Positive Tourism News

KINGSTON, Jamaica; October 28, 2016:   Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett, who also chairs the Board of Affiliate Members of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), is set to attend the 104^th Session of the UNWTO Executive Council Meeting in Luxor, Egypt from October 30 - November 1, 2016.

Minister Bartlett, who is being accompanied by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Mrs. Jennifer Griffith, left the island earlier today October 28, 2016. He outlined that the council meeting will examine: tourism trends and activities; mainstreaming tourism in the global agenda; as well as review administrative and statutory matters of the council.

The Hon. Minister will then travel to London on November 4, 2016, where he will also be joined by the Director of Tourism, Mr. Paul Pennicook.  While there, they will meet with key stakeholders and members of the Diaspora and attend the World Travel Market which runs from November 7-9, 2016.

The World Travel Market is the leading global event for the travel industry to meet industry professionals and conduct business deals. Through its industry networks, unrivalled global reach, WTM London creates personal and business opportunities, providing customers with quality contacts, content and communities. It is expected to attract some 50,000 patrons from 182 countries across the globe.

Star-Studded Weekend Set for Secrets Resorts & Spas in Jamaica

(Montego Bay, Jamaica – October 24, 2016) Montego Bay has in recent times become the epicenter of celebrity sightings in Jamaica, and that’s due in large measure to OCEAN Style.  The Caribbean luxury lifestyle brand having already produced three celebrity events in Jamaica this year  - Taye Diggs’ Book Signing Tour, Vivica Fox’s Birthday Celebration and High Vibes Roots & Reggae Festival featuring Rick Ross, Beenie Man and Ky-Mani Marley.  Now the tourism capital of Jamaica is gearing up to host the 9th annual OCEAN Style FashionShowcase Weekend and Celebrity Golf Tournament.

Global entertainment giant MTV will be in Jamaica as one of the many recognized entities when the weekend kicks off November 24-27, 2016.  Billed as a weekend of parties, fun, fashion and celebration, the annual event is well-known for pulling international names in fashion, having presented brands: Etro, Reem Accra, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Agent Provocateur, Victoria’s Secret and the Caribbean’s own Meiling, Anya Ayoung-Chee and Heather Jones, just to name a few. In terms of celebrity attendance, OCEAN Style has hosted over 50 celebrities including the likes of Anthony Anderson, Angela Simmonds, Vivica Fox, Lennox Lewis, Taye Diggs, Don Benjamin, Rockmond Dunbar, Nicole Murphy and Mekhi Phifer and in the process successfully established itself as the quintessential celebrity and socialite playground of the Caribbean.

Secrets Resorts & Spas will play host to the guests and a number of the events as the presenting partner for the second consecutive year. Emilio Huhn, General Manager said: "For a luxury resort like Secrets it's a very good fit. We are happy to be associated with world class events and that is what OCEAN Style delivers."

With great concern about crime, especially in western Jamaica, Mackie Conscious and a team of entertainers and musicians have collaborated with Queen Ifrika, who also hails from Montego Bay, holding similar concerns, will host a Free Major concert dubbed “ ENTERTAINERS AGAINST CRIME & VIOLENCE” to be held at Dump up beach Sunday, December 4, 2016 starting at 3:00 p.m.

This event is designed to have the major Jamaican recording artistes, both home and abroad, participate in donating their time to activate a Call to Action from the music fraternity that we need a change. For too long we have been losing too many of our valuable Jamaicans through crime and violence. This has placed Jamaica in a position that is crippling all sectors of our society, for example: Music, Tourism, businesses, families. This situation is grossly affecting the entire economy. 

To date we have a list of over 50 branded entertainers from which to choose and who are expected to make themselves available live or via video link on a large screen. This list include some who have already confirmed: Beres Hammond, Marcia Griffiths, Diana King, Tony Rebel, Queen Ifrika, Mackie Conscious, Spice, Ninja Man, Shaggy, Sean Paul, Beenie Man, I Octain,  Jimmy Cliff, Mutabaruka, Hezron, Carlene Davis, Lt. Stichie, Kevin Dowenswell, just to name a few. 

We have come to the conclusion that music is one of the greatest influences, both negatively and positively, which has played a role in the development of this generation. We are also cognizant of the fact that in the escalation of crime and violence in the society, music’s negative lyrical content is a contributory factor. 

Negril, Jamaica (October 24, 2016). Access Jamaica is Jamaica's premier distribution and repository channel for Jamaican products, services and information. The portal helps consumers find easily accessible links and information under one umbrella, www.AccessJamaica.com. The portal's founder and chief solutions coach, Theo Chambers, officially...

ABU DHABI, Dubai, Monday October 24, 2016 – Hollywood actor Robert De Niro recently went to Dubai to endorse Antigua and Barbuda as a top choice for investment. He was part of a delegation, that also included Prime Minister Gaston Browne, on a mission to promote investments in the picturesque twin islands. De Niro, a Special Envoy of Antigua and Ba...

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Thursday October 20, 2016 – The documentary "I Am Bolt", a film chronicling the life and triumphs of the world's fastest man Usain Bolt, is on track to premiere in Kingston and London. The Jamaican sprint superstar is recognized as a legend in his time after winning nine Olympic gold medals and nailing world records for the 100 a...

​Mandeville, Manchester, October 6, 2016. Manchester Peace Coalition (MPCo) led by its Interim President, Dr Clifton Reid, is a force to be reckoned with in a Jamaica racked by escalating crime in urban centres. In fact, the Coalition's mission as peacemakers makes them a positive force to help transform the parish of Manchester through collaborati...

KINGSTON, Jamaica; October 6, 2016: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has expressed his deepest sympathy to the people of Haiti, Cuba and The Bahamas, including his colleague Ministers of Tourism, who have been impacted by the passage of Hurricane Matthew. Minister Bartlett has also outlined that Jamaica stands ready to assist in rebui...

The marketplace is evolving. Ten years ago no one imagined homeowners opening their doors and welcoming strangers to bunk at their tropical beach bungalows or private cozy homes for affordable rates. Forget about standing out in the street waving frantically to flag down a taxicab or worrying about having enough change to hop on a bus. Those days a...

​KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 28, 2016: As the Ministry of Tourism continues to celebrate Tourism Awareness Week, officials from the Ministry, its agencies as well as tourism partners today (September 28, 2016) participated in the official launch of the National Community Tourism Portal, at Kingston's iconic attraction, Devon House. "It is fitting ...

​Jamaica, W.I. (September 11, 2016). The recently held African Diaspora World Tourism Awards (ADWTA) staged in Atlanta, Georgia set a new agenda for cultural heritage tourism. The 2016 awards were designed to provide intimate and productive buyer and supplier meetings with international delegates. Delegates from Gambia, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe ...

August 22, 2016. Fans eagerly prepare as Sizzla embarks on his first US Tour after 8 years. He is on the heels of his Reggae on the River performance, which has been described as a great energetic performance and the best Reggae On the River ever held. Today Team Sizzla arrived in Florida for the second show and will continue on to Georgia, D.C., N...

Aug. 22, 2016. The Honorable Dr Walter Mzembi, PhD, current Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry for the Republic of Zimbabwe since 2009, will be going to the United States to speak at the 2016 African Diaspora World Tourism Awards in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 27. Dr. Mzembi was recently endorsed by the African Union as the choice for Afr...

Montego Bay, Jamaica (August 8, 2016). The inaugural African Diaspora World Tourism Awards launched in May 2014 in Atlanta, has taken a giant leap ahead into the future, through a seeming alchemical transformation in just three years, as a major showcase of African royalty and cultural heritage in the Americas. The African Diaspora World Tourism Aw...

​KINGSTON, Jamaica, Saturday August 13, 2016 – It's more than just medals Jamaica is going after at the Olympic Games in Rio. So even with a Jamaican being the world's fastest man aiming to create history for perhaps the final time, it won't be all fun and games for a special tourism team in Brazil's capital. Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says m...

KINGSTON, Jamaica; August 12, 2016: Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett is set to leave the island on Saturday August 13, 2016, to spearhead the Ministry's drive to pursue aggressive growth and marketing strategies, to further develop the country's tourism sector. The Minister will attend several meetings with key tourism partners in the Domin...

 August 8th, 2016 8th, 2016. IRIE FM's Mutabaruka is among four persons from the entertainment and arts fields who will be awarded Jamaica's sixth-highest honour.  Muta, along with the president of VP Records Chris Chin, sculptors Cecil Cooper and Basil Watson will receive the Order of Distinction (OD), Commander Class.Dancehall deejay Sh...

​Kingston, Jamaica, August 5, 2016 – If all goes as planned, Jamaica looks to welcome the inaugural High Vibes Roots & Reggae Festival, the first of its kind in the Caribbean, at the Aqueduct in Montego Bay on September 3 - 4, 2016. Patrons will have the chance to experience the heart and soul of reggae music while learning about the pivotal ro...

~ Hoteliers and investors from the US and the Caribbean gather to discuss the way forward. MIAMI — The 20th Annual International African American Hotel Ownership & Investment Summit & Trade Show opened on Wednesday with hundreds of hoteliers exchanging the most current industry tips and trends. To the theme of "Changing the Hospitality Land...