JAMAICA: Expressing Gratitude And Appreciation For Hurricane Response

Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett is expressing gratitude and appreciation to local tourism partners for their role in the sector’s emergency planning and response efforts during the period when Hurricane Matthew posed a threat to Jamaica.

According to a news release from the ministry, Bartlett is thankful that the island was spared the brunt of Matthew, which never made landfall in Jamaica, but passed offshore the island. He singled out the ministry’s Tourism Emergency Operations Centre (TEOC), which provided information to tourism stakeholders around the clock.

The ministry said it activated the TEOC at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston to coordinate emergency services for the local tourism sector. Tourism entities across the island also took precautionary measures to safeguard life and property.

“I am truly grateful to the staff and volunteers who devoted many hours of their time to ensure that the industry and our visitors were kept safe and fully informed about the impending weather system. Their support provided valuable reassurance to the tourism community. I also wish to thank all our tourism partners for the important role they played, including the management and staff of the Jamaica Pegasus for accommodating our Tourism Emergency Operations Centre,” Bartlett said.

“We have a well-developed tourism disaster preparedness and emergency management infrastructure that can handle these types of threats. I am extremely pleased that there was no damage to the island’s tourism sector and that our tourism entities such as our resorts and attractions are operating as they normally would,” Minister Bartlett pointed out.

He emphasised that “Jamaica is open for business and I encourage persons to continue to visit our island and experience a unique and memorable vacation that only Jamaica can provide”.

In the meantime, Bartlett also urged Jamaicans to keep the people of Haiti, Cuba and other countries that have been or that are likely to be impacted by Hurricane Matthew in their prayers.

JAMAICA: Tourist Arrivals Up 5.5%

Tourism and Entertainment Minister Dr Wykeham McNeill, says Jamaica recorded a 5.5 per cent increase in visitor arrivals for the nine-month period between January and September 2015.

Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) statistics show that arrivals totalled just over 1.6 million during the period.

The minister noted that this is approximately 38,000 more than the corresponding period in 2014. He added that this year’s figure also includes increased cruise ship visitor arrivals, which were 105,000 more than last year.

McNeill was speaking at the weekly Kingston Rotary Club luncheon, held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston, on Thursday.

The minister welcomed the increased visitor arrivals, particularly out of the United States, where “we have seen a rebound.”

He said this is “very good, because it’s such an important market to us.”

He also highlighted notable increases in arrivals out of the United Kingdom, which had declined as a result of the global economic downturn, and issues with the Air Passenger Duty (APD), among others.

Meanwhile, Dr McNeill advised that Jamaica has secured an additional 60,000 airlift seats that will come on stream for the upcoming 2015/16 Winter Tourist Season, which starts on December 15. Of this number, the Minister said over 50,000 originates in the United States.

The airlines involved include: Frontier Airways, which will channel flights out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; American Airlines, which will have flights out of Los Angeles, California; and Southwest, which will schedule daily flights out of Houston, Texas.

“When you take into consideration that next year, we are going to be bringing direct flights from (places) like Dublin (in the Republic of Ireland) to Montego Bay, we are really opening up...the possibilities for Jamaica,” the minister said.