CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS - Hospitality Jamaica · Wakanda Forever! Team members from the company’s...

IF ALL work and no playmakes Jack and Jill dull, it’ssafe to say there are no dull

team members at Sandals ResortsInternational, especially recentlywhen the company treated over100 staff members to a privateshowing of the highly anticipatedand much-celebrated Marvelfilm, Black Panther.

The company, which has longhad a tradition of celebrating itsteam members and investing intheir development, rented a the-atre at the Palace Multiplex andtreated the team from its head-quarters to a night at the movies,popcorn included, as a gesture ofappreciation for their hard workand commitment to the brand.The event was dubbed ‘A Nightin Wakanda’.

In a video message played tothe team, the company’s chiefoperations officer, ShawnDaCosta, apologised for hisabsence and that of the chiefexecutive officer, Adam Stewart.

Both were in the Turks andCaicos Islands at the company’sannual general managers’ meet-ing. DaCosta urged the team toenjoy the night’s offerings, citingthe gesture as just one of theways the company chose to showits appreciation. “We wish wecould have been there tonight.

This is a great movie for us to seetogether”, he said. “Tonight wecelebrate you ... tonight wecelebrate you being here with usas great team members who goabove and beyond every day. Weappreciate you,” he said.

Excited team members ravedabout the night’s event days

later, expressing gratitude for thegesture and reliving theirfavourite movie moments.

Carmen Prout, companyadministrator, said, “This wassuch a kind gesture from thesenior executives and a goodreminder that in the midst of ahard work week, team memberscan actually take a break.Normally, in the corporate worldthis would be considered anunlikely act, but Sandals made ita reality. This will forever beetched in my mind.”

Her excitement and gratitudewas shared by Cassandra Dou-glas, local purchasing agent atthe company’s ProcurementDivision. She said, “This was avery good idea. It broughteveryone together and it reallyfelt like a family affair. I was eventelling someone who works at anoverseas hotel about it and shewas amazed that our companydid this for us.”

2 HOSPITALITY JAMAICA | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2018

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

The team that plays together stays together! Team members from Sandals Resorts International turned out in fine style onMonday, February 26, to enjoy a private viewing of the blockbuster hit, ‘Blank Pather’. From left: Jonique Gaynor, Marcelles Lee,Sheryl Douse, Megan Martin, Staschell Fraser, Crissano Dalley, Daniella Allen, Joleen Grant and Nadine Dennis.

Gimmi mi African princess! Theseladies from the company’s ProcurementDivision pulled out all the stops andwere dressed to the nines to view thehit film ‘Black Panther’ at Sandals’ pri-vate staff viewing at the PalaceMultiplex on February 26. From left areVensea Hudson, Shantoya Fraser andLeccian Rowe.

Wakanda Forever! Team members from the company’sAccounts and Auditing departments were obviously having agood time at the private viewing of the hit Marvel film, ‘BlackPanther’. In front with his best ‘Wakanda Forever’ pose isAndy Roberts, while from left are Cordilyn Heaven, YaniqueBailey, Sherifa Brown and Audi Cunningham.

Graphic designer Joleen Grantdid what designers do best –create her own African-inspiredjewellery and shoes just for thisoccasion. We say the girl’s gotskills, what say you?

Resort company rents theatre to say thank you to team

Sandals treats staff to private‘Black Panther’ viewing

HOSPITALITY JAMAICA | 3WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2018

Camille MillerHospitality Jamaica Writer

FOR DECADES, tourism over-seas interests have been frus-tratingly noting that Jamaica

has not being doing enough to tapinto the 35-million strong AfricanAmerican market.

According to them, the island,with its rich diverse culture andworld-class attractions, has been“missing the boat” by “seeminglyand foolishly” concentratingalmost exclusively on an already-

clustered and competitive “white-only market”.

Well, that appears likely tochange!

Minister of Tourism EdmundBartlett, who is currently on aEuropean trip, told HospitalityJamaica that the Jamaica TouristBoard (JTB) has been aggressivelyusing social media and other pro-motional means to “make a strongpush” for what he readily admits isa very lucrative, but vastlyuntapped market.

Bartlett added that in addition tobooking advertising spots in themainstream media, extra effort isbeing made to target minoritygroups.

“There is a vast African Ameri-can market out there, along withother minority groups, that weneed to capitalise on,” the tourismminister noted. “We need to appealto their passion points. We need toget our message of being the friend-liest and most relaxed destinationin the region to their doorsteps.”

A United States Census Reportshows the African American popu-lation at 34,658,190, representingover 12.3 per cent of the totalamount of persons living within thecontinental USA.

Almost half (43 per cent) arehomeowners, and nearly onequarter (23 per cent) holdbachelor’s degrees or higher fromUS universities. As consumers,African Americans spend over$500 billion annually, or a house-hold average of $23,442. AfricanAmericans are also no longer rural.

Eight-five per cent live in urbancentres, mostly the top 20 metroareas. The African American medi-an age is 30, some six years youngerthan the total US population.

MORE IMPROVEMENT NEEDED

Bartlett added that Jamaica’sshare of the huge United Statesmarket, while showing signs ofrapid improvement over the pastyear or so, is still too low and that atelling and more organised effort isbeing made in going after minoritygroups, including those with specialneeds.

Andrew Young, a former UnitedStates ambassador and formermayor of Atlanta, in a visit toJamaica as guest of the St AnnChamber of Commerce severalyears ago, raised the view thenthat the “vast and untapped”African American market couldgreatly enhance the tourismfortunes of Jamaica.

“The African American market,which is 35-million strong, isbigger than both Canada and

Mexico,” Young pointed out. “Ifyou put your ads where AfricanAmericans can see them, Iguarantee you will start seeing results.”

United States CongresswomanYvette Clarke, in a recent visit toJamaica as guest of the MontegoChamber of Commerce, agreed.She pointed to the fact that a lot ofJamaicans are living in the UnitedStates and that they should be usedas part of the marketing tool toinfiltrate the African Americanmarket.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Bartlett, in noting that “personstravel to fulfil their passion,” is infull agreement with the US officials.“There are also a set of youngpeople who travel all over the worldto participate in activities such ascity runs and other health activities.There are also persons withdisabilities who simply want a placeto go where they can relax andwhere people are nice and caring.

These are new opportunities for usto build on our product,” he added.

The tourism minister said touristsusually have the innate desire to bepampered and that “there is no placein the world that does it better thanJamaica.

“We have an opportunity to goafter these niche markets,” headded. “We have to ensure that weget our message out there in aneffective way so people can under-stand that Jamaica is the place tofeel all right. If this is done right,there is no telling what our growingpotential could be.”

The African Americancommunity is also said to traveltwice as often on packaged tours asthe general population and they areled by the 2,500 travel plannermembers of the African AmericanTravel Conference. This market isopen to new destinations and theybook with the travel industrysuppliers they meet and buildrelationships with.

Make way forthe ‘brothersand sisters’

Big push for African American tourists

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Black American tourists.

TWENTY-ONE semi-finalists will viefor the Tourism Service ExcellenceAwards (TSEA) later this month

when the awards ceremony will be held.The announcement and presentation of

the qualifiers was conducted last month atthe Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Kingston bythe award’s implementing agency, theTourism Product Development CompanyLimited (TPDCo).

The 10 individual and 11 organisationqualifiers were selected from 126 nomineesand cover the regions of Ocho Rios, Negril,Kingston, the south coast, and Montego Bay.Ranging over various categories within theindustry, including accommodation, groundtransportation, attractions, and the craftindustry, the semi-finalists were selected by apanel of judges through a series ofevaluations and interviews.

Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett in avideo presentation, underscored theimportance of creating a unique andresponsive brand, which, he posited, isachieved through excellent service.

“Service excellence is everything in today’sglobal tourism environment. The way aproduct or service is delivered to a visitor canmake or break a destination. This is why I ampassionate about building a service-excellence culture within the tourism sectorand its value chain. I want to see Jamaicapositioned as a globally competitivedestination that provides quality service waybeyond our visitors’ expectations,” he said.

He went further to say that the TSEAserves as a mechanism to develop thecountry’s tourism offerings. “To maintain thehigh service quality for which Jamaica isrenowned, we sought to incentivise thesector through the introduction of theTSEA. Events such as these, which recogniseand reward shining examples of tourismexcellence, are important to the industry. Theyraise the bar in terms of enhancing the visitorexperience and reinforce the value of ourtourism workers and the sector.”

IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN CAPITAL

Speaking during the presentation, Dr Andrew Spencer, executive director ofTPDCo, highlighted the importance ofdeveloping the human capital as this will ensurethat the tourism sector realises its full potential.

“People represent the strongest link in thistourism chain. We want to continue to liftthe standard of our already creative people,therefore, we often create programmes thatplace emphasis on our people. For example,our recently concluded District Constablesprogramme, which incorporated TPDCo’sflagship Team Jamaica training programme,was designed to improve security, particularlyin the resort areas. This (training) wasimportant to achieve the goal of training agroup of district constables who could have afirm hand, and a smiling face, which iscrucial in the tourism space,” he said.

Spencer added that these programmes,particularly the Team Jamaica training,would allow tourism workers to share theirskills and talents with visitors who are oftenkeen on learning about Jamaica’s culture and

heritage, thereby concretising the view thatthe Jamaican experience is well rounded,

made possible by those who continue tooperate at a high standard.

The semi-finalists for the individual cate-gory are Kevin Spence, Beaches Negril; JudyHenry Richards, Beaches Resort-Ocho Rios;Shanique Cunningham, Sandals Royal-Mon-tego Bay; Janette Kaloo, Sunset Resorts andVillas, South Coast; Lennox Williams,Golden Eye Hotel, Ocho Rios; WinstonJones, Hyatt Ziva Hyatt Zilara, Montego Bay;Hopeton Powell, Olde Craft Market, OchoRios; Michelle Sterling, Amstar DMC, Mon-tego Bay; Romaine Meggo, Sandals Negril;and Mikhailla Robinson, Jamaica Pegasushotel, Kingston.

The semi-finalists for the organisation cat-egory are Chukka Caribbean Adventures,Montego Bay; The Judy House, Negril;Island Car Rentals, Kingston; Sandals RoyalPlantation, Ocho Rios; Beaches NegrilResort; Courtleigh Hotel and Suites,Kingston; Hyatt Ziva Hyatt Zilara Resort,Montego Bay; Sandals Negril Resort; Dunn’sRiver Falls and Park, Ocho Rios; BeachesOcho Rios, and Sandals South Coast.

The TSEA recognises both individuals andentities within the tourism sector that consis-tently provide exemplary customer service.This year’s staging of the TSEA will be heldon Saturday, March 17, at the Montego BayConvention Centre in St James.


CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Dr Andrew Spencer (third left), executive director, Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo), and Dr Carrole Guntley (fourth left), chairperson for the Tourism Service Excellence Awards (TSEA) Committee, pose along-side the 2017 TSEA semi-finalists for the individual category. From left: Kevin Spence, Beaches Negril; Judy HenryRichards, Beaches Resort, Ocho Rios; Shanique Cunningham, Sandals Royal, Montego Bay; Janette Kaloo, SunsetResorts and Villas, South Coast; Lennox Williams, Golden Eye Hotel, Ocho Rios; Winston Jones, Hyatt Ziva Hyatt Zilara,Montego Bay; Hopeton Powell, Olde Craft Market, Ocho Rios; Michelle Sterling, Amstar DMC, Montego Bay; RomaineMeggo, Sandals Negril, and Mikhailla Robinson, Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Kingston.

Dr Andrew Spencer (second right), executive director, Tourism ProductDevelopment Company Limited (TPDCO), and Dr Carrole Guntley, (third right),chairperson for the Tourism Service Excellence Awards Committee, join the2017 TSEA semi-finalists for the organisation category. From left:representatives of Chukka Caribbean Adventures, Montego Bay, The JudyHouse, Negril, Island Car Rentals, Kingston, Sandals Royal Plantation, OchoRios, Beaches Negril Resort, Courtleigh Hotel and Suites, Kingston, Hyatt ZivaHyatt Zilara Resort, Montego Bay, Sandals Negril Resort, Dunn’s River Falls andPark, Ocho Rios, and Sandals South Coast. Missing from the photo is the repre-sentative for Beaches Ocho Rios Resort. The occasion was the announcementof the 2017 TSEA semi-finalists. The event was held on Wednesday, February28, at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Kingston.

TPDCo announces 2017Tourism Service ExcellenceAwards semi-f inalists

Carl GilchristHospitality Jamaica Writer

RASTA TACO had a quietopening recently at IslandVillage in Ocho Rios, and

already, its succulent mix ofJamaican and Mexican cuisine hascreated quite a buzz for Jamaicansand tourists alike.

Its quesadillas have alreadybecome a favourite of many, but so,too, its margaritas, guacamole, andother menu items such as burritosand escoveitch fish tacos.

The secret is all in the sauces, sothink chipotle, teriyaki, jerk, garlic,and Scotch bonnet sauces and youbegin to get the idea.

“The sauces are what really makeit kick and what people willremember Rasta Taco by,”explained Nazma Muller, assistantmanager at the restaurant. “The

food is fast, within 10 minutes, andit’s Mexican with a Jamaican twist.”

Manager Josee Lamontagne putsit into perspective, adding: “It’s thebest of Jamaica mixed with theMexican style, and the people, theylove it! We get a lot of people fromthe ships, and we also want to begetting to the local people, forJamaicans to come, and taste whatwe serve. We’re trying to make itvery Jamaican-style so they cancome and experience and enjoy.”

“When you come you can expect to get great food and great margaritas, of course.”

Owned by Mexican-American,Mario Meléndez, Rasta Taco’sgenesis dates back to 2006 whenMeléndez first came to Jamaica andthought of opening a taco standafter purchasing the domainwww.rastataco.com.

When he returned to California,however, he started taco cateringunder the brand Rasta Taco, andthe business took off. As the brandgrew in popularity, Meléndezstarted learning more about theJamaican culture and decided hewould open a branch in Jamaica.But first, he tried it at home, open-ing the first Rasta Taco restaurantin Laguna two years ago.

Melendez also owns the world’sonly margarita truck in California.

Next stop was Jamaica. Aftersearching, he found a spot at ChrisBlackwell’s Island Village shoppingcentre and established the secondRasta Taco restaurant in the world,in the land of Rasta.

At the end of January, RastaTaco served patrons at the GraceJones documentary: Bloodlight

and Bami, including Jones herself,before opening its doors officiallyand is ready to serve Jamaicans andthe world.

Rasta Taco is still a work inprogress and is more than abusiness venture for Melendez,Muller explained. It’s not justabout making money. He wants tosupport the Rastafari culture,which is one of his missions in life.


– for Jamaicansand tourists alike

Rasta Taco

2016 TOURISM Service Excellence Awards (TSEA)individual champion Simone Folkes, while on herprized trip to Barbados, met with the country’sMinister of Tourism and International TransportRichard Sealy.

Sealy congratulated Folkes on her achievementand highlighted that, like Jamaica, excellentcustomer service was crucial to the growth of thetourism sector in Barbados.

He also provided information on tourism inBarbados, a country that also relies on its heritage andculture to appeal to potential and repeat visitors.

As part of her prize for providing exceptionalcustomer service within the tourism sector, Folkesreceived a seven-day trip to Sandals Barbados;spending money, courtesy of the National Export-Import Bank; and air travel from Caribbean Airlines,all of which are sponsors of TSEA.

Folkes returned to the island on Sunday, February 18.The 2017 awards ceremony will be held on

Saturday, March 17, at the Montego Bay ConventionCentre in Rose Hall, St James.

ALTHOUGH YOU maynever have read J. R.Tolkein, you are probably

one of the tens of millions of peoplearound the world who have seen atleast one of the three Lord of theRings movies. If you are, you willalmost certainly remember thestunning scenery that provided thebackdrop.

All were filmed in New Zealandwith support from that country’stourism board and government andcaused hundreds of thousands oftravellers to visit the country fromaround the world.

At a quite different level, arelatively obscure but historic smalltown in England’s south-west andits dramatic nearby coastline nowreceives visitors year-round becauseof a hugely popular televisionseries, Broadchurch, so that todaythere are associated vacations,tours, a trail, and quite literallydozens of websites promoting thelocality as a mini-destination.

Surprisingly, the Caribbean hasyet to fully embrace the idea thatmoviemaking, whether for cinema,television, or commercials, canhelp deliver significant numbers ofadditional visitors, if the relevantministries, agencies and localindustries are prepared to workwith those who make and finance movies.

Attracting internationalproductions to film on location is ingeneral good for a country’s econo-

my. It brings foreign exchange; sig-nificant short-term local expendi-ture; offers employment to a widerange of individuals from carpentersto fashion designers, caterers,lawyers and accountants; draws inother film, TV and commercialmakers; and through exposure tobest practice, helps enhance localskill levels, develops talent, andsupports the creation of a sustain-able domestic movie industry.

It is also brings significant short-and long-term gains for tourism.

In the short-term, movie makerscreate a substantial demand foraccommodation, catering andtransport. Those who work in theindustry note, for example, thatthere must be quality hotel andvilla accommodation available tohouse, often for weeks and some-times months, the expensive talentinvolved and the crew. An able andefficient local service industrypartner is essential to look after thecomplex, demanding and time-

sensitive requirements of a high-budget production. Good qualitytransport is required to reach thesites where the movie is to be shotand there also has to be quality on-location catering.

But it is in the longer-term, big-

budget movies in particular thatoffer more significant, lastingopportunities, particularly if thelocation chosen or offered thencomes to be seen by moviegoers asa must-visit destination.

DYNAMIC CHANGE

As a fascinating on-lineacademic paper, ‘Tourist SeeTourist Do: The Influence of-Hollywood Movies and Televisionon Tourism Motivation andActivity Behaviour’ points out:moviemaking has brought with it a“dynamic change in the world interms of fashion, social status,behaviour, marketing, and tourism”,bringing with it a new marketingchannel for consumer goods andservices such as tourism.

For the most part, attractinginternational moviemakersinvolves government developing apackage of incentives and rebates.Despite this, some in theCaribbean are reluctant to under-stand the value, or the factors that

draw international moviemakers tochoose where to film.

Jamaica, for example, has notseen any major foreign investmentin film production since 2013, theyear in which the Government,under IMF pressure, ended all fiscalincentives. Although the island’snew Fiscal Incentives Act offerscapital allowances and relief on theimportation of ‘tools of trade’,nothing has been put in place toreplace the island’s Motion PictureEncouragement Act to swayinternational moviemakers to usethe country as a location.

Speaking about this recently,Diane Edwards, the president ofJAMPRO, said that encouragingmoviemaking again in Jamaica willnot only bring direct economicbenefits and help tourism, but willalso secure more jobs for Jamaicansworking in the film industry, helpsell the country’s creative outputs,and enlarge international aware-ness. Her hope is that a privateequity fund now being discussedmight become the vehicle for arebate system that would onceagain put the island back on themap for moviemakers.

To date, the tourism sector in theregion has said little on the topic ateither a national or regional level.This should change. The value offilm-induced tourism, aligned withnational incentives, has a strongpedigree. It requires the industry’sserious study and support.


Moviemaking isgood for tourism

DAVID JESSOP

THE BUSINESS OF TOURISM

Simone Folkes enjoyed a Valentine’sDay event at her recent TourismService Excellence Awards prize trip toSandals Barbados. She spent sevendays at the luxurious resort.

2016 TSEA national championenjoyed prize trip to Barbados

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Simone Folkes (left)poses at the formerhome of internationalpop star and nativeBarbadian Rihanna,while on her seven-day trip to Barbados.She participated in arange of activities andmet with the country’sMinister of Tourismand InternationalTransport RichardSealy. Sharing in themoment are PeteCarter, chaperone,and Folkes’ mother,Marlene McCormack.

ADVERTISEMENT HOSPITALITY JAMAICA | 7WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2018

CALLING THEIR hotel aquality entity “run solelyby Jamaicans,” the

management of the MeliaBraco Village, Trelawny, wentall out in honouring their ownat the resort’s annual staffawards recently.

With a mixture of glitz,glamour and, yes, pageantry,the ceremony which kicked offat approximately 8:15 p.m. andwhich had Miss Jamaica Uni-verse 2017 Davina Bennett asone of the main presenters, sawstaff members walking awaywith a combined US$1,900 incash prizes.

In addition, there were othergifts ranging from an all-expense paid overseas trip,inclusive of accommodationand airfare, to a three days/twonights all-expense paid-vacation getaway, as well assmart televisions, microwave,gift baskets and plaques.

When the dust settled,crowd favourite CarltonWalters from The LevelDepartment copped the MostGuest Nominated as well asAssociate of the Year awards;O’Shane Holmes from Enter-tainment won the GeneralManager’s Special Award;

Coreen Chin from the Foodand Beverage Department wonLeader of the Year; LatoyaPusey from Human Resourcesfor Supervisor of the Year.

Other winners were DavianFuller from Maintenance forSmile and Courtesy; ChadWaugh from Entertainment forMost Improved; Denache John-son from Spa for RevenueEarner; Christopher from Foodand Beverage was given aspecial award, and UnderwoodSimmonds from HumanResources rounded off theproceedings by copping theGem Awarded.

HARD WORK AND SERVICE

Minister of Tourism EdmundBartlett, while lauding theawardees, said it was throughtheir “hard work, dedicationand exceptional service” whyMelia continues to be “anaward-winning hotel.

“Your commitment to serviceexcellence has contributedsignificantly to Jamaica’s appealas a premier touristdestination,” he noted.

“I wish to express my sinceregratitude to you for being sterlingtourism ambassadors. Serviceexcellence is the bedrock oftourism success, and awards

programmes like these are agreat way to say thank you tothose who every day createexceptional experiences for ourvisitors.”

Bartlett also commendedMelia for “recognising andencouraging” its team memberswith its annual awards pro-gramme, adding that “it is veryimportant for everyone intourism, from the most seniorperson to those who work atthe most junior level, to under-stand that doing a great jobadds value to the product thatour visitors pay to enjoy.

“It is also what keeps visitorscoming back again and again.It is no accident that Jamaicahas a repeat visitor rate of over40 per cent.”

Bennett, whose grandentrance as well as onstagepresence drew loud applausefrom the audience, also praisedthe awardees for theirachievements, noting that “I,too, am a strong supporter ofprogrammes that rewardexcellence.

“It is good when hard work isboth recognised andappreciated,” she noted. “It isonly natural that persons willgive of their best and will bemotivated when they knowthey are being appreciated.”

8 HOSPITALITY JAMAICA | 9WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2018

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Department of the Year – Kitchen. Here, team members pose with their award.

Melia goes ALL IN

for staffFrom left: General Manager of Melia Braco Village Dimitris Kosvogiannis; Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett; MissUniverse Jamaica Davina Bennett; and Custos of Trelawny Paul Muschette.

From left: Nersibilis Rodriquez, Sheryl Kaye Thompson, Angella Bennett, KitanyaMirander and Belinda Blake, who received the special award for Most OutstandingPerformance from a Sales Team.

Camille Seaton (left), room division manager, presents Latoya Pusey with herSupervisor of the Year 2017 award.

From left: General Manager of Melia Braco Village Dimitris Kosvogiannis and Ministerof Tourism Edmund Bartlett present the Employee of the Year 2017 award to CarltonWalters. Sharing in the occasion is the 2016 winner, Homroy Thompson.

Anthony Walters, executive chef, pres-ents the runner-up Associate of theYear 2017 award to Ramona Wray.

General Manager of Melia Braco Vil lage DimitrisKosvogiannis and Leader of the Year Coreen CoreenChin, banquet manager.


CONTRIBUTED

From left: Betty Estrada, senior business development manager, Caribbean, Expedia MediaSolutions; Francine Carter Henry, manager – tour operators and airlines, Jamaica Tourist Board(JTB); Ana Paradela, director, advertising sales, LATAM, Mexico and Caribbean, Expedia MediaSolutions; and Kristopher DaCosta, digital marketing manager, JTB.

JTB recognised asExpedia MediaSolutions 2017Partner Award winner

JTB Flight CentreTravel Group USAFiscal Award winner

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Minister Edmund Bartlett is ‘Caribbean Minister of the Year’.Director of Tourism Donovan White (left) presents EdmundBartlett, minister of tourism, with a ceramic plaque during aJamaica Tourist Board-hosted cocktail reception. The event cel-ebrated Bartlett’s recent designation as the ‘Caribbean TourismMinister of the Year,’ 2017, by the ‘Caribbean Journal’.

THE JAMAICA Tourist Board (JTB) is celebrating the recognition andachievements it continues to receive from industry partners for its stellarwork in selling and promoting Destination Jamaica. Recently, the JTB wasacknowledged for its Jamaica Travel Specialist One Love RewardsProgram by Flight Centre Travel Group USA, which presented the agencywith the 2016-2017 fiscal award for ‘Top Travel Consultant TrainingProgram for Tourist Boards’. The Travel Specialist programme serves as adedicated training platform for the travel agent community to becomecertified experts on selling the destination.

For the past eight years, Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) has beenawarding its partners for their exemplary service to the industry, as votedby FCTG the Americas, with Jamaica winning numerous awards. FlightCentre Travel Group is one of the world’s largest travel agency group, andhas company-owned operations in 23 countries.

Jamaica TouristBoard’s DonnieDawson, deputydirector of tourism,sales, US; andFrancine Carter-Henry, manager,tour operators andairlines, proudlydisplay the awardreceived fromFlight CentreTravel Group USAfor ‘Top TravelConsultantTraining Programfor Tourist Boards’.

THE JAMAICA Tourist Board (JTB) is pleased toannounce that it has been recognised by ExpediaMedia Solutions, the advertising arm of Expedia,

Inc, as a winner of its annual 2017 Partner Awardsprogramme. The Latin America Destination Campaignof the Year award was presented at the annual ExpediaPartner Conference, which acknowledges partnercampaigns that demonstrate innovation, creativity, andachievement in travel marketing.

“We are thrilled to have been recognised by ExpediaMedia Solutions as the Latin America DestinationCampaign of the year winner for 2017,” said DonnieDawson, Jamaica’s deputy director of tourism, sales. “Weare truly proud of our team and the manyaccomplishments garnered through this campaign andwill continue our efforts to promote Jamaica as a topdestination for the Latin American market and beyond.”

The JTB has been a longstanding Expedia MediaSolutions marketing partner, and in 2017, it enacted amultipronged strategy that would competitivelyposition Jamaica against other popular beachdestinations. The team worked together to developtwo joint marketing campaigns, which involved avariety of hotels to drive demand for Jamaica. The firstwas a year-long co-op campaign with Expedia MediaSolutions that started March 2017. The second wasthe Great Jamaica Winter Sale Joint Marketing cam-paign, capitalising on Black Friday and Cyber Mondayand the new trend of gifting travel experiences.

In addition, the team produced a display campaign

to highlight the island destination and all that it has tooffer across Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Hotwire, andCheapTickets. The campaign that ran in Junegenerated 3,500 room nights to the destination withina three-week period. To date, these campaigns havegenerated a combined return of advertising spend(ROAS) of 126:1.

“This year’s partner award winners demonstrate theremarkable work of our valued partners who haveproduced successful campaigns through the use ofcreative content, groundbreaking technology, andstrategic targeting,” said Hari Nair, senior global vice-president, Expedia Media Solutions. “We’re excited tohonour this year’s award-winning campaigns and lookforward to continued work with our partners to helpthem execute targeted campaigns and achieve their goalsthrough Expedia’s platforms and valuable insights.”

The JTB was one of 12 brands recognised by Expe-dia Media Solutions at the 2017 Partner Conference.For more information, visit https://info.advertising.expedia.com/2017-partner-awards.

THIS WEEK, I find it difficultto award any roses to thetourism industry. I am forced

to highlight a mushrooming situa-tion on Montego Bay’s Hip Strip(Gloucester Avenue), which has fastbecome the home of the mentally ill.

Montegonians will tell you thatthe Hip Strip, being a relatively safehaven, is one of the main reasons forthe migration of the mentally illfrom downtown Montego Bay,where they are known to be beaten,raped, and even burnt, by heartless persons.

At least 10 mentally challengedmen and women, abandoned bytheir families and ignored by theauthorities, have taken over thesection of the strip between BurgerKing and Dead End Beach.

As comfortable as their new homeis to them, this cannot be allowed tocontinue. In fact, the situation isuntenable as one of the females whohas taken up residence close to theSt James Plaza is extremely violent

and has been known to attack localsand tourists.

Two months ago, she had a bigbrawl with several prostitutes who arealso competing for the space. Twodays before that incident, she asked atourist for a cigarette, which she didn’tget. So she hit the person, reportedlyvisiting from the USA, in the head.

Lest we forget, the USA remains

Jamaica’s biggest and mostimportant source market. It isenough that these same tourists arebeing bombarded with offers ofcocaine ganja, sex, and harassmentfrom robot taxis and unregisteredtour guides.

To now face the wrath of anunsound mind must be quite dis-heartening. On many occasions, Ihave called the ambulance service tono avail. The response is always “Wedon’t have an ambulance available.”

It is also obvious that there isinefficiency with regard to thepresence of an equipped communitymental health team. Their job is todeal with aggressive behaviour.

I am also convinced that the

authorities have not removed thelarge contingent living in the areabecause of the ‘street people’scandal, which saw us(Montegonians) forcibly removing anumber of mentally challengedpersons to St Elizabeth, where theywere left stranded.

Obviously, we feel that anothermass removal will result in an out-cry by the citizens, but what well-thinking person want to see is astructural plan to facilitate thedecrease in the number of peopleturning up on the streets.

Family support is going to be verycritical. Public education, as well asone-on-one education, is necessaryso that Jamaicans will understand

that they don’t have to abandonmembers of their families becauseof this sickness. Mental illness is achronic condition, just like heartdisease, diabetes and hypertension,and can be treated.

It needs the same type of familysupport as these other conditions.

A system needs to be put inplace so that healthcare is offeredto mentally ill persons who havenowhere to live.

March 25-29 is PsychiatricNursing Aides Week, and I implorefamilies and the community at largeto get involved in helping to remove the stigma attached tomental illness.

[email protected]


JANET SILVERA

An aerial view of sections of Montego Bay’s Hip Strip.

NO ROSESSILVERA’S PICKS

(this week) fortourism industry

FILE PHOTOS

The Hip Strip

BARBADOS MINISTER ofTourism and InternationalTransport Richard Sealy has

announced that Barbados enjoyeda record five per cent increase instayover arrivals last year, an all-time high for the destination.

Over the course of 2017, theGrantley Adams International Air-port (GAIA) welcomed 663,441visitor arrivals – 31,308 more than2016. The Bridgetown Port Inc(BPI) also observed tremendousgrowth, recording 818,752 cruisearrivals over the previous year’s725,020, for a total increase of 12.9per cent. Of these 818,752 cruisearrivals, some 137,541 passengersstayed over in Barbados, above2016’s total of 130,924.

“I am delighted by this news andwhat it says about Barbados’ tourismproduct,” said Sealy. “It is never easyas a mature tourism destination tomaintain growth at these levels inthe competitive business landscapein which we operate, but I ampleased that through strategicmarketing efforts we have onceagain proven Barbados’ value asshown by the record number ofarrivals at both the air- and seaportsthroughout 2017.”

The United Kingdom was onceagain the top producer of arrivals toBarbados with a 33.5 per cent

market share. Arrivals from thismarket were flat compared to 2016,totalling 222,322. The UnitedStates followed, contributing 28.4per cent of business with 188,970arrivals for the year. Canada con-tributed 12.8 per cent of the busi-ness, and recorded an increase of7.9 per cent or 85,209 arrivals.

Of special note is the UnitedStates, which, while being the sec-ond-highest producer of business,grew by a whopping 11.7 per centover 2016. The United States’ 2017performance was the highest for thatmarket in three decades – since con-tributing 175,093 arrivals in 1987.

Sealy attributed the destination’snoteworthy performance to a-number of strategic and integratedmarketing initiatives which weredeployed across Barbados’ topsource markets. “I must commendour tourism teams, both here andin our global offices, whose effortswere instrumental in us achievingthis record five per cent growth.”

Some of the marketing effortsSealy referenced included:

NEW NICHE EVENTSContinuing to position Barbados

as a formidable player in sportstourism; two new events werecreated for the traditionally softerperiod of September – theBarbados Beach and Wellness

Festival and the Barbados CyclingFestival. Receiving positivefeedback and displaying strongpotential for further developmentand accomplishment, Sealyannounced that Barbados TourismMarketing Inc (BTMI)will onceagain host the two events in 2018.

NEW AIR SERVICES

“One of the key components inachieving positive tourism perform-ance is, of course, the accessibilityof the destination to visitors aroundthe world. Bearing this in mind, wehave worked to ensure that we are

both maintaining our current airlift,while adding new, enticing servicesto our repertoire; for example, thenew Copa partnership which Iannounced last month,” Sealy said.

Barbados’ new partnership withCopa Airlines will see a twiceweekly Barbados-Panama servicecommencing this July 17, andtickets are already on sale on theairline’s website. Late last year, theBTMI also joined with GAIA inwelcoming Virgin Atlantic’s newLondon Heathrow twice-weeklyservice to Barbados, which com-menced December 12, 2017 untilFebruary 24, 2018; and later, theThomas Cook new weekly flightfrom London Gatwick, which com-menced December 16, 2017 andwill run until March 17, 2018.

EXCITING NEW ATTRACTIONSAND ACCOMMODATIONS

“Considering the numerous newand increased services, we also sawit important to ensure that we hadadequate and quality accommoda-tions available to the additionalarriving passengers,” Sealy said.“We therefore saw a number of

hotels being refurbished andreopening just ahead of the winterseason; hotels such as Sea Breeze,Fairmont Royal Pavilion, TreasureBeach, The House, and so on.”

Sealy also welcomed the newbusiness that the recently openedSandals Royal, located on MaxwellBeach, has already brought toBarbados.

Describing the island’s newattractions as “integral” in differen-tiating destination Barbados, Sealysaid “I am happy to say that a num-ber of new attractions have comeon stream, attractions that will dif-ferentiate the product offering wehave here in Barbados. There’s theNikki Beach club that opened atPort Ferdinand, and, of course, in2017 we christened the new Rihan-na Drive, which has already gar-nered much international mediaattention following our ceremonylast November. If you’ve been toSpeightstown, you’ll also see thatthere’s a buzz around the newrestaurants that have opened there... but overall, there are a lot ofpositive new developmentshappening across the island.”


Recordyear forBarbadostourism

St Lucia tourism arrivals register record-breaking increase for 2017

FILE PHOTOS

Richard Sealy

Sandals Royal Barbados’s General Manager Fernand Zievinger (right), welcomes Shaunagh andThomas Anderson as his very first guests when the resort opened its doors on December 20, 2017.

THE 2017 tourism performance saw St Luciabreaking all records with total visitor arrivalsclimbing to an all-time high of 1,105,541.The island also recorded the highest growthin 2017 among the Caribbean TourismOrganisation (CTO) member countries,registering an 11 per cent increase.

The year 2017 was characterised by sus-tained growth in the industry, with stayover

arrivals at 386,127 and the cruise sectorrecording a 14 per cent increase, reaching669,217, an additional 81,264 visitors despitethe eight-month closure of the PointeSeraphine Berth 1.

Commenting on the figures, Minister ofTourism Information and BroadcastingDominic Fedee said: “The tourismindustry continues to be an incredibly

important and vital part of the St Lucianeconomy. We are happy with the levels ofgrowth witnessed and as we continue ourmarketing efforts, we as well look tomaximising the impact of tourism on our economy”.

The St Lucia Tourism Authority workedassiduously with the CTO and tradepartners to overcome the indirect

challenges faced by Hurricanes Irma andMaria, ensuring all markets that the desti-nation was safe and available for travel.

At the close of 2017, the Association ofBritish Travel Agents in Travel TrendsReport for 2018, the most importantdocument issued in the UK travelindustry, selected St Lucia as one of the top 12 destinations for 2018.

ADVERTISEMENT HOSPITALITY JAMAICA | 13WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2018

BRITISH AIRWAYS hasannounced a multimillion-pound investment in its

World Traveller (economy)catering, introducing an excitingand expanded new menu whichprovides more quantity and qualityto both meals and great snackingoptions throughout the flight.

Previously, customers travellingin the cabin were served a compli-mentary snack, a three-coursemeal or a light meal, depending onthe time and length of their flight,as well as a complimentary barservice of hot and cold drinks.

The new catering introducedrecently sees airline customersbeing welcomed with pretzels and a

drink. Once they are settled in,they are served a four-course mealsuch as a starter of couscous salad,

followed by a main course ofchicken casserole with an alesauce, olcannon mash and seasonal

vegetables, or a vegetarian tomato,farfalle and vegetable dish. Dessertis a Pots & Co salted caramel andchocolate mousse, followed bybiscuits and cheese. The meal isaccompanied by a bread roll and abottle of water.

A REAL DIFFERENCE

Carolina Martinoli, British Air-ways’ director of brand and customerexperience, said: “Our customers tellus that when they’re taking a long-haul flight, great food and beveragesmake a real difference to them. It’s ahuge driver of customer satisfaction,so we want to make sure we deliver agreat experience. With this multi-million-pound investment, we’vefocused on introducing more quantityand quality to the catering, deliver-ing tasty meals and great snackingoptions throughout the flight.

“Our new four-course main mealhas been developed by our team ofchefs to be full of flavour at35,000ft and we’ve created regionaloptions, depending on the route.The second meal option is either atasty sandwich or a moresubstantial pizza wrap, both servedwith additional snacks, dependingon the length of the flight.”

British Airways has, for manyyears, gone the extra mile incatering for Caribbean tastes withmenus like coconut curry chicken,

Jamaican sweet potato stew, bar-beque and jerked chicken with kid-ney beans (red peas) and rice, andvegetable stir fry with jasmine rice.

Passengers going beyond Londonon British Airways can enjoy mealslike chicken in spicy chung dusauce on flights to and from China,Hong Kong, Japan and Korea; curryand dhal meals on flights to andfrom Indian cities; and chicken inspicy Arabic sauce on flights to theMiddle East.

On shorter daylight long-haulflights from London to destinationsfrom New York to Dubai, customersalso have typical British options likeegg and cress sandwiches.

The popular meal options forcustomers with special dietaryrequirements will continue to beavailable to book on ba.com/managemybooking more than 24 hoursahead of their flight departing.

British Airways is investing £4.5billion for customers over the nextfive years, covering the installationof the best quality Wi-Fi and powerin every seat, fitting 128 long-haulaircraft with new interiors andtaking delivery of 72 new aircraft.The airline is also investing £600mspecifically in Club World,including outstanding catering andluxurious White Company bedding– plus, from 2019, a new seat withdirect aisle access.


CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

BA invests in newcatering for worldtraveller customers

Camille MillerHospitality Jamaica Writer

ORGANISERS OF the 25thstaging of the InternationalReggae Festival, Rebel

Salute, are still raving about theoverall support they received fromthe local hotel sector, notably inthe resort town of Ocho Rios.

Team member Marcia Lawrence,who had the responsibility of seek-ing support from the hotels for thefestival, described the partnershipas invaluable, adding that it madefor the continued overall success ofthe event.

“While we are happy with thesupport from all our partners, wehave to single out host property,Jewel Dunn’s River, for the amazingway they handled all aspects of thepartnership,” Lawrence noted.

“From providing rooms for ourstaff and also the performingartistes, the Jewel Dunn’s Riverteam was simply outstanding andfirst class. It must also be notedthat the property also hosted thefestival’s International MediaLaunch, among many otherthings.”

BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY

Lawrence added that the StAnn-based property “went beyondthe call of duty” to ensure thateverything ran smoothly for thefestival, noting that “they were justabsolutely amazing”.

“One of the key elements ofhosting a two-day festival of thismagnitude is to ensure that suffi-cient accommodation is availableto staff, performers, and evenpatrons who desire to remain in

St Ann for the time leading up tothe festival,” she further pointedout.

“Therefore, the partnership withhotels in St Ann is extremelyimportant. The additional supportreceived came from other proper-ties such as Beaches Boscobel(member of The Sandals Group),Jamaica Inn, Moon Palace, SkyCastle, Executive Inn, Old FortVillage, Club Ambiance, CardiffHotel, the Jamaica Pegasus hotel,and Marriott Courtyard inKingston, as well as the HiltonRose Hall Hotel in Montego Bay.

Lawrence said that the festivalalso received support fromCaribbean Airlines, KnutsfordExpress, and Jamaica Tours Limit-ed, adding that it is the intention ofthe festival through various travelpartners, to provide Rebel Salutepackages that will include airlineseats, accommodation, attractions,shuttle service, Rebel Salute mem-orabilia, and tickets to the festival.

“We are actually in discussionsnow to make that a reality,” she added.

Rebel Salute is an annual musicfestival that is held over two days inthe month of January. Conceptu-alised by artist and promoterPatrick ‘Tony Rebel’ Barrett, it isone of the country’s biggest musicfestivals, which is known for itsfocus on roots and conscious music.

Rebel Salute 2019 will be heldon January 18 and 19 and isexpected to continue its traditionof providing a family-orientedentertaining package.


Sunwing Travel Group, Planet Hollywood create partnership

Rebel Salute says thank you to hotels

SUNWING TRAVEL Group, NorthAmerica’s largest vertically integrated travelcompany, has signed a deal with iconiclifestyle brand Planet Hollywood todramatically increase the footprint of PlanetHollywood’s hotel operations globally.

Initially, Planet Hollywood Beach ResortCosta Rica will open in the fall of 2018, andPlanet Hollywood Resort Cancún will openin late Spring of 2019. These two propertiesmark Planet Hollywood’s first foray into thein-demand luxury all-inclusive category.

For more than 25 years, the PlanetHollywood brand has been positioned as theauthority of entertainment and popularculture. Capitalising on its close celebrity tiesand the universal appeal of movies,

television, music, and sports, the PlanetHollywood brand has been successful acrossthe gaming, restaurant, lodging, retail,leisure, and entertainment sectors.

PERFECT OPPORTUNITY

“The Planet Hollywood brand has alwaysbeen about delivering unique and memorableexperiences that translate into lifelong mem-ories for our guests,” said Robert Earl, PlanetHollywood’s founder and chairman. “I am soexcited to partner with Sunwing TravelGroup and cannot wait to get started withthe first spectacular locations in Costa Ricaand Cancún. This is the perfect opportunityto bring ‘fame’ a lot closer to all customers byleveraging Sunwing Travel Group’s proven

track record of successfully operating andrapidly expanding premier hotel brands.”

As master hotel franchisor to the world-renowned Planet Hollywood brand, SunwingTravel Group intends to establish a dominantposition for Planet Hollywood in the luxuryaccommodation space. In addition to buildingand operating new resorts, Sunwing TravelGroup will offer management services andfranchise opportunities to prospective PlanetHollywood Resorts worldwide. “Robert Earl isa visionary that knows how to create excitingand engaging experiences”, said StephenHunter, president and CEO of SunwingTravel Group, adding that “it’s all aboutcapturing the little details that others miss.”

The new Planet Hollywood Beach Resort

Costa Rica will be the first resort under thisnew agreement, where customers can‘Vacation like a Star’ and interact withHollywood memorabilia, enjoyentertainment-themed facilities, purchasepopular brand merchandise, and maybe evencatch a view of a vacationing starlet.

The new Planet Hollywood resorts will beusing technology to heighten the resortexperience, from interactive touch-screendigital displays narrating the memorabiliaexperience to PHTV in-suite and throughoutthe resort, keeping guests up to date with livestreaming of events and activities. The brandis investing in details from music architectureto help set the mood to Hollywood lighting tomake sure everyone looks fabulous.

PHOTO BY LIONEL ROOKWOOD

Patrons and visitors to the island alike, enjoy the experience at Rebel Salute 2018.

Paul H. WilliamsHospitality Jamaica Writer

GREAT HUTS Paradise onthe Edge is an Afrocentric,eco-friendly resort located

in Boston, Portland. The units,called huts, are designed andaccented to look like somestructures in an African village.

But apart from the physicalmanifestations and aesthetics, theresort promotes and hosts eventsthat speak to the importance ofembracing and preserving the artsand culture of Jamaica inparticular, and the Africandiaspora in general. There is acultural show every Saturdaynight in which guests are asked toparticipate.

This year, the telling of the blackstory went up a notch with thehosting of two events to observeBlack History Month. The eveningof Saturday, February 10, was billed‘Pamoja (oneness): Exploring linksbetween Africa and Jamaica in the21st Century’. It started with adiscussion on ‘reversing the slavetriangle’ and ‘issues of reparationand repatriation’.

An African fashion show anddance party climaxed the evening.The African clothes on show wereprovided by Aya Wear, while Dub

Traffickers filled the Safari Deckwith a selection of eclectic music.

The panel discussion for thesecond evening, Saturday,February 17, was themed, ‘Dem ago tired fi si mi face, celebratingJamaica’s global icon Robert NestaMarley’, in which a panel andsome guests at the resort discussedthe global reach and impact of BobMarley’s music.

Later in the evening, spokenword performer Ras Rod of DubTraffickers, in a very interestingoutfit he designed, reeled off someof his ‘poemtry’, before spinning

the music of thereggae icon, andothers, in a sessioncalled ‘Marley Magic’.

In speaking about thepurpose of the events,Director of CulturalProgrammes, Events andPublic Relations ViveneLevison told HospitalityJamaica, “The essence ofGreat Huts is a respect formother nature and a celebra-tion of Motherland Africa.Our Black History Monthevents are a veryimportant aspect of oureducational missionand cultural eventsprogramme.

“These experi-ences have beenmeaningful to ourlocal educators,communitymembers, and ourinternationalguests, wholearned, but werealso entertainedduring Pamojaand our tribute tothe great RobertNesta Marley,”Levison further said.

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CONTRIBUTED

A scene from the panel discussion on ‘Exploring links between Africa and Jamaica in the 21st Century’, held inside AfricanaHouse, Great Huts, on Saturday, February 10.

PHOTOS BY PAUL H. WILLIAMS

Nadia Lowe, singer/songwriter at Wilks Bay Resort in Portland,performing a Bob Marley song.

Great Huts resort observesBlack History Month

CONTRIBUTED

A model showsoff an Afrocentric

piece by AyaWear.

Spoken word performer RasRod of Dub Traffickers in avery intense moment.

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