PRTravelwire iReport

Jamaica's Ministry of Tourism

KINGSTON, Jamaica, October 4, 2017:  Jamaica continues to extend our thoughts and prayers to our Caribbean brothers and sisters, especially residents in those islands that took a direct hit from the recent hurricanes and to everyone who has been or will be affected as a result of these catastrophic storms.

We recognize that the entire Caribbean region will be adversely impacted by the lasting results of Hurricanes Irma and Maria and have set a course of action that is designed to minimize the long-term effect on the region.

The brand began managing the resort on Oct 1; in the first quarter of 2018, the property will be fully reflagged and renamed as the Mandarin Oriental, Canouan.

The property has a total of 26 suites and 12 villas; it also includes a beachside infinity pool, three night-lit tennis courts, a fitness center and a kids’ club.

The five-square-mile island is home to a Tom Fazio-designed golf course, a superyacht marina and the largest natural coral reef in the southern Caribbean.

Proven - by Caileen Kehayas 

Whether you own a restaurant or a small cafe, your chef is arguably the most important part of your business. Even if you are hiring a chef for a special event, you will still need to take care in your vetting process.

Hiring a chef entails more than just finding someone who “can cook”.

Join Millions of Reggae Fans Around the World in Viewing FREE LiveStreams of Jamaica’s Reggae Sumfest 25th Anniversary Festival on July 21 & 22

Join the greatest Reggae and Dancehall Festival in the world, Reggae Sumfest, 25th Anniversary edition, in Montego Bay, JA via LiveStream at 8pm (Jamaican time) on Friday, July 21 and Saturday, July 22.  You can check the World Timezone calculator here

The free, cutting-edge global live streaming can be accessed from http://reggaesumfest.com/#livestreams. Once there, simply choose your stream option: HD Broadcast Livestream and/or 360° Livestream.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 20, 2017:  Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett will join leading tourism stakeholders in Washington DC tomorrow (June 21) for the Tourism Knowledge Exchange Forum 2017, which is expected to highlight the latest innovations in sustainable tourism development.

The event is being organized by the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with Chemonics International, George Washington University and the World Bank Group. It is expected to bring together leaders and achievers in the tourism industry – such as representatives from the World Economic Forum, AirBnb and Harvard University – to discuss the impacts of the shared economy, new systems for measuring tourism impact and indicators as a driver of understanding competitiveness

“It is critical for us to have a sustainable presence in the international marketplace, especially in instances where we can strategize the way ahead for tourism. I am therefore very pleased to join organizers to discuss how we can better incorporate the key enablers of sustainable tourism destination development and competitiveness,” said Minister Bartlett.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 19, 2017: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says, though the destination is not at risk, his Ministry will increase efforts to tackle the issue of crime affecting the people of Jamaica. 

Addressing delegates at the 56th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and awards luncheon of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Saturday (June 17), Minister Bartlett said, “safety and security must be a feature of our own existence as a people, because tourism is not just about the visitor but about the people in the destination and we have to act on protecting our people first.”

The Minister went on to state that the Ministry of Tourism is working closely with the Ministry of National Security to ensure that local national security becomes aligned with tourism security.

Photo Caption:    African Liberation Day, also known as ALD, was founded in 1958 by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah on the occasion of the First Conference of Independent States held in Accra, Ghana and attended by eight independent African states.                                     

                                                      AFRICAN LIBERATION DAY

25th May 2017. African Liberation Day presents to us an opportunity to remind ourselves that we are determined as African people and the DÈaspora to make our continent become one of the best continents in industrializations, identity and ideology. This day was founded in 1958 in commemoration of the people of Africa to free themselves from colonialism, exploitation, foreign domination and imperialism.

Source: CaribbeanJournal.com

An accomplished roster of speakers, including a top executive from Virgin Atlantic, a leading authority on tourism intelligence and a host of respected hoteliers, will address delegates attending the annual Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum, slated to take place from June 2 to 4 at the Hyatt Regency Miami.

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association reports that Britain’s Mark Anderson, Executive Vice President at Virgin Atlantic, and Trinidadian Dr. Auliana Poon, Managing Director of Tourism Intelligence International, are among the list of speakers for the forum, which features a number of educational sessions.

(Bartlett_Spain2)KINGSTON, Jamaica; May 10, 2017:  Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (second right) and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Jennifer Griffith (second left) participate in a United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) workshop on the creation of sustainable gastronomy tourism products. The culinary work shop, which included practical case studies, forms part of the UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism, taking place in San Sebastian, Spain, from May 8-9, 2017. San Sebastián is a world reference point for Gastronomy Tourism. Minister Bartlett said that the experience will be vital to the further development of the gastronomy tourism product locally, which is being driven through the Ministry’s Tourism Linkages Network. He returns to the island on May 13, 2017.

We join the world today in recognising and celebrating the importance of environmental preservation, through the observance of Earth Day.  The Ministry of Tourism and its Agencies wholeheartedly support the mission of environmental protection and preservation which this day seeks to achieve.

Jamaica is blessed to have some of Mother Nature’s most beautiful gifts. We have the most breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls, white-sandy beaches, crystal-clear rivers and a wide range of endemic species – many of which our millions of visitors travel from across the globe to experience each year. Therefore, as Minister of Tourism, it has always been a priority to ensure that we put all the necessary measures in place to preserve and protect our environment for the continued existence and growth of the country’s tourism product.

My Ministry has taken a proactive role to guard and protect our natural heritage.. In fact, one of the tenets of the Tourism Master Plan is sustainable development – a key part of which is environmental sustainability. We work very closely with stakeholders, communities and governmental agencies such as the National Environment and Planning Agency to ensure that all our projects, such as the National Beach Development Programme, follow the relevant environmental guidelines.

NEGRIL, Jamaica; April 22, 2017:   In an effort to increase international promotion of the upcoming UNWTO, Government of Jamaica and World Bank Group Conference on Jobs & Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett will travel to Ethiopia, Dubai and Thailand to share the importance of the event and garner potential investors.

While in Thailand, Minister Bartlett will participate in a press conference, scheduled for April 26, 2017, which will be jointly hosted by Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and a representative from the World Bank Group.

The news briefing will highlight sustainable tourism as a catalyst for national development on an international platform, where key media houses and stakeholders will be present. In addition to discourse on partnerships for sustainable tourism for development, potential investors, donor agencies, the academic community and other tourism stakeholders will be targeted to attend the upcoming global conference, scheduled for November 27–29, 2017, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

Recording Artist PAUL "LYMIE" MURRAY penned and voiced the "Better Side Of Me Single" in 2015, as a Tribute extolling and exalting "that boy" and "that girl.

The song took on a life of its own, as fans were so emotionally charged by the content, that they adapted it as a "anthem' for their children. Ultimately the poignant single became the mantra for the campaign, which started officially in February, 2017, when Black History and Reggae Month are celebrated. So LYMIE gave outstanding Tribute performances for Icons Dennis Emmanuel  Brown and Jimmy  Cliff O.D. on the Irie Fm Life Time Achievement Awards Show and the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association  (JARIA), Reggae Wednesday's Concert respectively. Writer Ashleigh Ann Mowatt from Our Stories Jamaica,, did a riveting interview with LYMIE that truly exposed why his 16 year old daughter is indeed the "Better Side Of Him." The 2017 Jamaican leg of the Tour will begin with LYMIE Performing on Mother's Day at Cecil's Restaurant in Spanish Town, themed "Murray For Mummy." You will be reliably informed about the other dates and Artists who will join the tour, including Sing-Jay Ragga Lox, based in the United States. In the meantime LYMIE MURRAY continues to record  and release remarkable singles that will be strategically placed on his up coming EP and album. The Murray Movement is also looking forward to performance dates in the United States and United Kingdom. LYMIE will continue to be consistent and persistent on this momentous musical journey. As one of his favorite quotes states.."The Heights That Great Men Reached And Kept, Where Not Attained By Sudden Flight, But They While Their Companions Slept, Were Toiling Through The Night!" #MurrayManagement This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; April 9, 2017: The highly influential Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), representing 19 cruise lines, has recommitted to supporting the continued growth of cruise shipping in Jamaica.

FCCA President Michele M. Paige has branded Jamaica as “a jewel” and the ports of Ocho Rios, Falmouth and Montego Bay as among the “best in the world”, while commending initiatives being employed locally to make visitors happy with the experiences available to them on land.

Ms. Page made the comments during a press briefing at the Half Moon Hotel, Montego Bay, recently following two days of stakeholder meetings and port inspections by executives of the FCCA; the Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett; Director of Tourism, Paul Pennicook; Vice President, Cruise Shipping and Marina Operations at the Port Authority of Jamaica, William Tatham; and executives of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) and the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; April 9, 2017: The highly influential Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), representing 19 cruise lines, has recommitted to supporting the continued growth of cruise shipping in Jamaica.

FCCA President Michele M. Paige has branded Jamaica as “a jewel” and the ports of Ocho Rios, Falmouth and Montego Bay as among the “best in the world”, while commending initiatives being employed locally to make visitors happy with the experiences available to them on land.

Ms. Page made the comments during a press briefing at the Half Moon Hotel, Montego Bay, recently following two days of stakeholder meetings and port inspections by executives of the FCCA; the Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett; Director of Tourism, Paul Pennicook; Vice President, Cruise Shipping and Marina Operations at the Port Authority of Jamaica, William Tatham; and executives of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) and the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

(Photo Caption: Charlie Bobus, Dub Poet and Event Producer)

Due to the frustration and distress the schoolers across Jamaica  are facing they crave motivation through positive messages of hope and inspiration. One aim of the school tour is identifying youth leaders to create their visions and influence their peers positively. The tour will identify talented poetic youths for Inspirator Upcoming Youth islandwide Dub Poetry Slam.

The Dub poets are seeking your listening ears to travel across Jamaica to spread the positive message to the youths through Dub Poetry in Schools. To make this possible Charlie Bobus is staging a Dub poetry school tour fundraiser at Red Bones Blues Cafe titled Roots Dub Poetry Reggae Revival on April 7, 2017 at 9pm.