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Jamaican News
The second part of the Jamaican News is a rotating list of articles about Caribbean Travel generally, which will include Jamaican topics every now and then. Each time you log in there may be a different set of articles to choose from. These are not necessarily up to the minute news items but general topics.
The third part of the Jamaican News page is an ever changing list of everyday sayings and quotations: just for fun and enjoyment.
But first, what would Jamaican News be without Jamaica Newspapers? Jamaica NewspapersOver History, there have been many Jamaica Newspapers.
The Jamaica Witness, The Cornwall Chronicle and General Advertiser, The Jamaica Courant and Public Advertiser, the Jamaica Creole and the Galls Newsletter were all, at one time, (some as early as the 1750's!) Jamaica Newspapers carrying Jamaican News, especially the local births, deaths and shipping news. Today, the Island is served by The Gleaner, a newspaper that commenced publication in 1834, and the Jamaica Observer. Both of these have online copies or E-Copies. The Jamaica Gleaner can be found at:
The Jamaica Observer can be found at:
Both of these daily newspapers, between them, cover most of the Jamaican News.
Latest Jamaica NewsBelow, for your convenience we have compiled a rotating list of the more important Jamaica News stories. This Jamaican News is particularly related to travel and tourism although they may contain other, relevant, interesting stories. We keep these up-to-date by rotating every week. We add new Jamaican News stories weekly and delete an equal number of old ones, that way we keep the Jamaica news current. We hope you enjoy our Jamaican News coverage. It originates directly from the Jamaican Newspapers. Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett was among government officials, hoteliers, aviation experts and other industry stakeholders who attended the just-concluded ITB Berlin conference - the world's largest travel fair. Bartlett said the European market could mean big business for Jamaica. "Strong currency, strong economies but, more importantly, long holidays. They get three-to six-week holidays, so they can come and spend some time with us and provide the sort of wider distribution of the dollar that we need to reach the smaller people in the communities and the small entrepreneurs in Jamaica who provide the value-added services. "So, this market is important to us; it's very important because it drives our smaller properties." The tourism minister is seeking to ramp up numbers to hit the Golding administration goal of five million visitors in 2015. Jamaica saw 1.7 million stopover arrivals last year, a 1.3 per cent increase over 2006's statistics. Over 1.17 million cruise-ship arrivals were recorded in 2007, an 11.8 per cent plunge from the previous year. Bartlett told the Caribbean Media Corporation that his delegation held talks with airline operators aimed at opening up routes between Europe and Jamaica. Great access! "We have access, great access, to the gateways in North America, but we do have some issues in Europe, and Europe is a growth market for us. And so, we have to move to provide the kind of support to the tour operators for more charters to come in and also to look at scheduling traffic, coming to Jamaica as well," the minister added. He said he spoke to the airline officials in London as well as in mainland Europe. "Germany is very import to us now. This is one of the growth areas and Spain definitely, and the UK of course. So, Europe, for us, is a big push and ... the team, we're all here making sure that we tidy up the arrangements that have to be made to drive the winter of 2008/2009 and beyond." Projections for the northern Caribbean island suggest an increase in the number of tourists from Spain, especially as Spanish hoteliers build out infrastructure here. The lion's share - about 70 per cent - of visitors to Jamaica come from the North American market. More than 10,000 exhibitors sold their products at the ITB International Tourism Fair, which attracts hundreds of visitors from around the world each year.
It may be surprising to many to learn that golfing visitors brought more than US$200 million (J$14 billion) into the economy in 2006, based on Jamaica Golf Association estimates. Taxes derived from the golf industry are estimated at more than J$1.5 billion. This was achieved with very little promotion of golf as an attraction.
With minimal additional injection of promotional resources, the annual earnings can be doubled over the next five years. Jamaica can no longer allow these opportunities to slip by while others around us are aggressively exploiting them to the fullest. Today, sports has become extremely popular around the world for persons of all age groups, especially as regular physical exercise is considered an important component of a healthy lifestyle. One of the most significant growth areas in the travel industry is sports tourism. The World Tourism Organisation estimates the annual value of the travel and leisure industry at US$4.5 trillion per annum. Sports tourism is conservatively estimated to contribute at least US$500 billion per year. Countries and major cities around the world are busily competing to host major sporting events that, among other things, earn foreign exchange and promote their hospitality industries as well as opportunities for trade and investment. An estimated one million people turned out to watch the start of the Tour de France in London last year with London's economy benefiting by more than £120 million. Unfortunately, for any one sport, a destination such as Jamaica may find it impractical to host more than one event each year or even one every five years. It is important, however, for Jamaica as a country to host events in as many different sports as is practical and as often as possible as each sport draws virtually a different following. Jamaica as a golf destination The world has some 60 million golfers, of whom about 32 million live in our closest and most important tourist market, North America. Golf, indeed, is significant to Jamaica as a tourist attraction for several reasons:
1. Good conducive climate for golfing all year long. 2. A fair number of excellent and world-class golf courses with more to be added in the next few years. 3. The major golf resorts are very close to an international airport, Sangster International, and the airlift from the major North American markets is good. 4. The golfing visitor spends substantially more than the typical visitor. Golf attracts a higher-quality visitor who is likely to become a repeat visitor, develop a business relationship or seek investment and trading opportunities in the host country. Of all the major sports, golf currently earns more foreign exchange for Jamaica than any other sport. Last year, with some 130,000 rounds of golf played by an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 visitors, total foreign exchange earned was about US$200 million. But, how much did Government spend on golf promotion last year? Probably less than US$50,000, even though more than US$20 million in taxes would have been earned from golf tourism alone. Golf is big business. We must see it as such and allocate the necessary resources to its development and promotion to allow for its full earning potential as a tourist attraction to be realised. To put it in proper perspective, over US$100 million (J$7 billion) was spent by Government alone on Cricket World Cup in 2007 and they expected to earn US$9 million (J$630 million). That is less than five per cent of what we earned from golf. Yet, to promote golf, we spent less than 1/20th of a per cent of what was spent to host Cricket World Cup. A mere US$1 million (J$70 million) spent on promoting golf would have earned Jamaica at least an additional US$50 million including J$350 million in taxes by the following year. Indeed, we should be spending US$3 million (J$210 million) to US$10 million (J$700 million) million per year on golf tourism promotion alone. Benefits will flow The benefits would start flowing immediately and, as Jamaica becomes known as a golf destination, they would continue to flow for years to come. Both public sector and private sector stakeholders should contribute equitably to the promotional costs. Successful golf destination marketing for Jamaica will require a sustained collaborative effort by both sectors. We already have a lot going in our favour. Sports tourism is the name of the game for the future. But it needs to be developed. Major events will draw large numbers of visitors and provide good promotional value for the country as a whole. Barbados spent at least US$4 million on World Cup Golf in 200 it only has four championship golf courses on the island, three of which were built in the last 10 years. Two are limited-access private courses. Barbados has committed to hosting a major international motorsport event in 2008 and has vowed to continue hosting major international sporting events annually as a means of promoting itself as a top-class visitor destination and business centre. Jamaica should also continue promoting itself as a prime visitor destination by hosting major international events. In doing so, however, we must be mindful of the markets that we want to attract and select the right events and the right sports. More important, however, we need to invest in sports that continue bringing visitors to the island. For this reason, and for sheer unmatched economic returns, golf is the sport; golf is the attraction that will accomplish that objective. Golf attracts the big spenders and big business. The developers of the Harmony Cove project that incorporates three golf courses appreciate this, and have said so, and will have golf as a major attraction at Jamaica's largest single investment in tourism. St Lucia is building five new upscale golf resorts. The Dominican Republic will soon have 28 golf courses, including at least 10 new resort courses built in the last decade. Let's learn from the achievements in the world's travel hot spots and in other Caribbean destinations. The earnings from golf tourism can go a long way to providing basic services, education, health, security and generally raising the quality of life for all Jamaicans. Let's tee it up for sports tourism and for Jamaica. Golf will help us earn our way to economic stabilisation and prosperity. Gordon Hutchinson is president of the Jamaica Golf Association. Email: g.hutchinson@ jamaicagolfassociation. Kingston, Dec 16 (Prensa Latina) Air Jamaica, "The World's Best Airline to the Caribbean" was honored with three top awards at The World Travel Awards held at the Beaches Resort in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos this week.
The awards are voted on by over 160,000 travel professionals including 110,000 travel agents.
Air Jamaica received three awards: The Caribbean's Leading Airline, The Caribbean's Leading Airline Website and The Caribbean's Leading Business Class Airline.
This is the tenth straight year that the airline has been recognized as the Caribbean's Leading Airline and these awards continue to reinforce its corporative image.
The airline's senior vice president of sales and marketing, Paul Pennicook has said: "This acknowledgement tells us that we are meeting our goal of providing the best service to our customers and that the industry agrees. It truly is an honor and we thank everyone involved," says Pennicook.
The airline continues to increase its service from the US to the Caribbean including the most non-stop flights to Jamaica. The airline serves 10 gateways in the US plus Toronto, Canada and 10 destinations in the Caribbean with both non-stop and connecting service through its hub in Montego Bay.
Air Jamaica prides itself on providing amenities that many other airlines have discontinued including hot meals, free in-flight entertainment in both classes of service, as well as complimentary champagne.
The airline has been constantly improving and upgrading its web site (www.airjamaica.com) over the past year and now offers web check in from all of its gateways to ease the check-in process for its passengers.
Air Jamaica offers intra-regional service with flights between Jamaica and the Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Curacao, Grand Cayman, Grenada and St. Lucia. The total number of European visitors to Jamaica over the same period was up by 15.4%, with particularly strong growth from Spain - up 149.6% - and Portugal - up 211.7%. Tourism is a very important part of the Jamaican economy, and in 2006 the country earned around $2 billion from tourism and received just over 3 million visitors. New Jamaican Minister for Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, recently outlined his vision for tourism in the island. This includes increasing the number of tourists to around 5 million by 2010. "Jamaica's natural resources provide an unprecedented foundation for a vibrant attractions sector. Our topography is extraordinary, with our soaring mountains and abundance of rivers, waterfalls and unique plant life. And we have an excellent capacity for superbly designed man-made attractions that are an important part of the Jamaican experience," says Bartlett. Tourism development on the island will focus on the luxury sector. A new luxury development is planned in the north east of Jamaica at Port Antonio, and other luxury developments including Golden Eye, Half Moon, Palmyra and Rose Hall Resort plan to expand. Jamaica is a popular Christmas and New Year holiday destination thanks to the guaranteed sunshine and warm Caribbean sea. Events for December and January include the Harbor Fest dance party and fireworks display in Kingston on New Year's Eve, and the Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival in Montego Bay from 24-27 January. Written by: Nick Purdom
A group of entrepreneurs has reportedly applied to the Jamaican government to create the first Caribbean low-cost airline. - (12/10/2007) According to The Jamaica Observer, the airline will launch mid-2008. The airline will also seek to open new markets and new routes. It will service the Caribbean, the United States and Latin America. Group head representative Ian Burns reportedly told the publication: "We have made a formal application to the Jamaican Civil Aviation Authority under the name of Airone Ventures Ltd, although this isn't the name that we will be flying under. We have the potential to add one million tourist arrivals to Jamaica within five years, a huge boost to the tourism industry." Burns added that there are plans to employ over 200 persons initially during the coming months. According to the same report, the Chairman noted "Jamaica had invested in infrastructure by providing excellent facilities at Norman Manley and Donald Sangster International airports." He believes that it can now connect people and businesses and bring far greater access to the region, allowing for Jamaicans and the diaspora to meet on a more frequent basis. Burns also said, "We will be providing non-stop airlinks to the Caribbean, the United States and Latin America and will be using Boeing 737-300 aircraft. The idea is to develop Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport as an international hub for the Caribbean." "Presently, 1.7 million passengers go through it every year and right now infrastructure is being built to accommodate four million passengers a year. In our first year of operations we are projecting to have 376,000 of our passengers pass through Kingston's number one airport. We see the diaspora as being a huge market and we will be concentrating heavily on it while also looking to the tourism industry."
To outsiders Miles Enterprises at 47 1/2 Spanish Town Road might have been just another address in Tivoli Gardens, West Kingston. But thanks to younger members of the Miles family, that established the business in the 1940's, the stretch of street outside the store has become a favourite destination amongst the relative handful of tourists who venture into the capital and its cultural hotspots. Each Wednesday night, or rather early the next morning when it really gets going, Passa Passa regularly draws tourists and uptown/downtown partygoers all interested in attending an authentic street dance, safely. Now, Swatch International - the family sound system started by Oneil Miles which provides the music at Passa Passa - wants to leverage more out of the brand, believing that it is a model for community tourism and has the potential to generate significant revenue. Admittance to Passa Passa, is of course like any other street dance, free of charge. But Dylan Powe, Oneil Miles' cousin, who is responsible for Swatch International's overseas bookings and marketing, believes the strength of the Passa Passa brand means that after four years Swatch International can contend for a greater share of the entertainment market, here and abroad. "The long-term plan is to grow Passa Passa into a truly international event with sub-events occurring in different communities throughout the country and throughout the world along the lines of what Reggae Sunsplash did in the 80s with Japan Splash and touring in the United States. I think it's a good brand to put globally and then with all the associated benefits of having of a brand to be able to carry different artists and cultural entities - being able to replicate a piece of inner- city Jamaican dancehall brand wherever we take it," said Powe. The Passa Passa story is well documented: that it is hosted in Tivoli Gardens, the so-called 'mother-of-all garissons', yet has recorded no single act of violence during its four years of operation. "Kingston is devoid of tourist attractions and what we have done is to give a weekly tourist attraction and people who would otherwise have stayed in Montego Bay or Negril, will find their way up to Kingston on a Wednesday night," said Powe. "It shows that Jamaica could be a tourist-friendly destination instead of tourists being caged into the all-inclusives. People are on their best behaviour (towards the tourists) and they have an incentive in how their community is perceived. It's something that should be embraced as a model for community development." This popularity, and international media coverage, has helped Swatch International get bookings abroad where Powe has prior experience. After graduating from New York's Columbia University in the early 1990's, he worked as an A&R for Big Beat/Atlantic Records, signing the likes of Dawn Penn, Garnett Silk and Inner Circle to Atlantic Records, in-between stints as a radio disc jockey. Cross-promotion with local brands should also be a possibility, he believes. "There is no reason that there shouldn't be a Passa Passa phonecard branded by Digicel. If Macka Diamond can sell (Sangster's) Rum Cream, there's no reason that Passa Passa shouldn't be able to provide a platform to sell or market a remittance service, or any such product," he said. This ambition is not that far-fetched. Swatch International has an existing, but dormant partnership with Hype TV to produce a Passa Passa show on the cable channel. Digicel parks their mobile truck there roughly every other week while Jamaica National has a branch in the community. But, up to this point, no corporate interest has devoted substantial sponsorship dollars, which might be logical self-interest for the likes of a Digicel or Jamaica National given the amount of funds spent on phone credit or sent through remittance services by or to residents of Tivoli and other inner-city communities. The dilemna for Passa Passa, is that were it an equally successful event not located in Tivoli Gardens or any other inner-city community, but uptown, then interest from tourism and business interests, would likely be far greater. Powe has registered as a company, Prodigal Entertainment System Limited, which besides running Passa Passa and Swatch International, runs a music studio and produces music videos and DVDs. Powe also manages artistes under the Prodigal banner, with one deejay, Natalie Storm, already booked for several festivals in Europe next year. He hopes that by forming a company Passa Passa will gain more consideration from entities such as Jamaica Trade and Invest, to assist with marketing the brand abroad. Articles and News from Jamaica and the Caribbean
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The Jamaican News page is brought to you in three parts. The first is a rotating selection of important travel and tourist news from various Jamaican newspapers. These are added to every week, depending on what is available and relevant. This list of news articles also gets dropped as time passes and the topic becomes less up to the minute.
