneurs across the island.

The event was held at the Jamaica Palace Hotel in Port Antonio, Portland, on Tuesday (May 12).

Held under the theme, ‘Tourism Rebound & Rebuild’, the expo serves as a one-stop shop where persons can access licensing, registration and regulatory services from several government agencies and private sector entities in a single location.

The Portland staging marks the first of seven expos planned for 2026 in major resort areas. Upcoming events are scheduled for Ocho Rios on May 28; Montego Bay, June 9; Kingston, July 14; Falmouth, September 24; Negril, October 8, and Treasure Beach, November 3.

Licence Processing and Registration Manager at TPDCo, Sheryl Lewis, told JIS News that the initiative was first launched in 2019 and continues to address challenges faced by business operators navigating multiple agencies to secure approvals and licences.

The expo is a “one-stop shop” that brings 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, she explained.

Ms. Lewis noted that although the expo is spearheaded by TPDCo, it is open to anyone requiring services from the participating agencies.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a tourism entity or enterprise, but [if] you need to use the service of any one of [the] agencies or entities that are here, then that is what we are facilitating. So the primary benefit would be that it’s a one-stop shop [for everybody],” she said.

Participating agencies include the Companies Office of Jamaica, Jamaica Fire Brigade, National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), Public Health Department, Ministry of Tourism, Jamaica Constabulary Force Resort Area Division, EXIM Bank, Jamaica National Small Business Loans, Guardian Insurance Group and Marathon Insurance Brokers, among others.

Services offered include business registration, fire and health certification, environmental permits, public liability insurance, loan facilitation, pension registration and consultations relating to tourism incentives and licensing requirements.

Ms. Lewis encouraged persons to take advantage of the opportunity to interact directly with agencies and obtain guidance on the application process.

“We invite anybody who need to access any one of these agencies to just come out, interact with them and get the necessary information,” she said.

She further disclosed that TPDCo is moving to digitise the licensing application process to improve efficiency and accessibility.

“Currently the application process is a manual one, but we are in the process of developing an online application form,” Ms. Lewis informed.

She explained that TPDCo’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Department is currently conducting tests at the expos, where persons can submit applications electronically and receive a unique registration code for future online licensing transactions.

The digital push forms part of the wider Jamaican Gateway Platform and Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) initiative aimed at streamlining business operations and improving access to government services online.

Ms. Lewis said TPDCo also tracks attendance, consultations, applications and training participation to assess the effectiveness of the expos and refine future staging arrangements.

She noted that the initiative supports the agency’s wider mission of encouraging compliance among tourism operators.

“Our focus is to get persons licensed and to ensure that they stay licensed,” she said.

The expos are also intended to foster networking, information sharing and business development opportunities, particularly within the tourism and hospitality sectors.