Tourism will be Jamaica's biggest driver of economic growth

[Assasin]

What economic platform was set to achieve what they have? debt up our wazzu, absolutely no growth and our credit rating in the dumps??? You are the one who need to be honest.

[Jangle]

$1.5-b luxury condo development for MoBay


MONTEGO BAY, St James — Boria Ltd says it will pump about $1.5 billion to transform the Montego Bay Racquet Club into a 30-condo development.

The targeted completion date is the second quarter of 2024. The asking price for the luxury high-rise units will begin at US$380,000 and up to US$1 million.

The low-density condominium mixed-use development is being done on racquet club property and will sit adjacent to other residencies that have been a part of the history-rich space for years. As Boria has pointed out, the Racquet Club was once the playground of Hollywood movie stars and tennis legends. It is hoping to enhance that aura of exclusivity with a "100-foot-high sky lounge and infinity pool overlooking the beaches, city, and hip strip to the coastline of Hanover".

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news...ent-for-mobay/

[Jangle]

CPJ charting $1.1-billion expansion plan

Caribbean Producers (Jamaica) Limited (CPJ) will be spending an extra US$7 million (J$1.09 billion) to expand its operations in Jamaica and St Lucia as it gears up for the influx of 6,000 additional hotel rooms to be built in the coming years and expansion on the eastern end of Jamaica.

The manufacturing and distribution company will be spending US$1 million on an 800kW solar project, US$2.5 million on the development of its processing plant, US$1 million in St Lucia, and an additional US$2.5 million on normal capital expenditure in the coming 2024 financial year which begins on July 1. Some of these projects are set to be completed by Christmas while the company's new information technology (IT) upgrade is set to be manifested in the next two years at a cost to be determined.

CPJ is making these moves at a time when it's selling more volume locally to a booming tourism sector which attracted 1.81 million terminal passengers at the Sangster International Airport (SIA) in the first four months of 2023. SIA is also receiving a multimillion-dollar expansion which will see the runway expanded by 15 per cent to 3,060 metres, and other areas surrounding the airport adjusted.

"There are other really strong opportunities in the greater Caribbean, and I won't say yet, but we're going to see how things unfold here. We're building our capacity to take on new opportunities and we're waiting on the capital markets to become a little bit better before we make the next step," said Executive Chairman and interim Chief Executive Officer Anthony Mark Hart in a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/busi...xpansion-plan/

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Meet the Man Behind the First Local-Friendly Travel App in Jamaica

Travis Rhooms is a passionate software engineer who has ventured into the world of travel and tourism. Rhooms’s love for exploration and his desire to share the wonders of his home country with the world inspired him to develop the first local-friendly travel app in Jamaica tailored specifically to the island.

His background as a software engineer served as a solid foundation for his travel app venture. Although relatively new to the travel industry, his adventurous spirit has guided him through countless journeys around Jamaica, allowing him to experience its hidden gems firsthand. It is from these experiences and his enthusiasm for assisting others that the idea for the Island Destinations Jamaica App was born in 2021.

Rhooms spoke with Travel Noire about how he wanted to create a platform to showcase Jamaica’s best, from its stunning beaches to its vibrant culture and delicious cuisine. With the Island Destinations Jamaica App, Rhooms hopes to inspire travelers to explore beyond the typical tourist destinations and discover the authentic beauty of the island.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...ecc28b64&ei=11

[wbvs]

Did you guys redd the article in JaObserver ,'jamaica need to rethink Tourism?. It's not a good way to build
a economy .Your own ppl can't uses the hotels.WTF?

[Jangle]

Jamaica should push sports tourism – Beckford

If you watched the recent Bermuda leg of the American Track League on NBC and wondered why Jamaica hadn’t hosted such an event, you’re not alone. Sharing similar thoughts is sport marketer Carole Beckford, who thinks Jamaica can do more to attract sports tourists.

Olympic champions Steven Gardiner and Jasmin Camacho-Quinn were on display in Bermuda and Beckford is convinced that sports tourists would come to Jamaica to watch action of that calibre, and to experience the other attractions the country has to offer.

“So Montego Bay is perfect. We have a venue down there that we’re unable to use in the way we would like and so Kingston becomes that centre which doesn’t have quite the allure for that kind of market. Kingston, however, is the entertainment capital, you know. There is something about Kingston we can use to market around major events like track and field or even football, and it would be more of a party situation, as opposed to a relaxed thing in Montego Bay, which is more the tourist capital,” she said on May 29.

Beckford, who has served as the president of the local volleyball federation, Jamaica Promotions (JAMPRO) film commissioner and as communications chief at the West Indies Cricket Board, understands the travelling sports fan.

“They tend to eat out more. They tend to want to party. They stay out longer so their spend is always going to be greater,” she outlined.

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/...urism-beckford

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Jamaica records 2.47-million visitors up to July

ON the heels of a ninth-consecutive quarter of economic growth for Jamaica's tourism industry, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett says the country is on track to meet its projections of 3.8-million visitors and foreign exchange earnings of US$4.1 billion by the end of the year.

According to Bartlett, the latest tourism figures show that between January and July of this year Jamaica welcomed some 2.47-million visitors. This included 1.72-million stopover visitors and 747,643 cruise visitors, more than twice the number recorded for the corresponding period in 2022, with gross earnings of US$2.59 billion.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news...rs-up-to-july/

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Courts to tap into tourism market with opening of Drax Hall store

Furniture and Appliance outfit Courts Jamaica Limited, a subsidiary of the El Salvador-based Unicomer Group, is positioning to go after sales from the booming tourism industry as it moves along plans to open its 30th store in Drax Hall, St Ann, sometime this year.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer at the official launch of its 65th anniversary celebrations on Wednesday, vice-president for Unicomer Caribbean Errol Le Blanc said the almost 20,0000 square foot store aims to attract a number of key players in the sector.

“Drax Hall is an area that is developing and we have a lot of customers both across the tourism sector and individual households, a lot of which are in the middle upper-income bracket, and as such the store will have furniture and appliances that are more suitable for these types of customers. We, therefore, think that in putting a store there and making a different type of product offer to these customers will be quite successful,” he said.

According to industry figures revealed by Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett this week, of the almost 10 per cent increase or US$4.4 billion in gross earnings seen during the 2023/24 fiscal year, approximately 40 per cent was retained by the local economy. Upbeat about the prospects for growth, from which Courts and other players in the sector are looking to benefit, Bartlett also pointed to some 20,000 new rooms that are to be added over the next 10-15 years.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2024...ax-hall-store/

[Assasin]

Just heard 3000 houses for tourism workers coming on stream for tourism workers. Most will be giving houses for free as long as they work.
Bartlett also say with the rooms coming online the major companies in Jamaica had to ramp up production.

[Jangle]

Tourism supply logistics hub back on the agenda

Jamaica is pushing forward with plans to establish a tourism supply logistics hub designed to deepen the sector’s impact on the economy by integrating manufacturing, procurement, and supply chain management into tourism operations.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has framed the initiative as a “critical step” in expanding the industry’s contribution beyond traditional services, such as hospitality and entertainment, to a more robust value-added model that benefits local industries.

The concept of a logistics supply hub was first introduced to the public in June 2022 when Minister Bartlett, closing the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate, announced plans to position Jamaica as a planning supply hub for both the local tourism sector and other tourism-dependent nations in the region. The idea originated from the Tourism Recovery Task Force chaired by Wilfred Baghaloo in 2020 and was designed to give Jamaican businesses the capacity to grow locally, regionally, and internationally. With ongoing global supply chain disruptions, the Government envisions that the hub will help eliminate uncertainties and ensure stable access to goods and services essential to the sector.

It’s back on the agenda for fiscal year 2025/26.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2025...b-back-agenda/

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Government signals shift on hotel incentives

...but uncertainty remains

MANUFACTURERS may have to wait until the dust settles on the 2025/26 Budget Debate before gaining clarity on whether the Government will move beyond moral suasion and introduce policy-backed solutions to enforce local procurement, particularly among hotel chains benefiting from duty-free imports.

For years, industry players have raised concerns that the Hotel Incentives Act disproportionately favours foreign suppliers, allowing hotels to import furniture, bedding, and other goods duty-free while local manufacturers struggle with high costs and regulatory constraints. The issue has taken on renewed urgency following the closure of McIntosh Bedding, which operated under the Sealy Posturepedic brand for over 60 years.

The Government, which has long encouraged voluntary compliance from hotels, is now publicly acknowledging that moral suasion may not be sufficient.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, during his presentation in the Standing Finance Committee on March 5 , admitted that stronger measures may be needed to increase local procurement.

“You would have heard the prime minister speak of the pivot. And one of the pivots for us in tourism is the supply side, and the focus is going to be heavily on helping to build capacity to respond to the demand of tourism,” he said in response to questions from Opposition spokesman on Finance, Planning and the Public Service Julian Robinson.

Bartlett’s comments represent a shift in the Government’s stance and follows on comments made by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who hinted at a potential review of hotel incentives if voluntary measures fail to increase local procurement. Holness was speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Grand Palladium expansion in Montego Bay, St James, on February 20.

Bartlett has outlined that the ministry is actively exploring options, including the introduction of long-term supply contracts between local manufacturers and hotels.

“We need to look at how to create an environment which would allow for a feeling of sustainability, both for the manufacturer as well as for the hotels. You know that ours is a 24-7 consumption call,” he explained, acknowledging that any procurement requirement must align with the hospitality industry’s need for reliable, high-volume supplies.

One of the main policy considerations under review is the facilitation of structured supply agreements, which could give local producers more certainty in demand and, in turn, make financial institutions more willing to provide capital for expansion.

“That’s one, close to what you’re saying, to look at the whole business of supply contracts and how we can work together with the partners to enable long-term supply contracts,” Bartlett said.

However, despite these deliberations, the government stopped short of committing to a mandatory procurement threshold for local suppliers.

“We are looking at a number of options. I can say no greater than that at this time,” the minister added

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2025...el-incentives/

[Jangle]

Yeah , I believe him ,tell him I am waiting for the bridge he sold me 6 years ago

Jamaica’s largest four-lane bridge almost done


March 19, 2025

Managing Director of the National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC), Stephen Edwards, says Jamaica's largest four-lane bridge, which is currently under construction over the Montego River in St James, is 95 per cent complete.

Edwards, speaking during a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) 'Think Tank', described the 180-metre bridge as "a signature piece in the Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project and, more specifically, the Montego Bay Bypass". He further noted that the bridge has surpassed the local record previously held by the 150-metre-long bridge on the May Pen to Williamsfield segment of Highway 2000.


https://jamaica-star.com/article/new...ge-almost-done

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Emirates service from UAE to Montego Bay to begin April

March 26, 2025

ST JAMES, Jamaica— Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has hailed the upcoming launch of Emirates Airline’s service between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jamaica, via Germany, as a “transformative milestone” for the country’s tourism and economic sectors.


Emirates has applied for a licence to operate a weekly scheduled flight service from Dubai to Montego Bay, with a stop in Frankfurt, Germany.

The service is expected to commence on April 10, 2025, and run until December 26, 2026.

The Frankfurt to Montego Bay leg will be operated by Condor Flugdienst under a codeshare agreement.



Bartlett emphasised the significance of this development, describing it as a major breakthrough for Jamaica’s global tourism footprint.



“The commencement of this flight in April is a signatory achievement and it makes the point that Jamaica continues to expand its marketing footprints across the global space,” he told Observer Online.



“This indeed is a major mega achievement for Jamaica’s tourism,” he stressed.



The minister highlighted the broader economic impact, noting that Emirates’ presence in Jamaica could drive a range of business opportunities across the region.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2025...y-begin-april/

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Tourism minister misleading on Emirates flights – PNP

March 27, 2025


KINGSTON, Jamaica— People’s National Party (PNP) spokesperson on tourism Senator Janice Allen has accused Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett of misleading the country regarding UAE airline Emirates’ operations in Jamaica.

According to Allen, Bartlett has falsely claimed that the airline would soon begin direct flights to the Jamaica.

While describing Bartlett’s statement as inaccurate and misleading Allen said, “Let the record show Emirates is not launching flights to Jamaica. What was in fact announced is that Condor, a German airline, is expanding its service to Jamaica. While Condor does have a strategic partnership with Emirates — enabling code-sharing on selected routes — this does not equate to Emirates flying directly to Jamaica.”

On Wednesday, Bartlett had welcomed a flight service to begin in April from Dubai to Germany via Emirates and on to Montego Bay via Condor. The minister, however, did not mention direct flights from the UAE.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2025...s-flights-pnp/

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Seiveright defends Emirates flight announcement

March 27, 2025

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of State in Ministry of Tourism Delano Seiveright says there was no misinforming of the public regarding a new Emirates flight service to Jamaica following accusations by People’s National Party (PNP) Senator Janice Allen that the ministry had made “inaccurate and misleading” statements.

“At no time did we state that Emirates would fly nonstop to Jamaica. The record speaks for itself. This is a legitimate scheduled airlift application by Emirates, part of our broader strategy to expand global connectivity,” the minister contended.

The exchange follows the announcement of a flight service from Dubai to Montego Bay via Frankfurt by Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett on Wednesday.

In response, Allen had claimed Emirates was not launching flights to Jamaica, and what was announced was that Condor, a German airline, was expanding its service to the island.

Seiveright however pointed to details of an application from Emirates Airline for the scheduled air service, published by the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) on Wednesday to prove that the service was applied for by Emirates with the Frankfurt–Montego Bay leg operated by Condor Flugdienst GmbH under a codeshare agreement—a fact he says was made crystal clear in all government-issued statements.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2025...-announcement/