By Bevan Springer - From The Heart

The Caribbean’s travel and tourism industry is no doubt making a strong rebound, and while results vary, some destinations are recording even more impressive results than the 2019 banner tourism year.

During the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) business meetings in Curaçao last week, many of the region’s tourism directors, ministers and commissioners of tourism spoke about the exciting state of the industry, replete with opportunities for stakeholders, not the least of whom are the residents of the Caribbean.

Over the past few days, a similar optimistic outlook was shared by executives of the cruise industry during the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association’s (FCCA) Platinum Cruise Summit as delegates sailed aboard Holland America’s Eurodam from Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades to Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas.

From Royal Caribbean and Carnival to MSC and Disney, the reports were upbeat and encouraging. Not only are ships sailing at full capacity, but plans are in place for new and improved vessels with incredible features, technologies and enhancements to be launched in the months and years ahead.

Dear Tourism Partner,
Thank you for your support of the ‘’ and official the launch of the ‘Global Tourism Resilience Day’ slated for Wednesday, February 15, 2023, to Friday, February 17, 2023, at the Regional Headquarters, University of the West Indies, Mona, in Kingston, Jamaica.

Please join us in viewership at any of the below live stream platforms/event links and follow the discussions outlined in your attached program.

GTRCMC

February 15, 2023 at 8:30 am

Hon. Edmund Bartlett at the UN

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, February 6, 2023: Jamaica’s efforts to bolster resilience in global tourism by proposing the official designation of February 17th as Global Tourism Resilience Day annually has yielded great success, as the United Nations (UN) officially ratified the move to facilitate its observance globally today (February 6).

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has been a global voice advocating for tourism resilience as a means of safeguarding the sector during times of crises that negatively impact the industry, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

In welcoming the UN’s decision Minister Bartlett said: “This is a signal honour for Jamaica which highlights the fact that our nation continues to have such significant influence on the international stage. This is very timely as the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still being felt and is causing a strain on many tourism-dependent states as they struggle to recover.”

Minister Bartlett, who made a presentation on Global Tourism Resilience during the UN General Assembly meeting at the UN headquarters in New York today, added that: “Global Tourism Resilience Day emphasizes the importance of building tourism resilience across the world to fuel sustainable growth and development.”

Queen Ifrica

Rebel Salute 29^th edition was held January 20 and 21, 2023 at Grizzly’s Plantation Cove in St Ann. The Event dubbed “The People’s Show” returned after two years of Government restrictions, fines for breaches of established coronavirus (COVID-19) health protocols and prohibition. It was indeed ‘Food for the Soul’, bringing the healing messages so needed by the people.

Rebel Salute 2023 was bigger and better than ever with few sightings of masks or muffled speech. The consciousness of just being in a space designed for total immersion of a natural Rastafari experience and lifestyle (livity), permeated the air. It was indeed a time for celebration and joy and that is what the Tony Rebel-led “Organic H.E.A.R.T Group of Companies” gave to the patrons of Rebel Salute 2023 this past weekend.

Queen Ifrica (Fyah Muma), one of Jamaica’s finest international cultural Reggae artisté, performed a stunning set and looked the part of royalty in an elegant Africa-patterned gown accentuated with a black Crown. After giving her adoring fans hits like “Randy”, “Jus My Brethren”, “Below the Waist”, “Daddy”, “Lioness on the Rise”, “Fun in our Life” … Queen dropped a new song titled “Proud of Me” and asked fans to sing along. “I’m excited blessings keep coming in; they never saw me fight for me. Proud of mi-self. Welcome to my victory. Chorus: “Proud of mi-self, proud of yourself; Repeat. Yes! Yes! You fi Proud of yourself. Yes! Yes! You fi  Proud Lord! …_”

During her set Queen said “I have performed on the Rebel Salute stage for 22 years and never missed a night. I am proud of myself. We love our black culture. Our black music, we make sacrifices to see to it that it happens. That is the most important thing.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHds1tdePuE

Kingston, 12 January 2023 – “I know the need and I want to ensure that it’s done,” declared the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, as her Ministry took a major step towards establishing an insurance programme for entertainment, culture and creative industries practitioners.

The Ministry on Thursday (today) signed a contract with actuaries Eckler Jamaica Limited who will advise the Ministry on how to establish the scheme and make it sustainable.

The principal of Eckler Jamaica, Constance Hall, said her firm will “recommend to the Ministry this is the insurance company to provide the service, these are the benefits that should be provided and this is what you should pay to them for that service.”

The firm will take six months to design the scheme and make their recommendations.

Rt Honourable Amy Jacques Garvey

Kingston, Jamaica, W.I. The Rt. Honourable Amy Euphemia Jacques Garvey, born December 31, 1896, in Kingston, Jamaica, was the second wife of the Rt. Honourable Marcus Mosiah Garvey, the first provisional President of Africa.  She was a journalist, activist and one of the pioneering female Black journalists and publishers of the 20th century.

A Memorial Service and Floral Tribute will take place on her birthday at St. Andrew Parish Church where she is interred, Saturday, December 31, 2022 at 9:00 a.m.  The Church is located at 4 Hagley Park Rd, Kingston, Jamaica. All are invited to attend. Following the service at 4:00 p.m. will be the Unveiling and Renaming of the Jacques Road Community Centre (Jacques Road is located off Mountain View).

Garveyite and Activist Claude Sinclair facilitated a total clean-up of the burial site, restoration of the headstone and will unveil a Mural during the ceremony. Included in the tribute to this great Stalwart is the Re-naming of Jacques Road Community Centre to Amy Jacques Community Centre.

St. Andrew Parish Church cemetery is one of the oldest in continuous use in the island and many prominent persons associated with the history of the Church are interred within its boundaries.

The Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts International called on the young people of the Caribbean to tap into their creative genius, never to settle for mediocrity, and to keep betting on the future of Jamaica and the Caribbean.

Delivering remarks after being conferred with an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree at the 2022 graduation ceremony of The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus over the weekend, Adam Stewart encouraged the graduating to be the generation that competes on the world stage and outperforms any society in the world.

“We are a fascinating people. We are a people rich in culture. The way we walk, the way we talk, the respect that we demand, the pride that we have. Ladies and gentlemen, do not settle. Do not bet against this country and this region,” he said, noting that “a solution for Jamaica and a solution for the Caribbean is not overseas. It is right here in your backyard.”

Stewart said the Caribbean ought to encourage and embrace an entrepreneurial mindset. “What we are looking for is that individual who shows up every single day giving 110 percent. What we are looking for in this region is the future and everything that we can become,” he commented, imploring graduates to not get caught up in idle banter.

Montego Bay, Jam- Recognizing his work as an entrepreneur and philanthropist, Sandals Resorts International (SRI) Executive Chairman Adam Stewart was conferred with an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree at the 2022 graduation ceremony of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona Campus, held this past Saturday (Nov. 5).

An ardent champion of possibility in Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean, Stewart leads a hospitality organization that is the region’s largest private employer with more than 15,000 team members spread across 24 resorts and eight islands. Beyond Sandals Resorts, Stewart directs his family’s extensive media, automotive and appliance business holdings, and is the force behind international brands AC by Marriott and Starbucks® entering the Caribbean market.  And while his business enterprises and acumen are highly regarded, his tireless work on the region’s most pressing issues – from access to healthcare and protection of natural resources to investment in education – is where Stewart shines. It is for these reasons that Stewart was awarded the degree.

“I am humbled and so proud to be recognized by The UWI for the work I am passionate about. My father, the late Gordon “Butch” Stewart, taught me that opportunity is a gift not to be wasted. His tenacity and drive to make life better not only for himself and his family but for his employees, community and country gave me a firsthand understanding of what is possible when people are given a chance. I accept this degree with a full heart and the promise to continue to earn the confidence this illustrious body has placed in me,” said Stewart.

“The University of the West Indies is honored to have Adam Stewart join our distinguished cadre of recipients of Honorary Doctorates,” said Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies. He continued, “Adam is the embodiment of the modern renaissance man leading the charge in the Caribbean in the innovation and creativity critical to achieving high levels of growth. His is the type of acumen and agility that The UWI prides itself on honing to meet the needs of our burgeoning region. Congratulations Dr. The Hon. Adam Stewart. Well deserved!”

Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett to share insights on ways to boost resilience of global tourism.

Minister Bartlett left the island today (October 25) for Nimes, France, to attend the prestigious event, where he will join fellow industry leaders in discussions on sustainable travel, which will entail case studies and targeted sessions throughout the two-day conference. 

He is slated to take part in a press conference which will examine the issue: “Transforming the Travel Industry – Destination by Destination/Supplier by Supplier” as well as a panel discussion on the theme: “Driving Sustainability and Preparedness Through Academic Rigor” on Thursday, October 27. The Minister will also partake in a fireside chat exploring global initiatives on travel.

Minister Bartlett explained that he is anticipating conversations on “how key players in the global tourism industry can work together to transform it sustainably as the event promises to ensure thought leadership that delivers ‘the how’ and ‘the what’ in sustainability.”

October 5, 2022. Kingston, Jamaica, W.I. Herbology Meets Rootsology - SAVE SOIL JAMAICA is a Jamaican initiative comprised of four core partners and concentric circles of Affiliates across the Island. They aim to help farmers and Jamaicans turn the looming threat of Soil Extinction into Soil Proliferation. The organization will use advocacy, education, demonstration, seminars, workshops to achieve its mission to Save Soil – Save Self – Save Soul.

The Campaign is spearheaded by Denise Isis Miller, award-winning Journalist (Broadcaster) and host of Rootsology programme on the Inner-City Mustard Seed Radio Station. She is inspired by the Indian Mystic Sadhguru, founder of Isha Foundation, who for 24 years has been pioneering SAVE SOIL in India.

Core leaders are Theo Chambers, Co-founder Temple of Inner Peace Retreat Jamaica, Tourism & Marketing Consultant, former President of the Hanover Chamber of Commerce; and Sharon Oshun Parris-Chambers, an International Publicist, Transformational Author & Coach and Ambassador for State of the African Diaspora (SOAD); As well as Cover Jah Steve Palmer, Building Engineer and Certified Electrical Installer and Spiritual leader.

SAVE SOIL JAMAICA Affiliates will form an island-wide network that links to the global Campaign pioneered by Sadhguru. Meet our first group of Affiliates: Janet Pullin, Marketing and Training Director, Jamaica Agricultural Society and its Membership; Dr. Sherrill Chong, Co-founder of the former Earl’s Juice Gardens Health Stores, along with her late husband Earl Constantine Chong. She is currently a Supernatural Life Coach, and Minister of Family and Social Economy, State of the African Diaspora (SOAD), Jamaica; Kathie Lennon, CEO KML Agroconsulting Limited, (Operator Pikkihead Farm), Ganja Farmer and Advocate, Jamaica; Jamaica Forestry Department (Francene Black-Richards, Public Relations Manager); Billy and Claudette Wilmot, Jamnesia Surf Camp, St Andrew; Nicola Shirley Phillips, Source Farm Eco Village, Jamaica; Paula Surtees, Creatives for Peace, Jamaica; Theo and Sharon Chambers, Temple of Inner Peace Nature Retreat, Negril, Jamaica.

Affiliate Entertainers – Bushman, a veteran Conscious Reggae Entertainer and a recent recipient of the Peter Tosh Humanitarian award presented by Niambe Tosh (Peter Tosh’s daughter) at CanEX conference in September 16, 2022, has come onboard with SAVE SOIL JAMAICA. He will be working closely with Kathie Lennon.

Nature, a world-renowned Conscious Reggae Entertainer and Nature lover, has also partnered with Denise Isis Miller’s Herbology Meets Rootsology initial Showcase Feb 4-19, 2022, has pledged to continue to use his music to support SAVE SOIL JAMAICA. Paula Surtees, Founder of Creatives for Peace, Jamaica has developed and coached a cadre of Youth Entertainers (poets, musicians, dancers) are being groomed for island-wide performances, has also pledged to become an Affiliate.

The Jah Jah Nyahbinghi Initiative and Conference is being held in collaboration with Mt Kailash Rejuvenation. The conference theme is Justice and Healing or Justice and Heaping (Jah Jah N I). The conference seeks to engage participants in unifying around the theme through ‘reasoning,’ discussion, resolution and call to action. The conference began July 21, 2022 and goes through August 17, 2022.

Rt. Honourable Priest Kailash Leonce & Rt. Honourable Itopia Leonce, Founders of Mt Kailash Rejuvenation Centre (MKRC) and Co-Convenors of the Conference, Ras Dr Wayne Rose, General Secretary of the Ubuntu Rastafari Movement Inc. and Co-convenor of the conference and their team have successfully amassed delegates from across the Caribbean, the Americas and world to attend the conference.

Priest Kailash Leonce often says “greatness is a choice, one makes a conscious decision to be great.” In fact, the Honourable Priest recently told student delegates of Johns Hopkins who were enrolled in the Summer program of the School of Sacrament Rastafari University (SOSACRU) at the MKRC Campus that he expects greatness from them, at least two of the seven he expects to see on major network television as a success in their designated areas of study. The visionary students replied that they may all surpass the challenge.

The Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress (EABIC) has been an integral part of the conference providing continual Boboshanti Iziz (Praise) service. The House of Nyahbinghi, St Lucia has combined with the Boboshanti EABIC to create a seven-day sacred iziz with drumming which created a sacred, mystical vibration mornings and evenings at Mt Kailash Rejuvenation Centre (MKRC).

Hon. Edmund Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 14, 2022: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that Jamaica will host a high-level policy forum of the Organization of American States (OAS) next week to focus on safeguarding the region’s tourism sector from disruptions, including a looming recession.

In emphasizing the significance of the meeting, which runs from July 20-21, 2022, Minister Bartlett revealed that “it relates primarily to building resilience among the Small and Medium-sized Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs) to withstand disasters and external shocks.”

He also noted that the “capacity building initiative will go a long way as we seek to future-proof the sector” from an impending recession and other future shocks that the industry may face, adding that “we need to be able to develop our capacity to respond to it.”

Stressing that the Caribbean’s dependence on tourism “is impatient of any discussion with regards to the need for this kind of resilience building,” the Tourism Minister pointed out that if the SMTEs are not able to manage the looming recession, the tourism industry will feel the full effects of it.

Tourism vs Culture?

If the question should be asked globally, “What comes to mind when you hear the term, ‘Caribbean’?”, the responses would most likely include ‘sun’, ‘sea, ‘beach’, white sand’, ‘fun’, ‘party’ and ‘food’. No doubt, these would have been accurate since Caribbean culture is known globally and has been incorporated into several cultures around the world.

Since this is known and acknowledged by the governmental bodies in the Caribbean, this makes tourism is a large and vital part of the Caribbean economy. At times, however, both tourism and culture seem to be distanced from each other, with each appearing to take precedence at various convenient times. How should we view tourism and culture for the betterment of our economy and lives? To provide possible answers to this question, one must look at both terms and what each may imply.

Tourism, as defined by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNTWO) is a social, cultural and economic phenomenon that entails the movement of people to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal or business/professional purposes.

This is prevalent in the Caribbean as the personal purpose of recreation brings over 30 million individuals to the region annually. It is a suitable spot for those who want to experience a white sandy beach due to the harsh conditions of the temperate climates in which they reside. Not only are the beaches a popular option but there are several other elements that make a great vacation including magnificent hotels, thrilling adventure-themed endeavors, and unique culture.

Highlights from the Charles Town Maroon Conference and Festival

PORTLAND, JAMAICA – Monday, June 27, 2022 - The Maroons honored their ancestors at the 14th Annual International Charles Town Maroon Conference & Festival in a weeklong celebration from June 21-25, 2022, in Charles Town, Portland.

It was hosted under the theme, “Sankofa and the Healing of Indigenous Peoples, Lands, and Cultures”. This event also commemorated the 8th year of the Enstoolment of spiritual leader and “Queen of the Maroons”, Gaamang Gloria Simms, by the Okansi Surinamese Maroons in the person of Gaamang Johannes Ballong.

This has been the first face-to-face hosting since the lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak. There were a series of events that took place at the Asafu Yard in Charles Town, which includes the Ancestor Quao Spanish River, and online on Zoom.

Events included rituals, greetings, and cultural and academic presentations from various stalwarts in Jamaican history. Participants involved in the celebration included Acting Colonel Marcia Douglas of Charles Town, Charles Town Drummers and Dancers, Rastafari warrioress, Mama Fiyah, Reggae princess, Pam Hall, multiple Jamaican Festival Song competition awardee, Roy Rayon, and Dr Dave Gosse, Institute of Caribbean Studies of the UWI. The general theme was that of acknowledging the past and its importance in directing the future of the Jamaican people.

Ian Fleming International Airport - Boscobel, St. Mary

The first scheduled commercial flight into Ian Fleming International Airport since its renovation in 2011 was welcomed yesterday by an official delegation.

As the destination’s tourism sector continues its strong recovery, Jamaica is pleased to welcome the inaugural weekly flight from Providenciales, Turks & Caicos (PLS), into Ian Fleming International Airport (OCJ) in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, by Inter Caribbean Airways that arrived yesterday, June 16. The new route marks the first time a carrier is offering scheduled commercial air service into the airport since the completion of its renovation in 2011.

The Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, who was on site to welcome the flight, added: “Air connectivity is the single most important factor in growing visitor arrivals and building tourism. Therefore, this partnership is key to creating the infrastructure needed to make Jamaica an aviation hub while simultaneously beginning a new chapter in the development of this region of our island.”

In addition to Minister Bartlett, Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board, Donovan White, and select local dignitaries were on hand to mark the celebratory occasion.

Tourism Minister of Jamaica - Edmund Bartlett Credit: Rudolph Brown

WESTERN BUREAU:

Jamaica seems set to equal its 2019 tourist arrival figures, with June and July giving strong indications of what Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has tagged as a “strong recovery”.

June 2022 has seen 224,721 stopover visitors to the island, surpassing June 2019, which had registered 222,448 visitors, Bartlett told The Gleaner Saturday, hours after returning to the island from the Sustainable Coastal and Marine Tourism event in Lisbon, Portugal.

This is the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic closed the country’s borders, decimating arrival numbers, that any month has exceeded 2019 numbers.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness (left), makes a point of interest to H.E. Badr Al Badr (second right), deputy minister for investors outreach – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia while looking on are (from second left) Alok Jain, chairman of Port Authority of Jamaica; Edmund Bartlett, minister of tourism and Senator Aubyn Hill, minister of industry, investment and commerce at the Jamaica

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the world's top twenty largest economies. They have a G.D.P of Eight Hundred billion US dollars, which positions the country to always be seeking out new investment opportunities. On Friday, July 8, 2022, Saudi Arabia Deputy Minister of Investors Outreach H.E. BADR Al BADR led a small delegation on a special visit to Jamaica, after his trip from the Dominican Republic to discuss investment prospects in Jamaica. He stated that the Caribbean has become a priority zone for investments and business partnerships for Saudi Arabia and Jamaica as the third-largest economy put them on the top of the list. 

He was among an eighty-member delegation of government representatives and investors from Saudi Arabia that came to Jamaica on Friday. The visit comes a day after the Saudi-Carib investor's forum in the Dominican Republic.  Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, states that the visit comes as a result of two and half years of discussion with the kingdom of Arabia. The Prime Minister of Jamaica posits that Jamaica is placed to receive a ray of investment. The contingent is particularly interested in tourism, business processing outsourcing, technology, and warehousing.  H.E. BADR Al BADR also stated that they are looking for attractive incentives. He pointed to the concession that they receive in other countries for twenty and thirty years. If they could get like fifty years in Jamaica, it would open other opportunities like access to skilled laborers and health care workers for Jamaica. The government also stated that they will be seeking out other investment opportunities despite the threat of a global recession.  

Source: TVJ News

Prime Minister Andrew Holness (left), makes a point of interest to H.E. Badr Al Badr (second right), deputy minister for investors outreach – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia while looking on are (from second left) Alok Jain, chairman of Port Authority of Jamaica; Edmund Bartlett, minister of tourism and Senator Aubyn Hill, minister of industry, investment and commerce

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the world's top twenty largest economies. They have a G.D.P of Eight Hundred billion US dollars, which makes the country always open to investment opportunities. On Friday, July 8, 2022, Saudi Arabia Deputy Minister of Investors Outreach H.E. BADR Al BADR led a small delegation on a special visit to Jamaica, after his trip from the Dominican Republic to discuss investment prospects in Jamaica. He stated that the Caribbean has become a priority zone for investments and business partnerships for Saudi Arabia and Jamaica as the third-largest economy put them on the top of the list. 

He was among an eight-member delegation of government representatives and investors from Saudi Arabia that came to Jamaica on Friday. The visit comes a day after the Saudi-Carib investor's forum in the Dominican Republic.  Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, states that the visit comes as a result of two and half years of discussion with the kingdom of Arabia. The Prime Minister of Jamaica posits that Jamaica is placed to receive a ray of investment. The contingent is particularly interested in tourism, business processing outsourcing, technology, and warehousing.  H.E. BADR Al BADR also stated that they are looking for attractive incentives. He pointed to the concession that they receive in other countries for twenty and thirty years. If they could get like fifty years in Jamaica, it would open other opportunities like access to skilled laborers and health care workers for Jamaica. The government also stated that they will be seeking out other investment opportunities despite the threat of a global recession.  

Source: T.V.J News

Benin-Presidential-Palace

The Prime Minister of the State of the African Diaspora has been invited to Benin by President Patrice Talon for the inauguration of an exhibition linking the treasures of the past with the works of art of the present.

For more than a hundred years, these cultural goods that had been stolen and looted in the colonial context had been illegally detained by France. It was the treasure of Abomey, and in particular the throne of King Ghézo, the throne of King Glèlè, the recades, the royal statues and the sacred doors of the palace.

As you may recall, a few years ago, Dr. Louis-Georges Tin launched the campaign for the return of these treasures. He had pressured France, threatening the government with a resounding legal action, and under pressure, Mr. Macron had finally accepted this request. That is why the Prime Minister of the State of the African Diaspora was invited to Benin on November 10, 2021, when the treasures arrived in Cotonou. But they were still in boxes.

Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett and Kenya’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Najib Balala at the 2022 UN Ocean Conference: Sustainable Coastal and Marine Tourism Launch Event held today (June 29) in Lisbon, Portugal.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 29, 2022: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has given his support to the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy’s (Ocean Panel) vision of accomplishing a viable tourism economy in less than 10 years.

He was giving the keynote address at the 2022 UN Ocean Conference: Sustainable Coastal and Marine Tourism Launch Event in Lisbon, Portugal, today (June 29).  The Ocean Conference is being held under the theme “Scaling up ocean action based on science and innovation for the implementation of Goal 14: Stocktaking, partnerships and solutions”.

During his address, Minister Bartlett pointed out that “Jamaica fully endorses the goal of the Ocean Panel to achieve a sustainable tourism economy by 2030.”

In reiterating his support, Mr. Bartlett stressed that “the health and sustainability of our oceans are critical to the survival of the tourism industry”, adding that “the role of healthy marine and coastal systems in promoting sustainable tourism is especially worthy of recognition.”