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JAMAICA: Attractions Major Pull Factors for Cruise and Stopover Visitors

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Montego Bay, 28 November, 2019 – Jamaica – Jamaica continues to boast some of the finest attractions in the Caribbean, which tourism stakeholders say have been acting as major pull factors in attracting cruise and stopover visitors.

This, they also note, has been contributing to businesses all around, where tourism interests – craft traders, transport operators, restaurant owners and hoteliers – are benefiting.

Mystic Mountain Jamaica

“The cruise lines will tell you that Jamaica has some of the best attractions in the world,” says Senior Adviser and Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright, in an interview with JIS News.

“Dunn’s River Falls, as the Caribbean’s biggest attraction, is the one that readily comes to mind. It is arguably one of our biggest pull factors and a major hit with cruise visitors, scores of whom return with their families to the island for longer stays,” he says.

Dunn’s River is a State-owned entity which is operated by the St. Ann Development Company (SADCo), a subsidiary of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC).

While a favourite for film-makers and adventure seekers, what makes the Dunn’s River experience so unique is that guests can climb from the beach, passing many coves, lagoons and pools as they make their way to the peak of the falls.

Guests are led by professional and well-trained guides who adhere to all safety policies throughout the entire climb. There is also an option to climb or simply admire the attraction’s scenic beauty and ambience.

Mr. Seiveright says that in addition to Dunn’s River, there are Chukka, Dolphin Cove, Mystic Mountain, and Good Hope, and rafting on the Rio Grande and Martha Brae rivers.

“It is a fact that many cruise visitors come back for a longer stay so as to experience the allure of Dunn’s River and the other attractions,” he tells JIS News.

“What is so beautiful about these experiences is that all the resort towns have their own attractions with their uniqueness… which adds variety to the tourism product,” Mr. Seiveright says.

For his part, Mayor of St. Ann’s Bay and Chairman of the National Cruise Council (NCC), Michael Belnavis, says Jamaica has learnt valuable lessons from places like Orlando, New Orleans and Miami Beach, in that attractions by themselves “can bring loads of visitors” to the destination.

“We have seen the boost in tourist arrivals in the destinations that are attraction-driven,” he points out.

“Look at the Disney experience in Orlando and Busch Park in Tampa… both in the state of Florida. There is also Bourbon Street in New Orleans and also the round-the-clock Miami Beach experience. There is empirical evidence that people make their annual pilgrimage to these locations because of the attractions,” Mr. Belnavis says.

He adds that with the expected boom in tourism over the next two years, where both cruise shipping and stopover arrivals “should be going through the roof”, there is room for even more attractions.  He says there are plans for even further development at Dunn’s River, a move which is aimed at broadening the attraction’s appeal and cementing its status as one of the biggest and most popular attractions in the western hemisphere.

The major cruise lines too have been so impressed that some of their officials have been publicly pushing Jamaica to continue using the attractions as pull factors to entice and lure guests back to the island for longer stays.

President of the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), Michelle Paige, at a recent forum hosted by the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the destination that packages its tourism offerings to suit the needs of the visitor is more likely to do better than those who do not.

“A happy cruise passenger will not only spend money but will more likely than not come back for a longer stay. My association is fully aware of the many passengers that have returned to your beautiful country because of the world-class attractions,” she told the business forum.

Meanwhile, Ravi Daswani, a Senior Director of the Royal Shop, Montego Bay, one of the nation’s leading Duty Free Shopping chains, tells JIS News that the duty-free sector has also been doing its part in bringing visitors to the island.

“From a duty-free standpoint, we are also an attraction. When it comes to jewellery and precious stones, very few places in the world can compare. Selection and price is what makes us such an attractive shopping destination,” he tells JIS News.

Mr. Daswani says that with the duty-free status, prices can be as much as 20 to 40 per cent below the full retail price when compared to the United States and Europe.

“This positive shopping experience, where you can get the diamonds and the Rolex watches, accounts for the large percentage of customers who come back year after year,” he adds.

By: Garwin Davis

Release: JIS

Photo Captions: Photos (Contributed)

Header: Guests climbing the popular Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.

1st insert: Guests having a good time at Mystic Mountain in St. Ann.

2nd insert: Swimming with the dolphins at Dolphin Cove, Ocho Rios, St. Ann.

Caribbean News

CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Caribbean News

Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Caribbean News

Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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