Travelore Report, Monthly In Print Since 1971: #Jamaica

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Monday, January 1, 2018

Caribbean Update: Which Islands Are Ready For Travel?

Many travelers love to shake off the winter blues with trips to sun-splashed Caribbean islands. There’s nothing more magical than the pairing of winter festivities with tropical landscapes, but after the ravages of hurricanes Irma and Maria, which islands are equipped for visitors? Follow these guidelines to help decide your Caribbean travel plans:

Islands That Were Not Impacted by Hurricanes and Are Completely Open For Business

Jamaica
Aruba
Curacao
St. Lucia
Barbados
The Cayman Islands
Grenada
Haiti
Trinidad & Tobago

Islands That Were Minimally Impacted and Are Open

Antigua: The island sustained minor damage from the hurricanes and only one hotel, Galley Bay Resort and Spa, remains closed but is expected to open a few days before Christmas.

The Bahamas: The main tourism centers of Nassau and Grand Bahama weren’t affected and remain open for cruises and travelers. However, the Out Islands of Acklins, Ragged, and Crooked Islands are currently not open to tourists.

The Dominican Republic: The minimal damage to a few hotels and resorts has been repaired and all hotels and airports are open.

Islands That Were Impacted By The Hurricanes and Are Mostly Open

Cuba: The iconic malecon seawall that runs along the coast of Havana received some damage and flooding in half of the city but everything has been cleared and ports, hotels, and attractions are open. Resorts in the Varadero area were slightly damaged but have been repaired.

St. Kitts and Nevis: The hurricanes ripped through the sister islands and damaged a few resorts, but all are now open.

Turks and Caicos: Power outages and considerable damage to some resorts have affected the island, although the airport and majority of hotels are now open. Beaches Turks and Caicos and Amanyara Resort recently reopened on Dec. 15 and Club Med Turkoise is closed until Jan. 31, 2018.

Islands With Major Damage and Only Partial Openings

Anguilla: A major portion of the island’s infrastructure was damaged but re-building has been steady and 30 percent of hotel, apartment, and villa rooms are now available, as are most restaurants. A majority of resorts are scheduled to reopen by spring 2018. The airport is open and most ferry services have been restored.

Barbuda: Irma tore apart 95 percent of this tiny island’s infrastructure, and restoring the island’s airport, water, and the island’s frigate bird population are still in process. Robert De Niro is helping efforts by moving ahead with his plan to build the Paradise Found Resort on the island.

British Virgin Islands: Airports and seaports are open but power has not been completely restored on all the islands. Most resorts are still re-building, but the cruise ports and yacht harbors are open.

Puerto Rico: While power has been restored to 68 percent of the island, 9 percent of the population still doesn’t have water or roofs on their homes. Cruises have returned to the port, some hotels are open, and tourism is returning to Old San Juan. Many travelers are volunteering to help clean up through voluntourism organizations.

St. Barts: Electricity has been restored and some hotels and villas are open. The St. Barts Music Festival is still scheduled to kick off in January.

St. Martin/Maarten: The airport is open but minor repairs are still being done in phases. 70 percent of hotels were damaged on the Dutch side of the island and many beaches were also damaged. Cruises returned to the island in early December.

St. Croix and St. Thomas: The power and water infrastructure has been restored to almost half the population on both islands and airports and cruise ports are open. Many of St. Croix’s hotels are open, including The Buccaneer, Club Comanche Hotel St. Croix, Cottages By The Sea, Frederiksted Hotel, and Sand Castle on the Beach. On St. Thomas, Bellavista Bed & Breakfast and At Home in The Tropics Bed & Breakfast Innare open as well as restaurants and shops in the main shopping areas on both islands. Festivities for the Crucian Christmas Festival on St. Croix are scheduled through Jan. 6.

St. John: Cleanup on the island is continuing, although iconic beaches of Trunk Bay, Honeymoon, and Hawksnest are cleared and open for visitors. Hotels including Sea Shore Allure and Gallows Point Resort are also open for guests.

By Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

One Of Our Favorite All-Inclusive Resort Brands, Bahia Principe Is Offering Up To 55% Off Travel Through Dec. 2018 & Kids Stay Free For Cyber Monday

Grand Bahia Principe Jamaica

From all-inclusive romantic getaways to family escapes, Bahia Principe has something for everyone’s taste in the Dominican Republic – where the brand was named the hotel chain of the year, Jamaica and Mexico.

Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts

Deal: Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts – the leader in all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean --- wants guests to experience happiness with up to 55% off nightly rates and a kids stay offer at select properties in Dominican Republic, Mexico and Jamaica.
Travel window: The discounted rates apply to travel between Nov. 18, 2017 and Dec. 22, 2018.
Booking window: Travelers must book between Nov. 18 – 28, 2017.
Booking Link: www.bahia-principe.com
Extra Info: In addition to up to 55% off nightly rates, the brand’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotion includes up to two kids free at Grand Bahia Principe Punta Cana, Grand Bahia Principe La Romana, Grand Bahia Principe El Portillo and Grand Bahia Principe Jamaica, and one child stays free at the brand’s newest property – Luxury Bahia Principe Fantasia, and beachfront Luxury Bahia Principe Esmeralda in Punta Cana. Blackout dates apply. Kids free is applicable when staying with two adults.

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Jamaica Welcomes New Air Service Between Germany, Spain And Portugal

Image result for Travel between Europe and Jamaica

Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett announced at the ITB global tourism tradeshow in Berlin, Germany, and at the International Hotel Investment Forum, that new flights to Jamaica are set for the summer from Germany as well as Spain and Portugal.

Germany

One of Europe’s leading airlines, Eurowings, a subsidiary of one of the world’s biggest airline companies, Lufthansa, will begin operating a twice-weekly scheduled service between Germany’s largest populated metropolitan region and Montego Bay, Jamaica, beginning July 3 this year.

The announcement was made at a meeting led by Minister Bartlett with the Chief Commercial Officer of Eurowings, Oliver Wagner, and other company executives while attending the ITB global tourism tradeshow in Berlin, Germany. Minister Bartlett was joined by Jamaica’s Ambassador to Germany Her Excellency Margaret Jobson; Director of Tourism, Paul Pennicook; Senior Advisor and Senior Communications Strategist, Delano Seiveright; and Deputy Director of Tourism – Marketing, Jamaica Tourist Board, Marcia McLaughlin.

“The scheduled flights will operate every Monday and Friday from Cologne/Bonn, and will use their Airbus 330 aircraft which has 310 seats. Flights will run July 3 through to October 27, 2017, and will bring over 10,000 seats from Germany for the summer. Already Eurowings has advised us that they will extend the service into the winter with those seats opening up for sale within days,” Minister Bartlett pointed out.

The new scheduled service will complement weekly charter services operated by German air carrier Condor from the German cities of Frankfurt and Munich into Montego Bay.

Director of Tourism, Paul Pennicook noted that the flights, “Will all be scheduled as opposed to a charter, meaning in addition to being sold by any tour operator they can be also booked by the public anywhere in the world on any booking site, for example Expedia and Kayak. It is really a big deal for us as we work to regain a stronger foothold in the German and wider European market.”

Jamaica’s tourism officials are also excited that the flights will be operating out of Cologne/Bonn International Airport, which forms part of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region – the largest in all of Germany with a population of over 11 million. Today, the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region accounts for roughly 15% of the GDP of the German economy, which would place it economically as the 3rd largest metropolitan area in the European Union and the 16th largest GDP in the world.

Mr. Seiveright noted that, “Germany is being strategically targeted by Minister Bartlett as he ramps up efforts to boost Jamaica’s tourism sector and contribute more significantly to the country’s growth and development.”

The Tourism Minister and his team are currently in Berlin, Germany, participating in the largest tourism tradeshow in the world, ITB Berlin, and the International Hotel Investment Forum, which focuses on delivering opportunities to persons who currently operate within the tourism industry or who want to do business in the sector, including tourism and government officials. He also participated in a special press briefing to boost publicity worldwide for the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) historic Global Conference on Building Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism for Development, which has now seen the World Bank Group come on board, and which is being hosted by Jamaica, November 27 to 29, 2017, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, St. James.

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (center) and Oliver Wagner (3rd right), Chief Commercial Officer of Eurowings, share a light moment following the announcement of twice-weekly nonstop scheduled flights between Germany and Jamaica at ITB in Berlin, Germany. Joining in the moment are (l-r) Falk Durm, Director, Eurowings; Margaret Jobson, Jamaica’s Ambassador to Germany; Delano Seiveright, Senior Advisor and Senior Communications Strategist; Paul Pennicook, Director of Tourism; and Thomas Labonde, Vice President of Eurowings.

Spain and Portugal

Weekly charter flights between Spain, Portugal, and Jamaica beginning June this year, represent just some of the good news pouring in as Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett continues his visit to Germany to participate in the largest tourism tradeshow in the world, ITB Berlin, the International Hotel Investment Forum, among other engagements with investors and tourism interests.

Spain and Portugal will have charters operated and sold by the Barcelo Group under their tour operator brands, Bartlett noted.

“The Portugal flights will be operated by Orbest from June 9 to September 29 and goes out of their capital city Lisbon, with an Airbus 330 aircraft that seats 388 passengers. The flight will make a stop in the Dominican Republic before continuing on to Montego Bay and vice versa. Meanwhile, the Spain flights will be operated by Evelop non-stop out of their capital city, Madrid into Montego Bay from June 4 to October 28 with an Airbus 330 aircraft that seats 388 passengers,” Bartlett stated.

Bartlett indicated that the flights out of Portugal and Spain are critical to the continued diversification of Jamaica’s tourism sector and is in line with deliberate and concerted efforts to gain a stronger foothold into the European markets.

Director of Tourism, Paul Pennicook noted that both new charters from Portugal and Spain will be operated by planes owned by the Barcelo Group one of the leading and vertically integrated tour companies headquarted in Spain. “They have already started promoting the Jamaica program covering familiar properties in this first phase such as all AM Resort properties, Riu and Iberostar. A minimal number of seats will sold by Sol Tour on both flights which will probably amount to 50 seats on the Portuguese flight and 88 on the Spanish flight,” said Pennicook.

Both Bartlett and Pennicook were joined in Germany by Senior Advisor and Senior Communications Strategist Delano Seiveright and Deputy Director of Tourism – Marketing, Marcia McLaughlin.

Bartlett is currently in Berlin, Germany participating in the largest tourism tradeshow in the world, ITB Berlin and the International Hotel Investment Forum, which focuses on delivering opportunities to persons who currently operate within the tourism industry or who want to do business in the sector, including tourism and government officials. He is also participated in a special press briefing to boost publicity worldwide for the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) historic Global Conference on Building Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism for Development, which has now seen the World Bank Group come on board as partners. The event, which is being hosted by Jamaica, will run from November 27 to 29, 2017, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

PHOTO: Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett (2nd right); Senior Advisor and Senior Communications Strategist, Delano Seiveright (2nd left); and Deputy Director of Tourism – Marketing, Marcia McLaughlin (3rd left) are seen here with the Jamaica Tourist Board’s German team members in Berlin, Germany participating in the largest tourism tradeshow in the world, ITB Berlin.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Winter Break Trips To Warm Volunteers’ Hearts

Projects Abroad encourages everyone to stay active and give back throughout the holiday season by volunteering abroad

Projects Abroad Care & Community volunteers distribute Christmas gifts for disadvantaged children in Jamaica

The days are getting colder and longer, and summer is giving way to the fiery red foliage of fall. Winter break is fast approaching and instead of snuggling up indoors over the holidays, start looking for opportunities to use your time to help and support others.

To keep the productivity flowing and encourage altruism during this time of year,

Projects Abroad offers a range of

Winter Break Trips. These short-term group volunteer trips run from 1-4 weeks and are designed to give volunteers the means to make as great an impact as possible in a short period of time. They are ideal for those who want to keep the momentum going over the holidays and give back through childcare or building work or gain practical experience on a medicine program.

Each Winter Break Trip gets you out of the house and takes you to a community where you can contribute to ongoing development efforts, meet new people, and explore a different country and culture. Projects Abroad welcomes volunteers of all ages and skill levels on these trips, including vacationers interested in a different experience, students looking to add to their skill sets, and professionals wanting to get away from the office. Volunteers can sign-up on their own or join with friends, family, or a partner.

The programs offered by Projects Abroad each have their own schedules for volunteering and sightseeing, and volunteers choose where they want to go. No prior experience is needed to join, says Monica Alarcon, a Program Advisor for Projects Abroad USA. "On your first day, you will be taught everything you need to know about your placement and the culture of the country you are working in. This is valuable for each volunteer, from those who are new to volunteering to those who have previous experience."

Rebecca K, who joined the Medicine Project in Sri Lanka last winter, enjoyed the experience of volunteering over winter break immensely: "I learned a lot while abroad, I got to help people in need, and I had a lot of fun. I would recommend to those traveling to arrive with an open mind and an open heart, and to not let your fear of the unknown limit the learning experience waiting for you."

Joining a Winter Break Trip is a wonderful way to give back over the holiday season by adding value to both the community and yourself. This year, the following programs are available between December 2016 and January 2017:

Care & Community in Ghana (2 weeks)
Care & Community in Jamaica (1 week)
Care & Community in South Africa (2 weeks or 4 weeks)
Care & Conservation in Madagascar (2 weeks)
Medicine in Ghana (2 weeks)
Medicine in Sri Lanka (2 weeks)
Disaster Relief in Nepal (2 weeks)

To find out more about how participate in a Winter Break Trip with Projects Abroad, please visit

www.projects-abroad.org/volunteer-projects/winter-break-trips.

About Projects Abroad

Projects Abroad was founded in 1992 by Dr. Peter Slowe, a geography professor, as a program for students to travel and work while on break from full-time study. The program had its genesis in post-USSR Romania, where students were given the chance to teach conversational English. After a few years just sending volunteers to Eastern Europe for teaching, the company expanded to sending volunteers of all ages around the world on a wide range of projects.

Projects Abroad is a global leader in short-term international volunteer programs with projects in 30 countries and recruitment offices in the UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Holland, Hong Kong, Norway, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and the United States.

For details on volunteering abroad, visit Projects Abroad’s web site at

www.projects-abroad.org.

Friday, September 30, 2016

Travelore News: Jamaica Activates Tourism Emergency Operation Centers Due To Approaching Hurricane Matthew

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Tourism Emergency Operations Centres (TEOC), located at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston and Altamont West in Montego Bay, will be the focal points of the tourism sector’s coordination of disaster response and recovery activities should Hurricane Matthew impact the island.

As Jamaica braces for the possible onslaught of Hurricane Matthew – now a Category 3 system – preparations are in high gear at the Ministry of Tourism to activate its two operations centers, which will coordinate emergency services for the local tourism sector.

In addition to being the official sources of information for the tourism sector, the Centers will disseminate warnings and bulletins received from the National Emergency Operations Center; analyze and evaluate all data pertaining to emergency operations within the tourism sector as well as update local and international media.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, gave the assurance that the Ministry and its agencies have taken all necessary precautions and are well prepared for the eventuality of a hurricane. “The TEOCs will provide important and timely information to stakeholders in the sector. I encourage all our tourism partners and Jamaicans in general to heed the hurricane warnings issued by the relevant authorities and take all the necessary precautions to keep safe during the possible passage of Hurricane Matthew,” said Minister Bartlett.

Monday, September 19, 2016

Jamaica Tourism: Sandals To Invest US$350 Million To Add 750 New Rooms

A plan by the Ministry of Tourism to increase hotel room stock by 15,000 over the next five years has received yet another boost from Sandals Resorts International.

Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett and Sandals Chief Executive Officer Adam Stewart recently disclosed that the home-grown hotel chain would be adding 750 rooms in three properties with an investment of US$350 million over the next five years.

Congratulating Mr. Stewart and Sandals on the new initiative, Minister Bartlett sees this as a strong signal to local investors to get on board as the country goes all out to have a total of 40,000 rooms and five million visitors putting US$5 billion in the economy annually by 2021.

Minister Bartlett was giving the main address at the opening of the inaugural Island Routes’ Caribbean Partner Conference at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort recently. The conference has brought together some 50 critical tour and excursions providers responsible for delivering Island Routes excursion experiences.

The 750 new rooms will come from three properties; a top-of-the-line hotel in Kingston, the development of Dragon Bay in Port Antonio and the expansion of an existing property in Negril.

Minister Bartlett, who is particularly excited about the city hotel for Kingston, said Kingston “has to be repositioned as one of the leading city destinations in this part of the Caribbean.”

While noting that “the competition is going to be strong because we already have great activities out of Cuba and Santo Domingo where city tourism is concerned,” the Tourism Minister expressed confidence that “we can define our own space because Kingston has a charm and an allure of its own with a history and a tradition and culture that is iconic.”

He said he is satisfied that, “our music and heritage and the entertainment element that Kingston potentially offers will out rival every other destination in the Caribbean and we have to work it and get it right.”

Mr. Stewart noted that approval has already been received for development of the lifestyle Kingston city hotel which will not carry a Sandals brand but will be operated by them. “That connectivity is going to be there and we’re very deliberate in what we’re trying to do,” said the Sandals CEO, adding, “the essence of what we’re doing is to say that you can come here for business but we’d like you to stay here a few extra days as well, visit the Blue Mountain and get out for an excursion.

Regarding the Port Antonio development, he said it would be getting the personal attention of Sandals Resorts Chairman, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, “he has three architects and he has said this is the crown jewel in the chain.”

Supporting this development is a plan by government to lengthen the runway at Ian Fleming Airport. “This is the missing link today for the opening of the east of the island. We know that the beauty is there but we need the employment, the training and development, the economic stimulus to take place there the way we know it can,” said Mr. Stewart.

Minister Bartlett added, “we are excited about the Port Antonio development and we want to use this also as a means of saying to more local entrepreneurs, let’s add the rooms because the experiences are being laid out.” With Mr. Adam Stewart heading the Tourism Linkages Council, the Minister said “those networks are going to expand experiences in the destination that will bring more people here and provide more opportunities for Jamaicans to reap more benefits from tourism.”

Monday, August 29, 2016

Karisma Resorts To Break Ground On $900 Million Multiple-Hotel Development In Jamaica

US$900 Million Multiple-Hotel Development in Jamaica

The Karisma Resorts Set to Break Ground. After recently announcing plans to undertake the largest single hotel development in Jamaica’s history, Karisma Hotels & Resorts has revealed that the Master Plan for its US$900 million mega multiple-hotel development in Llandovery, St. Ann is ready and they are set to break ground in January 2017 for the first three hotels.

Under the ‘Sugar Cane Project’, Karisma plans to build 10 hotels over 10 years, with a total of 5,000 rooms. Direct employment will be created for 10,000 Jamaicans.

Speaking during a meeting with Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett on Saturday, August 27, 2016 at the Private Jet Centre on the grounds of the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Lubo Krstajic, Executive Chief of Sales and Marketing for Karisma Hotels & Resorts, said applications for the required permits have already been submitted for processing and consultations continue with the relevant authorities.

He said they are hopeful that the approval process for the permits for the development, which is the first project under the Ministry of Tourism’s “Shovel-Ready Programme,” will be completed by November, 2016 to enable them to meet the January timeline to break ground for the three hotels which will have a combined 1,800 rooms. With land preparation, construction should start by March 2017. This will coincide with the opening of Karisma’s 149-room Azul 7 hotel, now in the final stages of construction in Negril at a cost of US$45 million.

Minister Bartlett welcomed the news that Karisma is now ready to get the project off the ground, pointing out that it represents the largest single investment in the tourism industry.

The Karisma Sugar Cane Project will also signal increased air seats out of Europe. Minister Bartlett stressed that the Karisma investment aligned well with the Ministry’s goals of generating earnings of US$5 billion and securing five million visitors by 2021.

“The importance of this is the partnership with TUI which is the largest tour operator in the world operating a successful airline as well. We are seeing the mix required to ensure that the arrivals that we are projecting will materialize, and the earnings that we want will also come,” he said.

Minister Bartlett also indicated that “there are several other announcements that are going to be made over the next couple of weeks as more of the investors that we have spoken to in the last six months start arriving in Jamaica to identify projects and areas that they are going to be building.” He said partners have also been engaged who will be able to give definitive timelines in which projects will begin.

The Shovel-Ready Initiative has been undertaken jointly by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and Commissioner of Lands to pre-package a number of investment offerings.