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More Tourists Coming To Jamaica

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KINGSTON, April 14 (JIS): Jamaica continues to record increased stopover and cruise ship visitor arrivals, a trend which has carried over from 2014.

Tourism and Entertainment Minister, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, says preliminary figures for January to April 7 show a 6.4 per cent increase over 2014.

This, he notes, equates to an additional 35,000 visitors for the period which, along with December 2014, constitutes the 2014/15 Winter Tourist Season.

The Minister was making his presentation in the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, today (April 14), under the theme: ‘Tourism Working for Jamaica’.

As it relates to cruise ship visitor arrivals, Dr. McNeill said that already for 2015, “we are up 8.5 per cent” over the corresponding period last year. Additionally, he said Jamaica has recorded increases at “all three main ports,” – Montego Bay, Falmouth and Ocho Rios.

Dr. McNeill said the “encouragingly” strong start for the winter season is underpinned by a “robust” 24 per cent increase in stop over visitor arrivals from the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, combined with a “healthy” 8.2 per cent increase from the United States of America (USA), which is “our single largest market.”

He said the USA market’s outturn largely results from that economy “doing well,” while experiencing decline in unemployment.

Regarding Jamaica’s other markets, Dr. McNeill noted that challenges are being experienced with Canada, “as their economy has slowed down.”

He pointed out that while Jamaica has enjoyed “phenomenal” growth in arrivals out of that market, “we must realise that some tapering off was expected.”

The Minister noted that the Latin American market also tapered off, particularly over the summer months, “predictably” declining during the course of the FIFA Football World Cup, in Brazil.

“However, we continue to diversify our source markets. Of note, the Scandinavian market is performing spectacularly well. In just two months, January and February of this year, we had over 6,000 arrivals…which is more than we got out of the Russian market at the height of their growth,” he added.

Jamaica welcomed some 3.5 million visitors during the 2014 calendar year, representing a seven per cent increase over the previous year. Of this number, 2.08 million were stopover arrivals, while 1.42 million were cruise arrivals.

“Importantly, for stopover arrivals, our three main source markets – the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom – all saw increases,” Dr. McNeill pointed out, while adding that “we are expecting to finish the 2014/15 Winter (season) with strong growth, overall.”

Dr. McNeill said going forward, despite the fact that a number of the larger properties will be temporarily closed to do major refurbishing, including increasing the room complement, “we anticipate a strong summer.”

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DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM REGULATIONS INTRODUCES “RATE YOUR RIDE” SYSTEM FOR TOURISTS VISITING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

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FROM THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM

 

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 27th March, 2024 – Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands: The Department of Tourism Regulations is proud to unveil the “Rate Your Ride” system, a new initiative designed to enhance the vacation experience for tourists exploring our picturesque islands.

The “Rate Your Ride” system empowers tourists to provide valuable feedback on the quality of transportation services they receive while visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands. Through an easy-to-use online form, tourists can rate factors such as cleanliness, comfort, safety, and professionalism of drivers, helping us to assure the highest quality of service standards across all modes of transportation.

By participating in the “Rate Your Ride” system, tourists play a crucial role in shaping the future of transportation services in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Their feedback will enable us to identify areas for improvement and ensure that every visitor enjoys safe, comfortable, and convenient travel throughout their stay in the Turks and Caicos.

The code will also be publicly accessible through the cooperation of volunteer drivers who will make the rating code available in their vehicles. Flyers and stickers displaying the code will be distributed at hotels, resorts and airports. The mandated display of these codes is expected to align with the rollout of our tourism regulations in 2025.

For more information about the “Rate Your Ride” system and other initiatives by the Department of Tourism Regulations, please visit gov.tc/tourismregulations/or contact us via telephone at 946-4970 and email at tourismregulations@gov.tc.

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THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH SERVICES CONDEMNS RECORDING OF PERSONS WHO ARE IN CRISIS

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FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

 

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 27th March 2024– The Department of Behavioral Health Services is appealing to the general public to refrain from recording and circulating videos of persons who may appear to be experiencing a mental health crisis. Anyone can experience a mental health crisis at some point in their life. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year. Persons may struggle with very common conditions such as Anxiety and Depression or be diagnosed with more serious conditions like Bipolar Disorder or Psychosis.

“There are a lot of misunderstandings about various mental health conditions and how they may manifest. In addition, there are a number of negative perceptions and misconceptions that society exhibits towards people with mental health problems. However, just as we would show care and concern for someone diagnosed with Cancer, or any other physical illness, in the same way, we need to be as caring and helpful to persons with mental illnesses”– stated Director of the Department of Behavioral Health Services, Dr. Alicia Malcolm.

The Department is urging the public to call the following numbers if you see someone who appears to be experiencing a mental health crisis:

338-5473/338-3616: Providenciales, North or Middle Caicos

338-3614/338-3612: Grand Turk, South Caicos, Salt Cay

338-6301: Nights and Weekends

If someone is putting themselves or someone else in immediate, serious risk of harm, call 911.

The Department of Behavioral Health services is here to help and provides the following services which are free and confidential:

Location of above services:

o             Sam Harvey Building, Down Town, Providenciales,

o             Primary Health Care Department, Cheshire Hall Medical Center, Providenciales 

o             Department of Behavioural Health, Duncombe Alley, Grand Turk

 

Let’s all do our part in creating a community where people with mental health problems feel respected, supported and cared for. 

For additional information, please visit the Ministry of Health’s Facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/tciministryofhealth/ or the Department of Behavioral Health Services Faceebook on https://www.facebook.com/TCIDBHS/.

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Breaking Ground: TCI Could Lead in Regional Communication Standards

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Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, 27th March 2024: The PR, marketing, and communications sector is poised for potential growth and could lead the Caribbean region in terms of industry standards says Damian Wilson. Wilson’s suggestion comes after the release of a new research report into the current trends and future direction of the sector as a possible emerging industry in the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

Wilson is the report’s author, which conveys the findings of research which he initiated. “One of the key research results is the considerable optimism by industry practitioners and government alike, with persons seeing growth potential. I believe that we can become regional leaders in this field. I believe that one of the initiatives that could be used to do this is by establishing a ‘TCI Centre of Communications Excellence’ within the TCI Community College. Such an institute would be dedicated to communication and media innovation with a particular focus on digital communications and ICT,” says Wilson.

He further explained, “I believe that the PR, marketing, and communications sector, like much of the country, is at a crossroads and could have an even greater impact on our socio-economic fabric. Some may have concerns about our small size, but I believe this makes us far more agile than our neighbours. All in all, any potential growth must be underpinned by new investments, professional development, and a strategy to integrate the sector into the broader economy.”

Wilson also said that he sees his research as a first step in understanding our own industry sectors in the TCI and would love to see more profound research and analysis conducted. He’s hoping that the report will spark discussion along those lines. The report is entitled ‘Current Trends and Future Direction: A Preliminary Report on the PR, Marketing, and Communications Sector in the Turks & Caicos Islands’. Anyone wanting a copy of the report can contact Damian Wilson via his email, damian.wilson.pr@gmail.com.

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