ADDRESS TO THE NATION BY PRIME MINISTER BRUCE GOLDING
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Prime Minister of Jamaica, Hon. Bruce Golding
Global Financial Crisis
My fellow Jamaicans,
As we all know, the world is going through a serious financial and economic crisis – in its extensiveness and complexity perhaps worse than anything we have ever experienced. Most of the major economies of the world are heading into recession. Some already are- like the USA, Germany, Italy and Japan. We in Jamaica are not able to escape the impact of this global crisis.
We have had to deal with global crises before:
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MIAMI (JIS):
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
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Submitted by publicrelations on Tue, 12/23/2008 - 11:28.Inaugural Air Canada Vacations Flight Arrives
MONTEGO BAY (JIS):
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Courtesy of Jamaica Information Service
Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, headed a number of government and tourism officials who were on hand, at the Donald Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay on Friday (December 19), to welcome some 214 passengers who arrived in the island on the inaugural Air Canada Vacations non-stop scheduled air service from Vancouver.
Mr. Bartlett said the flight was sold out weeks in advance, due to the "superb marketing efforts" of the Jamaican team in Canada. The service between Vancouver and Jamaica is the first such from Western Canada to any Caribbean destination.
According to the Minister, who was speaking at the official welcome reception at the airport, additional non-stop flights are scheduled to depart from Canadian gateways throughout the current winter tourist season.
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Submitted by publicrelations on Mon, 12/22/2008 - 12:43.Service Excellence Important in Enhancing Tourism Product- Harding
KINGSTON (JIS):
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Deputy Director of Tourism, Zachary Harding, has stressed the importance of service excellence in enhancing and improving the tourism product.
Speaking at the 14th anniversary celebration of the Kiwanis Club of Eastern St. Andrew recently, at the Altamont Court Hotel in Kingston, Mr. Harding pointed out that service is crucial to the success of tourism, as it drives the sector, and motivates visitors to return to the island.
"Studies have shown that one of the most important factors of the visitor experience is the quality of the interface between the visitor and the tourism worker in a destination. It is the customer service person, the bell man, the security guard at the gate.these are the people that they first interact with, these people are critical when we talk about service in tourism," Mr. Harding pointed out.
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Submitted by publicrelations on Mon, 12/22/2008 - 12:34.Hoteliers Pleased with Measures to Assist Tourism Sector
KINGSTON (JIS):
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Measures announced by Prime Minister Bruce Golding, to assist the tourism sector, specifically the hotel industry, in order to ensure sustainability during the global economic crisis, and to save jobs that might be lost, have been well received.
In his address to the nation on Sunday, December 14, the Prime Minister said that one of the measure being implemented includes a reduction of the General Consumption Tax (GCT) paid by hotels by half, from 8¼ per cent to 4.125 per cent, effective January 1, 2009, for a six- month period.
In an interview with JIS News, General Manager of Christar Villas Hotel, in Kingston, Charles Brown, said the lowering of the GCT would be very beneficial to the sector. "It will potentially help with your overall cash flow... and at this point in time, the sector is under stress, because of the level of fall-out in terms of your occupancy level, and hence, any form of liquidity to help sustain your organisation, is absolutely critical," he said.
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Submitted by publicrelations on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 12:26.2,000 Cruise Ship Passengers Arrive in Ocho Rios for Start of Winter Season
OCHO RIOS(JIS):
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Courtesy of Jamaica Information Service
Some 2,000 cruise ship passengers disembarked the Ruby Princess Cruise Liner, which arrived at the Ocho Rios Pier in St. Ann, on December 15, the start of the Winter Tourist Season.
Cruise Terminal Manager, Dennis Richards, told JIS News, that the Ruby Princess is one of the newest ships in the Princess Cruise Line and that the vessel made its first call at the Ocho Rios Pier last month.
Courtesy of Jamaica Information Service
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Submitted by publicrelations on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 10:56.Bartlett promises to 'wring every value' from winter tourist season
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Submitted by publicrelations on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 10:14.Tourism uptick - December arrivals soar 15% - Bartlett
Published: Wednesday | December 17, 2008
Jamaica Gleaner Noel Thompson, Gleaner Writer
Courtesy of Jamaica Gleaner
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Submitted by publicrelations on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 10:06.Full Air Jamaica Flight Marks Start of Winter Tourist Season
MONTEGO BAY (JIS):
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The arrival of a full Air Jamaica flight from Los Angeles, in the United States, at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St. James, today (December 15), marked the official start of the 2008/09 Winter Tourist Season.
On hand to greet the visitors on board the plane were Tourism Officials, including Minister Edmund Bartlett.
Mr. Bartlett described the full flight as a good start for the season, adding that from all indications, the other flights coming in today would carry a reasonable load.
"The month of December has started very well, so far. In the first week, we had a 14.9 per cent increase in visitor arrivals over last year, and we are waiting for the numbers now for the second week. As you go into Christmas, of course, the numbers will get better," the Minister said.
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Submitted by publicrelations on Tue, 12/16/2008 - 11:53.Thousands of Tourists Came to Jamaica in First Week of December
KINGSTON (JIS):
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Courtesy of Jamaica Information Service
Close to 29,000 tourists came to Jamaica in the first week of December, Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, is reporting.
This, he said, is a 14.9 per cent increase on the figure recorded for the similar period in 2007, and is positive news for the sector, against the background of the global economic downturn.
The Minister was speaking at a Tourism Media Forum, on the issues affecting the local sector, at the Creative Production and Training Centre (CPTC), in Kingston, on December 11.
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