Jamaica Successful in Bid to Chair UNWTO’s Regional Commission for the Americas
Jamaica was yesterday selected to chair the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Regional Commission for the Americas (CAM) for the biennium 2019-2021.
“Jamaica graciously accepts the position of Chairman for the Regional Commission of the Americas and thanks the members for the confidence which has been demonstrated. This is the first time in our history that anyone in the Caribbean has been appointed Chairman of this commission,” said the Minister.
The elections for the Chairmanship of CAM were held during the organization’s 64th Meeting in Guatemala.
Since 1975, Jamaica has served as Vice-President of the General Assembly on five occasions over the period 1987 – 2011, and has been re-elected twice as a member of the Executive Council, serving as second Vice-Chair in 2012, 1st Vice Chair in 2013 and eventually serving as Chairman of the Executive Council for the period 2014-2015.
In his acceptance speech, the Minister shared that “Jamaica firmly believes that the tourism sector is one that should always be guided by sound policies and has over the years worked assiduously to ensure that this is achieved at both the domestic and international levels.
Jamaica also underscores it commitment to enhancing the capacity of the Americas to plan for and manage a range of global shocks and disruptions that can be destabilizing to the tourism sector.”
He then invited the participation of member countries in the ‘first of its kind’ Global Resilience and Crisis Management Centre which is based at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica.
The Regional Commissions meet once a year to allow Member States to maintain contact with each other and with the UNWTO Secretariat between sessions of the bi-annual General Assembly.
While in Guatemala, the Minister and his delegation will also participate in the International Seminar on Destination Management, which is taking place under the theme ‘New Challenges, New Solutions.’
The Seminar will discuss current challenges and opportunities facing destination management at national and local levels, including the changing role of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) and the development of smart destinations.
The Minister is accompanied by Miss Kerry Chambers, Senior Director, Policy and Monitoring who will provide technical support. The team will return to the island on May 18, 2019.
Is Zimbabwe planning to kidnap former Tourism Minister Mzembi in South Africa?
Travel and Tourism in Zimbabwe are on a path of urgently needed recovery, and the country is considered by most travelers as desirable and safe. However, there is a dark side on the promising current situation in Zimbabwe with a twist of tourism that is not visible by visitors. It involves the well known and respected former minister of tourism of Zimbabwe, Dr. Walter Mzembi.
Zimbabwe would be well adviced to build on the globally recognized achievements by their former tourism minister.
In Zimbabwe does a Magistrate allow a State Prosecutor ‘s movie style, flashy detailed presentation of how State Agents attempted to kidnap and abduct Dr. Walter Mzembi in an extrajudicial operation in South Africa. No shame in their game, it would appear.
Stay with us. The Dr. Walter Mzembi story is complex.
Prosecutor Brian Vito of the Presidential Special Prosecution Unit, an office reporting directly to the new president of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, did just that. We saw hyperbole in court and learned of special, dark forces at work in a neighboring country to bring Mzembi in at any cost. This prosecution unit appears to have become a vehicle of retribution and vengeance for the beleaguered President, who has a long agenda to punish all those who opposed his acrimonious contest for Zimbabwe ‘s top job in 2017.
Information not reported by an official, local media is the State assumed a very unreasonable, untruthful, vengeful position related to Dr. Walter Mzembi. Remarkably, after requesting his medical records, the State Prosecutor actually declared him dead and ran rather unseemly stories of his death and funeral.All of which was fake news, completely untrue.
Mzembi was on sabbatical following surgery, however, he became the victim of state media bashing, and court theatrics of prosecution for over a year, some of which this publication covered.When the State Prosecutor dismisses notarized medical records and conditions supplied by another State, the Republic of South Africa, through its Department of International Relations and Cooperation, then it is a clear indicator the scales of justice are out of whack.
The level of hostility from the Zimbabwe Government towards Dr. Walter Mzembi appears to smack of barbarism and political persecution of an accused who no longer believes he can be guaranteed of a fair trial in his home jurisdiction.Clearly, a political dispute with the State through its prosecution has been declared, and the remedy can never be legal but political. Inviting the interest of Interpol in political matters is another act of deception by the Zimbabwe Government which has been getting away, literally, with murder.
We remind you of the shootings of unarmed civilians in demonstrations that rocked the country in August 2018 and January this year killing in cold blood 23 people including multiple women and children.Back to Mzembi. He cannot trust his medical records to be used appropriately by a prosecution team that very transparently is a puppet for the president.Let us also remind readers of the revulsion expressed with Zimbabwe on the fake death reporting of Vice President, Constantino Chiwenga a few months ago, also including many stories predicting his demise.
There is clearly a pattern at work, with fake news being reported on people on trial. Conversely, there is no authentic reporting of facts through officially controlled media within the country.To set the facts straight, eTN spoke with Mzembi today. He is still indisposed and we believe should be allowed his full recovery. We learned his cancer treatment is ongoing and we wish him the best with his fight for health and life. Mzembi has family and performing assets in Zimbabwe. eTN has learned from various sources that no legal counsel can guarantee his safety should he appear in Court.
Sources revealed, “G40 kingpins are buying guns to overthrow the Government of Zimbabwe, led by Ed Mnangagwa.” These allegations were also made to the Cape Town Press Club during WTM Africa.Walter Mzembi was fired from the Zimbabwe Government in the November 2017 coup and was the Foreign Minister of the Robert Mugabe Government. He was also fired simultaneously from Zanu PF on allegations of belonging to an outfit that Party refers to as the G40 cabal.So Mzembi was declared dead by the State, and then when it turns out he is alive, he now is charged with by being part of a cabal buying guns to overthrow a government.
This is Mzembi’s real life, not a novel, not fiction.How does the State expect Mzembi to defend these allegations, which carry the death sentence, when he is unwell with cancer, with the kangaroo court trial awaiting him?Court Prosecutor Brian Vito is on the record commenting: “Bring him in wearing chains and leg irons”.Astonishingly, yesterday’s report from Court Prosecutor Vito reveals the State attempted, with South African Police assistance, to abduct Mzembi, an attempt that failed.
A clash between the authentic prosecution unit of t Zimbabwe NPA and Mnangagwa’s Prosecution Unit to which Brian Vito belongs has been accused of gross interference and unprofessional conduct by the mainstream prosecution department. In the meantime, the delivery of fair and free justice suffers in Zimbabwe, and some of its victims Dr. Walter Mzembi and other targeted opponents could easily get hurt in the crossfire.When we spoke to Mzembi today he commented, “Very sadly, only in Zimbabwe do such things happen. I have the fight of my life with cancer, and then for the second round, if I survive, I must fight against an insensitive and deceptive government.”Dr. Walter Mzembi was a distinguished Minister of Tourism who contributed significantly to Global Tourism Policy, he twice was Commission for Africa Chairperson and President in Session of the UNWTO in 2013-2015. He is a very globally recognized champion and proactive promoter of Brand Zimbabwe.
The global travel and tourism industry remembers Mzembi for successfully hosting the 20th Session UNWTO General Assembly in 2013 at Victoria Falls. Mzembi quit global tourism as the first runner up candidate for Africa for the post of UNWTO Secretary-General, which was won by the current Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashville.
eTN will continue to closely monitor and report on Zimbabwe and Dr. Walter Mzembi.South Africa has an obligation to fend off extrajudicial forays into its territory by rogue administrations pursuing their political opponent. South Africa is seen as a beacon of freedom on the continent and in the world – and the world will be watching.
Bartlett to Lobby for Jamaica to Chair the UNWTO’s Regional Commission for the Americas
Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett departs the island today, to attend the 64th Meeting of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Regional Commission for the Americas (CAM) in Guatemala City – La Antigua, Guatemala. While there, he is expected to present Jamaica’s candidature for the chairmanship of CAM to the UNWTO for the biennium 2019-2021.
“I am very excited to represent our great nation at the 64th meeting of the CAM. We are very hopeful that our presentation will be well received and that Jamaica will be able to chair the commission,” said the Minister.
The elections for the Chairmanship of CAM will be held at the 64th Meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Americas, in Guatemala during the period May 15 – 17, 2019.
The Regional Commissions meet once a year to allow Member States to maintain contact with each other and with the UNWTO Secretariat between sessions of the bi-annual General Assembly.
Minister Bartlett’s presence at the CAM is critical, as Jamaica is one of the four English speaking Caribbean Member States of the UNWTO. The country also occupies one of the five (5) seats allocated to the CAM on the Executive Council of the UNWTO for the period 2018 – 2021.
While in Guatemala, the Minister and his delegation will also participate in the International Seminar on Destination Management, which is taking place under the theme ‘New Challenges, New Solutions.’
The Seminar will discuss current challenges and opportunities facing destination management at national and local levels, including the changing role of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) and the development of smart destinations.
Minister Bartlett will also present the programme areas of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre for the year.
“The Centre, which I am pleased to say will be opening later this year, is focusing on four key deliverables at this time. One is the establishment of an academic journal, which will be a compendium of scholarly publications, on various elements of the five segments of disruptions. The editorial board has been established, headed by Professor Lee Miles of Bournemouth University, with the assistance of George Washington University,” said Minister Bartlett.
The other deliverables include: a compendium of best practices/ a blueprint for resilience; a resilience barometer to measure the resilience in countries and provide benchmarks to guide countries; and to establish an academic chair at the University of West Indies for innovation and resilience.
The Minister is accompanied by Miss Kerry Chambers, Senior Director, Policy and Monitoring who will provide technical support. The team will return to the island on May 18, 2019.
Minister: Sri Lanka needs security audit to build confidence among tourists
Sri Lanka’s State Minister Harsha de Silva announced that the country is planning an independent security audit to build confidence among tourists. According to the Minister, the measure was necessary after extremists linked to Islamic State bombed churches and hotels on Easter Sunday.
“After conducting an independent security audit, embassies and tourist boards of foreign countries will encourage tourism,” he told parliament.
“Spending millions on advertising is worthless if we cannot be responsible for tourist safety.”
De Silva said it would be worse if assurances were given too quickly and another incident took place.
Tourism officials have said 37 nations have issued travel advisories cautioning citizens.
Security authorities have said rapid progress is being made with most of the extremists directly linked to the bombings having been killed or arrested, many safe houses closed, while more action is being taken.
Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals had plunged 60 percent in the first week of March, but officials are planning a recovery campaign.
Chairman of Sri Lanka’s Tourism Promotions Bureau Kishu Gomez said an international agency with experience in working with tourism-linked disasters will be hire to carry out a short and medium term campaign.
Though major travel companies have stopped selling Sri Lanka independent travelers are coming, officials said.
For more information on the SaferTourism program by eTN Corporation and Dr. Peter Tarlow, visit visit safertourism.com. Dr. Tarlow is a world-renowned expert in the field of tourism security and safety, working for over 2 decades with hotels, tourism-oriented cities and countries, and both public and private security officers and police in the field of tourism security.
Jamaica Minister Hon. Bartlett: Tourism success held up by dedicated workers
The housing conditions of hotel workers is of particular concern to me. In fact, a recent survey indicated that over 88% of the workers in the sector cannot even access National Housing Trust (NHT) housing solutions. Subsequently, we have searched long and hard for a formula that can provide affordable housing for our workers and we are proud of the policy shift that the Prime Minister has announced with regards to the NHT menu of benefits which will see:
- An increase in Loan Limit
- Reduced Interest Rates on NHT mortgages
- Intergenerational mortgages
- And Increase in Construction Loan Limit for NHT lots
In 2009, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) along with the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) earmarked, $1 billion, for upgrading housing solutions for tourism workers. Among the things that were done was the acquisition of 250 acres of land by the TEF which was handed over to HAJ towards a Brownfield development and a Greenfield housing project in the Grange Pen area of St. James. This program has now been restarted.
Recently we broke ground for the Resort Squatter Settlements Upgrade Project – Grange Pen, Brownfield, St. James. The HAJ will oversee the infrastructural upgrade for the regularization of 535 households in the Grange Pen community.
In addition the HAJ signed with a Chinese developer, Henen Construction, to build 754 units in the Rhyne Park area at a price point ranging from J$7.9 million to J$18 million for 1-3 bedroom units which will allow the ordinary average worker to afford housing. Ground is to be broken this month for this development. The Greenfield development for Grange Pen is in the tender process and will see an additional 1000 units which will make a total of 1700 units available at the lowest possible price points for tourism workers.
This is the model we will replicate across the tourism belt to be followed by Whitehall in Negril next year.
Our tourism workers deserve to live in clean, orderly, structured and safe communities with appropriate infrastructure. We will go beyond the call of duty to make this a norm across the island.
Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme
Another critical prong in improving the welfare of our tourism workers is the establishment of the long awaited pension scheme. For too long, too many of our tourism workers have retired with no social safety net.
The Tourism Workers Pension Bill has been tabled and on May 21 will be debated. This brings us one step closer to having the first comprehensive pension plan for all tourism workers. This will make Jamaica a world leader in providing tourism worker social security.
The pension plan is a defined contributory plan supported by legislation and will require mandatory contributions by workers and employers. The plan will cover all workers ages 18-59 years in the tourism sector, whether permanent, contract or self-employed. Benefits will be payable at age 65 years or older.
Initially for the first two years the contribution will be 3% of gross salary to be matched by the employer and 5% thereafter. My Ministry, is providing $1 billion to seed the fund so that immediate benefit can accrue to qualified pensioners who have met the vested period of five years. These Pensioners will receive a minimum pension of J$200,000 per year.
This Pension Plan embraces everyone in the sector, whether he or she be red cap, front desk manager, craft trader, housekeeper, rafts men or any other category of worker in the industry including those who are self-employed. This represents inarguably the biggest human capital development related game changer in the tourism sector in Jamaica’s history.
Closing
My Ministry, driven by data and global trends, is finding the tools and programs to re-imagine tourism. This re-imagining has become even more critical given rapid global changes in the industry and beyond. We recognize that if we are to continue our successes and remain top of mind, our tourism workers must be at the forefront of this re-imagining. We are therefore committed to ensuring they are given the necessary tools to not just do well but thrive.
African Tourism Board Friends of the Media Network now in 28 countries
Africa is a hot travel and tourism focus for the press. The African Tourism Board friends of the ATB media club now has more than 90 journalists and publications as members in 27 countries.
Today Olivia Greenway of Greenway Media joined the African Tourism Board and says: ” I’m a London-based travel journalist, established since 2008. I would like to write more about Africa and need support that is more easily accessible to do so. So far I have written about and visited South Africa (where I used to live), Kenya, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Swaziland, Rwanda, and Mozambique.
I write for the Daily Telegraph, Metro and Daily Mail newspapers as well as for monthly magazines, trade outlets, and in-flight.
My work can be seen on my website and I’m quite active on Twitter. (@oliviagreenway)
Juergen Steinmetz, chairman of the U.S. based African Tourism Board Marketing Corporation says: “We’re building a global network of journalists in our friends of the media club. We see the press as stakeholders and as a valuable source of experience and knowledge. We rely on such influencers to help build a global vision for Africa.
Therefore we not only welcome journalists to join us as an observer but invite them to become a member and part of our organization for just $25 a year. Our model is not to generate revenue on membership fees, but we think even a token of a fee shows commitment. We need committed members and partners, and our members are committed to each other to build a better and united African Tourism industry.”
Current ATB friends of the media are in
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada
- Egypt
- Finland
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- India
- Indonesia
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Mexico
- Kenya
- Nigeria
- Philippines
- Portugal
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sweden
- Tunisia
- UAE
- Uganda
- UK
- USA
- Zimbabwe
Founded in 2018, the African Tourism Board is an association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from, and within the African region. For more information and how to join, visit africantourismboard.com.
Safer Tourism in St.Lucia: Dr. Peter Tarlow feels a sense of sophistication
Safety in tourism is key to a successful destination. Destinations like Saint Lucia in the Caribbean know this and stakeholders reached out eTN affiliate safertourism.com to conduct an initial audit on the safety and security situation of the countries travel and tourism industry. Safertourism.com is a joint partnership between the eTN Corporation and Tourism and More under the leadership of Dr. Peter Tarlow.Dr. Peter Tarlow is considered a leading expert in tourism security. He arrived in Saint Lucia yesterday to explore and evaluate how safe Saint Lucia is for visitors.Saint Lucis is considered a safe destination by the U.S. State Department, Canada, and European Countries, but Muggings have occurred in areas frequented by tourist and petty crime, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, occurs and increases with the approach of annual festivities, such as:
- the jazz festival in May
- carnival celebrations in July
- the winter holiday season.
Saint Lucia is an Eastern Caribbean island nation with a pair of dramatically tapered mountains, the Pitons, on its west coast. Its coast is home to volcanic beaches, reef-diving sites, luxury resorts, and fishing villages. Trails in the interior rainforest lead to waterfalls like the 15m-high Toraille, which pours over a cliff into a garden. The capital, Castries, is a popular cruise port.
Dr. Tarlow reports from St. Lucia: “Today was our first real day in St Lucia. There is no doubt that this a beautiful island. It is a land filled with tropical forests, carpeted with fields of flowers, covered with mountains that seem to hug the sea, and at the same time touch the sky. The landscaper reminds an observer of a mixture of the Brazilian jungles set in the context of the lushness of Hawaii. Many of the coastal coves are filled with magnificent yachts, and the landscape is dotted with millionaires’ homes. I would call our hotel a place of “elegant quiet”. Unlike so many of the Caribbean’s vac
ation centers, there is an understated sense of sophistication here, a place of chirping birds set against a background of white tablecloths, a land of classical music and jazzToday I visited several hotels, beaches, and marinas. I was struck by the warmth of the smiles coupled with tourism officials’ willingness to be both honest and transparent. As in any new country trying to find its way in the world, there are political disagreements, the reality that socialized medicine simply bankrupts a nation, and in the end, it is the poor who pay the price, and the realization that fatherless families produce unhappy people. These issues are of course not unique to St. Lucia; they are universal. However St Lucia is small, everyone seems to know everyone else, and thus big problems seem even bigger here.Despite these universal problems, St Lucia has great tourism potential. Its weather is as warm as its people, its landscapes sweep into the shimmering sea, its scenery alternates between that of desert-like to that of a lush rain forest, and its cuisine mixes the best of the Caribbean. The goal then will be to transform its challenges into universal blessings for both its visitors and citizens. No easy task, but a worthwhile battle to fight.Happy Mother’s Day from St. Lucia. Tomorrow I continue my listening tour.
Deputy UNWTO Secretary General ready to quit? Jaime Alberto Cabal Sanclemente may resign
Jaime Alberto Cabal Sanclemente of Colombia may have enough serving as the deputy secretary General for the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). He started his job only in June 2018.
There will be an official and an un-official version when the former Colombian Ambassador to Austria and candidate for the UNWTO Secretary-General will say goodbye as the Deputy leader of the UN- Tourism Agency. According to sources he accepted a job in the private industry.
According to UNWTO sources, the resignation took place and will be announced shortly. The unofficial reason is based on the unhealthy atmosphere at the UNWTO Madrid headquarter under the regime of current Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili from Georgia.
African Tourism Board on EDU – Tourism: A united global approach
EDU-tourism is the best vehicle for Africa, to integrate our expertise and change the normal programs within nations. These were the words yesterday by Cuthbert Ncube, vice president of the African Tourism Board.
The sub-Sahara region is endowed with abundant tourism resource that could save as the basis for education in tourism. We need as Africa to build, cement and appreciate the regional capacity we need for the long term success of edu-tourism.
The South African Deputy Minister of Tourism Elizabeth Thabethe reiterated that policies should be revised to incorporate edu-tourism programmes in school curriculum from primary to tertiary levels, becoming compulsory in every institution. We need to approach education in Tourism as an alternative strategy for the mass tourism development efforts in the sub-region.
The Deputy Minister of Tourism applauded 17-year-old, Vanessa Rooi, who stood out as an outstanding student at Elandspoort secondary school with her great achievements. Vanessa Rooi is currently the school president and the Tshwane district region. Her inspiration is to study Audiology the following year.This was the inspiration from a young African lady.
The minister said: “Therefore we need a coordinated and synchronised approach to edu- tourism, to realize the social and economic potential.”
The ATB Vice President Cuthbert Ncube echoed that Africa is endowed with a massive abundant tourism resource that could sustain and enhance the foundation of edu-tourism Africa needs to fast-forward the implementation of edu-tourism in sub-Saharan Africa We have so much to pollinate to create offsprings for the next generations
The African Tourism Board is strongly advocating a united global approach in dealing with Tourism in its dimensional forms.
Jamaica’s Tourism Minister charges CHICOS to encourage investment in experiences
Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says for the Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference and Operations Summit (CHICOS) to be truly relevant to the region it must look beyond investments in accommodation and encourage investment in experiential marketing arrangements that will keep the Caribbean competitive and cutting edge at all times.
Minister Bartlett pointed out that while 15,000 rooms are to be constructed in the next five years, “the essence of tourism for the Caribbean is not about building more rooms, it is about building the capacity of the region to absorb the demand that tourism brings.”
“This capacity resides in our ability to invest more in the experiences that are consumed by the visitor because those experiences tend to be local and these local experiences are owned by the people of the region. It is that ownership of the indigenous experiences that allows for the retention of the dollar in our space,” he noted.
The Tourism Minister was giving the main address at the CHICOS press launch yesterday (May 7) at the Terra Nova Hotel, Kingston. The conference, considered a must-attend annual event for anyone interested in tourism and hospitality in the Caribbean, will be held from November 14-15 at Secrets Resorts in Montego Bay.
Pointing out that people travel to fulfil their passions, Minister Bartlett noted that 88% of the world travels for food experiences and 42% of travelers’ total expenditure is on food while 67% of the world travels for shopping experiences. Health and wellness, sport and entertainment and knowledge were some of the other passion points that motivate people to travel.
“So I want to encourage you in planning the conference to pitch the supply side – what the tourist consumes when they get to the destination. Hotel rooms and accommodation are only the places where visitors sleep. The tourist does not travel to sleep. So sleeping is not the issue; the issue is experiences,” Minister Bartlett said, noting that this was how the Ministry was able to increase the tourism dollar retention from 30% to 40.8% in the last three and a half years.
In his address, State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agricultural, Hon. Floyd Green said that while the tourism sector continues to show rapid annual growth, there have also been deliberate and prioritized key initiatives to facilitate local and foreign direct investments to drive growth of the Jamaican economy, including the tourism sector.
One of these initiatives is the National Investment Policy (NIP), which once finalized will act as a comprehensive policy framework to guide the development, administration and monitoring of the investment community. The other initiatives are implementation of the National Business Portal (NBP), an online platform that will house the Business-to-Government (B2G) online interface for all Government entities involved in the investment or business facilitation process as well as a drive to achieve a Top 10 rank in the 2021 Doing Business Report (DBR).
The two-day conference will bring together some 300 regional and international delegates, including governmental representatives, developers, bankers, tourism officials, hotel industry leaders, to explore possibilities for hospitality development in Jamaica and in the wider Caribbean.
Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) is a planning partner for the conference along with AM Resorts, HVS Global Hospitality Services and Apple Leisure Group. Sponsors include the Jamaica Tourist Board and the Tourism Enhancement Fund.