Gwaan Bartlett!! Trinket buyers to de werl!!

[Islandman]

. Good work for all involved for real though.

BTW Karl, I don't know if you are aware of this but the new executive director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund is Dr. Carey Wallace who is Manley Wallace's son. He is a Manning's past student as well. He is a good friend of mine and undoubtedly a competent person so I hope he will be able to make some things happen, particularly in Negril.

Jamaica's tourism earnings have hit the jackpot, raking in a record US$1 billion over the past four months, says tourism minister Edmund Bartlett.

"We have never had a winter season like this before, certainly not US$1 billion in earnings," Bartlett said, days after the 2016-2017 winter tourist season ended. The US$1 billion is a 6.5 per cent increase over the same period last year.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/l...uXVss.facebook

[Jangle]

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett yesterday announced that one of Europe's leading airlines, Eurowings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, would begin operating a twice-weekly scheduled service between Germany and Montego Bay.

Lufthansa is one of the world's biggest airline companies, and service to Jamaica begins on July 3.

Bartlett made the announce-ment during the just-concluded ITB Trade Show in Berlin.

According to him, the flights will operate every Monday and Friday from the Cologne Bonn International Airport.

"Eurowings will use their Airbus 330 aircraft, which has 310 seats. Flights will run July 3 through to October 27, 2017, and will bring more than 10,000 seats from Germany for the summer," Bartlett told The Gleaner.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/l...ermany-jamaica

[Willi]

I am sure I know him...

[Islandman]

His family is well known in Negril circles. They own and operate Mariners Inn and Jungle nightclub (among other businesses) in Negril.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...utive-director

[Jangle]

Time Ripe For Micro-Tourism Entities To Become Part Of Large Networks, Says Bartlett

As Jamaica's tourism industry records unprecedented growth, the country's tourism minister, Edmund Bartlett, says it is "high time" for Jamaicans to tap into the many opportunities available in the booming sector. Discarding any notion that the sector was for big players only, Bartlett, while addressing key industry experts and potential investors at the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) Conference at The Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston on Wednesday, asked why more small players were not getting into action and supplying the demand in the market.

"I disagree with the perception that the input of tourism is from large companies. An element that drives tourism is what I call value-added the things that the people come to enjoy, the street food, the entertainment, the craft, the attractions, the ground transportations," he stated.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/n...-says-bartlett

[Islandman]

He is correct but the major issue preventing that happening on a wide scale is the perception, and in some cases reality, of it not being safe to venture out from the resort.

I went to a Chris Rock concert about 2 weeks ago and he had a part where he described "the ride" from the airport to the resort in the Caribbean, using Jamaica as an example. Extremely funny in typical Chris Rock style as he exaggerates what you see happening through the window but of course with enough truth to make you know there is an "issue" to be resolved.

[HL]

Just had a workman over to do some handyman work on my house.

He said he went to Couples in Negril for his honeymoon a few years ago.

He further commented that he really enjoyed the high class treatment he received--but could not reconcile the poverty he had seen..............

All well and good for the billion $$$ milestone; but the trickle down is not effective.

Let me hasten to say a big part of lack of impact of the foreign dollar on the local economy is self inflicted.

[Don1]

Lol 😱😱

[Assasin]

people especially people working in the industry have to realize that they can use their contacts on a daily basis and think of little entrepreneurship ventures and do a thing with a little savings. Some people do it it but not enough.

Also government have to create opportunity. Again I can talk about Faiths Pen, instead of closing it government should make an updated rest stop and tourist going on tours could stop along with Jamaicans and make it better.

Like what I hear they did with Dunn's river. Identify these spots and make them better with a little more business. Why can't we expand Devon house to Falmouth, Ochi and Mobay near the shipping Pier?

[HL]

Another aspect of Jamaican tourism... is that it is labor intensive. There are all levels and type of employment.

I admire the tourism workers who have direct interaction with the guests (through customer service). The bar tenders, maids, waiters, ground keepers........................................... ..

Customer service is not easy.

It is a skill that not everyone can master. I would rate the local customer service (at the better hotels) in Jamaica-- with similar service seen in France, Spain or any country that has a vibrant tourism industry.

Trinket sellers are important to the overall Jamaican economy too.