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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
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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.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 23, 2017:   Planning is in high gear as the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Ministry of Tourism, prepares to stage its fourth ‘Tourism Linkages Speed Networking Event, with the hopes of securing more investment in the sector. The business-to-business networking event will take place on March 29, 2017 at the Hilton Rose Hall Hotel & Spa in Montego Bay and will see the participation of several investors.

The unique event is a flagship initiative of the Tourism Linkages Network and its partners; the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA); the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA); Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and other entities.

The venture is one that the Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is proud of as he believes it is critical to the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to deepen linkages between tourism and other sectors.

Source: Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 13, 2017: With Jamaica welcoming just over 20,000 German tourists last year, Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett has mandated the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and key Tourism officials to double that number to 50,000 German tourist arrivals into the island by 2020. 

He made the point while meeting with the leadership of the world's largest tour company TUI Group in Berlin, Germany. Minister Bartlett noted that the Tourism Ministry and the JTB will be working closely with TUI to achieve the target. TUI Group brought over 150,000 tourists to Jamaica's shores last year. 

Ministry of Tourism, Jamaica
PHOTO CAPTION: Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett (r) makes a point to Mr. Frederico Gonzalez-Denton (l), Associate Vice President, Government Relations of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL); as Mr. Adam Goldstein, President of RCCL and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association’s (FCCA) and Delano Seiveright (3rd r), Senior Advisor to the Minister note with interest. Mr. Paul Pennicook, Director of Tourism (partially hidden) was also a part of the discussions that involved growing interest in a Cuba, Jamaica cruise itinerary.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; February 13, 2017: Years prior to the Cuban Revolution in 1959 that saw the communist Fidel Castro regime come to power, Cruise ships from Miami regularly stopped in Cuba and Jamaica as part of their northern Caribbean itinerary. Now with the easing of US/Cuba relations just under 60 years following the revolution and prompting by Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, Cruise executives are excited about the prospects for a surge in interest for the once charmed route which will prove popular and continue the upward trajectory of Jamaica’s cruise arrival numbers. 

The development comes as Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL), after receiving approval for a one day per week sailing into Havana, Cuba decided to drop Grand Bahama in the Bahamas from its scheduled four-day voyage, sending jitters throughout the tourism industry there. Interestingly, Swiss based cruise giant MSC Cruises has been promoting its itineraries spanning, Havana, Cuba; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Cayman Islands and Cozumel, Mexico this year. Meanwhile, the Cypriot-owned 1,200-passenger Celestyal Crystal cruise ship has been sailing seven-day Cuba itineraries year-round on a people-to-people cruise and land itinerary out of Montego Bay and Havana. 

Source: http://travel.usnews.com

The British Virgin Islands, or BVI for short, are some of the most exclusive and least developed islands of the Caribbean, but this only adds to their appeal. The resorts, villas, restaurants and other tourist attractions in this paradise are known to emphasize spare luxury over sprawling expansion, and they attract travelers with deep pockets and a love for sailing and seclusion. Many travelers who visit come by ferry boat from another Caribbean isle, especially as some find opulent exile too hard to enjoy for longer than a day or two. And some say it's better to split your time between here, the nearby U.S. Virgin Islands and Anguilla to the east.

Others find more than enough to keep them exclusively anchored by these 60 islands and cays. On Tortola, you'll find mountainous cliffs and chalk white beaches, characterized by changing tides and calm easterly winds. A brief sail away, sleepy Jost Van Dyke offers delicious Caribbean food and drink, one of the region's best New Year's Eve parties, as well as a few outdoor excursions like diving and fishing. On Virgin Gorda, you'll find The Baths, perhaps the most picturesque shore in the British Virgin Islands, and with good reason: It offers unique grottoes amidst gigantic granite boulders (just be mindful of the daytripping crowds). For supreme seclusion, try Anegada; its slow pace, flat terrain and sparkling sand lies almost overlooked in Caribbean Sea.

Source: www.travelpulse.com

Photo Caption: Travelers visiting New York's Jamaica Station got a crazy surprise. (Photo via Flickr/Adam Moss)

There is perhaps no more dreary experience than the morning commute.

Source: Jamaica's Ministry of Tourism

 KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 30, 2017:   Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett leaves the island today (January 30, 2017) to attend an important meeting of the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) Council of Tourism Ministers and Commissioners in the Bahamas. 

 During the high level meeting, Minister Bartlett will engage his colleagues in discussions on issues including: public/private partnership for marketing the Caribbean in 2017; the creation of an Executive Council of the CTO Council of Ministers and Commissioners; and the Caribbean Leaders Tourism Summit.

Source: http://www.theverge.com/

A story that’s been circulating over the past week — “Hotel ransomed by hackers as guests locked in rooms” — should be taken with a little more than just a pinch of salt.

According to a report (since amended) by The Local, the computer system at the four-star Austrian hotel, the Seehotel Jaegerwirt, was hacked and its electronic key system hijacked. Guests were reportedly locked in their rooms by hackers until a Bitcoin ransom worth €1,500 was paid. As a result of the hack, the hotel’s managers have decided to change from electronic locks to good old-fashioned keys.

It’s a juicy story, but not entirely correct. Speaking to The Verge, Christoph Brandstätter, the hotel’s managing director, confirmed that not only were guests not locked in their rooms, the rooms were not remotely locked at all. “We were a little bit surprised about that press really because nobody was locked in their room,” said Brandstätter. “We had a cyber-attack but the only problem was that we could not program keycards for the guests checking in on the same day.” He added: “The keycards and the computers were affected, but the doors were not.”

SOURCE:  SOUTH FLORIDA CARIBBEAN NEWS

Kingston, Jamaica – Jamaican sauce manufacturer Pedro Plains, has much to celebrate this year as the company’s products are available in two of the United States’ major retailers, Winn Dixie and Kroger.

The export only company, which sells products to the US, Canada and Europe, has been exporting into their seventh year, and is now present in many states.

Source: www.caribbean360.com

WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao, Monday January 23, 2017 – has become the third Caribbean destination to sign a deal with homestay network Airbnb.

Following on the heels of Aruba and Jamaica signing agreements late last year, Curaçao officials last week inked a deal that will help promote the island as a world-class vacation destination and create a framework to allow Airbnb and the government to address issues such as taxes, host accommodation standards and regulations, as well as share aggregate data and support Curaçao’s tourism marketing campaigns.