Tourism will be Jamaica's biggest driver of economic growth

[Assasin]

Just heard 3000 houses for tourism workers coming on stream for tourism workers. Most will be giving houses for free as long as they work.
Bartlett also say with the rooms coming online the major companies in Jamaica had to ramp up production.

[Jangle]

Courts to tap into tourism market with opening of Drax Hall store

Furniture and Appliance outfit Courts Jamaica Limited, a subsidiary of the El Salvador-based Unicomer Group, is positioning to go after sales from the booming tourism industry as it moves along plans to open its 30th store in Drax Hall, St Ann, sometime this year.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer at the official launch of its 65th anniversary celebrations on Wednesday, vice-president for Unicomer Caribbean Errol Le Blanc said the almost 20,0000 square foot store aims to attract a number of key players in the sector.

“Drax Hall is an area that is developing and we have a lot of customers both across the tourism sector and individual households, a lot of which are in the middle upper-income bracket, and as such the store will have furniture and appliances that are more suitable for these types of customers. We, therefore, think that in putting a store there and making a different type of product offer to these customers will be quite successful,” he said.

According to industry figures revealed by Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett this week, of the almost 10 per cent increase or US$4.4 billion in gross earnings seen during the 2023/24 fiscal year, approximately 40 per cent was retained by the local economy. Upbeat about the prospects for growth, from which Courts and other players in the sector are looking to benefit, Bartlett also pointed to some 20,000 new rooms that are to be added over the next 10-15 years.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2024...ax-hall-store/

[Jangle]

Jamaica records 2.47-million visitors up to July

ON the heels of a ninth-consecutive quarter of economic growth for Jamaica's tourism industry, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett says the country is on track to meet its projections of 3.8-million visitors and foreign exchange earnings of US$4.1 billion by the end of the year.

According to Bartlett, the latest tourism figures show that between January and July of this year Jamaica welcomed some 2.47-million visitors. This included 1.72-million stopover visitors and 747,643 cruise visitors, more than twice the number recorded for the corresponding period in 2022, with gross earnings of US$2.59 billion.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news...rs-up-to-july/

[Jangle]

Jamaica should push sports tourism – Beckford

If you watched the recent Bermuda leg of the American Track League on NBC and wondered why Jamaica hadn’t hosted such an event, you’re not alone. Sharing similar thoughts is sport marketer Carole Beckford, who thinks Jamaica can do more to attract sports tourists.

Olympic champions Steven Gardiner and Jasmin Camacho-Quinn were on display in Bermuda and Beckford is convinced that sports tourists would come to Jamaica to watch action of that calibre, and to experience the other attractions the country has to offer.

“So Montego Bay is perfect. We have a venue down there that we’re unable to use in the way we would like and so Kingston becomes that centre which doesn’t have quite the allure for that kind of market. Kingston, however, is the entertainment capital, you know. There is something about Kingston we can use to market around major events like track and field or even football, and it would be more of a party situation, as opposed to a relaxed thing in Montego Bay, which is more the tourist capital,” she said on May 29.

Beckford, who has served as the president of the local volleyball federation, Jamaica Promotions (JAMPRO) film commissioner and as communications chief at the West Indies Cricket Board, understands the travelling sports fan.

“They tend to eat out more. They tend to want to party. They stay out longer so their spend is always going to be greater,” she outlined.

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/...urism-beckford

[wbvs]

Did you guys redd the article in JaObserver ,'jamaica need to rethink Tourism?. It's not a good way to build
a economy .Your own ppl can't uses the hotels.WTF?

[Jangle]

Meet the Man Behind the First Local-Friendly Travel App in Jamaica

Travis Rhooms is a passionate software engineer who has ventured into the world of travel and tourism. Rhooms’s love for exploration and his desire to share the wonders of his home country with the world inspired him to develop the first local-friendly travel app in Jamaica tailored specifically to the island.

His background as a software engineer served as a solid foundation for his travel app venture. Although relatively new to the travel industry, his adventurous spirit has guided him through countless journeys around Jamaica, allowing him to experience its hidden gems firsthand. It is from these experiences and his enthusiasm for assisting others that the idea for the Island Destinations Jamaica App was born in 2021.

Rhooms spoke with Travel Noire about how he wanted to create a platform to showcase Jamaica’s best, from its stunning beaches to its vibrant culture and delicious cuisine. With the Island Destinations Jamaica App, Rhooms hopes to inspire travelers to explore beyond the typical tourist destinations and discover the authentic beauty of the island.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...ecc28b64&ei=11

[Jangle]

CPJ charting $1.1-billion expansion plan

Caribbean Producers (Jamaica) Limited (CPJ) will be spending an extra US$7 million (J$1.09 billion) to expand its operations in Jamaica and St Lucia as it gears up for the influx of 6,000 additional hotel rooms to be built in the coming years and expansion on the eastern end of Jamaica.

The manufacturing and distribution company will be spending US$1 million on an 800kW solar project, US$2.5 million on the development of its processing plant, US$1 million in St Lucia, and an additional US$2.5 million on normal capital expenditure in the coming 2024 financial year which begins on July 1. Some of these projects are set to be completed by Christmas while the company's new information technology (IT) upgrade is set to be manifested in the next two years at a cost to be determined.

CPJ is making these moves at a time when it's selling more volume locally to a booming tourism sector which attracted 1.81 million terminal passengers at the Sangster International Airport (SIA) in the first four months of 2023. SIA is also receiving a multimillion-dollar expansion which will see the runway expanded by 15 per cent to 3,060 metres, and other areas surrounding the airport adjusted.

"There are other really strong opportunities in the greater Caribbean, and I won't say yet, but we're going to see how things unfold here. We're building our capacity to take on new opportunities and we're waiting on the capital markets to become a little bit better before we make the next step," said Executive Chairman and interim Chief Executive Officer Anthony Mark Hart in a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/busi...xpansion-plan/

[Jangle]

$1.5-b luxury condo development for MoBay


MONTEGO BAY, St James — Boria Ltd says it will pump about $1.5 billion to transform the Montego Bay Racquet Club into a 30-condo development.

The targeted completion date is the second quarter of 2024. The asking price for the luxury high-rise units will begin at US$380,000 and up to US$1 million.

The low-density condominium mixed-use development is being done on racquet club property and will sit adjacent to other residencies that have been a part of the history-rich space for years. As Boria has pointed out, the Racquet Club was once the playground of Hollywood movie stars and tennis legends. It is hoping to enhance that aura of exclusivity with a "100-foot-high sky lounge and infinity pool overlooking the beaches, city, and hip strip to the coastline of Hanover".

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news...ent-for-mobay/

[Assasin]

What economic platform was set to achieve what they have? debt up our wazzu, absolutely no growth and our credit rating in the dumps??? You are the one who need to be honest.

[Sir X]

1st off yuh worried , 2nd I want a higher standard ( anti corruption ) and 3rd Andrew Holness JLP built on the platform of others and others will build on his. What did I tell you about honesty .

[Assasin]

Election are made to win and lose. That don't worry me too much. What I am greatful for is the good management of the economy and growith. If Andrew should go today he has done a good job with the economy and leading Jamaica through the Covid years and rebuilding after. Whoever come next need to be held to the same standard and make sure our economy is not where it was and continue to prosper. Inflation as you should know is not his fault as the Ukraine war rages and every country continue to deal with it. Despite that and Covid he has held the dollar relatively stable, Inflation in check, our reserves at record level, our debt is more than manageable and an economy with prospect of growing (something we have not seen in a very long time).

[Sir X]

Press releases are not completed projects e.g .The X corporation jjust purchased an acre of land and plans to construct a 10 million USD gated apartment complex .

Yeah , like when . Sorry boss if the proposition of your presentation is clownish and I point it out to you , repeatedly it's faults , you fail to address's it with honesty , then what other choice do I have but to label you two as clowns.

I could think of harsher terms, especially when you respond to my post with nonsense. Or in Jangles case,as with his recent use of my post to justify his agenda.

BTW : I was wrong in my post which Jangle used to justify his agenda, people are turning against the JLP because corruption and inflation is an issue, the vehicle of change is rage.

[Jangle]

Jamaica's short-term rental, Airbnb markets boom

Jamaica's short-term rental and Airbnb markets are experiencing a boom, realtors say.

What's more, the demand shows no sign of abating anytime soon.

Resort towns account for a large percentage of the demand for short-term rentals, while the high-rise apartments of Kingston see numerous requests for Airbnb.

Anyone driving around Kington in the last few years would have noticed several apartment complexes going up. Due to the high cost of land, people have to build vertically, evidenced by the landscape across the Kingston Metropolitan Area (KMA).

“They are actually a perfect Airbnb product, so there is a great demand for it,” RE/MAX Elite’s Anya Kerr-Jarrett told Loop News, a point also echoed by Century21’s Deborah Cumming and Coldwell Banker’s Kaili McDonnough Scott.

https://jamaica.loopnews.com/content...b-markets-boom

[Assasin]

"Ask Jangle if there has been a downturn in his market, more specific to Jamaica , there has been a downturn,prices have dropped, building has slowed down and sales are not as robust. That said it doesnt mean there will be a recession as predicted and only a fool would rule one out!

Did you rule it out "

You were predicting a down turn. It is not about ruling one out. There has been no significant drop in real estate in Jamaica.

It is fine to make your prediction but when you do you don't argue with others and call them names as a prediction is just that, not facts.

[Jangle]

Labour shortage: Employers ponder importing workers or increasing pay

With an unemployment rate of six per cent, the lowest in the country's recent history, Jamaican employers are facing a labour shortage.

To address this, some businesses are considering importing labour from abroad or increasing salaries to retain highly skilled workers.

At the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) President's Forum on Tuesday, April 4, PB Scott, Chairman and CEO of the Musson Group of Companies, suggested that Jamaica must import labour or seriously commit to education and training to compete with neighbouring countries such as the Dominican Republic and Guatemala, which have larger and growing populations.

The forum was held under the theme: “Let's Get Serious About Our Logistics-Centred Economy and Special Economic Zones”.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has previously expressed concern about the labour shortage, hinting that sectors such as tourism, construction and quick-service restaurants may have to import workers to fill vacancies.

https://jamaica.loopnews.com/content...increasing-pay