WESTERN BUREAU: Jamaica’s tourism sector continues to lead the recovery efforts for the island’s economy, earning the country’s coffers US$1.31 billion, of which US$97.58 million has been accrued directly by the Government. Minister of Tourism...
WESTERN BUREAU: As errant pastors across the island continue to give the Church a black eye, the Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC) has moved to establish a policy against sexual exploitation and abuse. The policy, which has not yet been ratified by...
WESTERN BUREAU: Jamaicans under 50 years old who have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine may have to wait longer than anticipated for their second jab as the Government places vulnerable groups as priority. Approximately 35,000...
WESTERN BUREAU: An upper-sixth form student at the Mount Alvernia High School in Montego Bay topped the island in last year’s CAPE law (Unit One) and landed second position in the regional exams. Manila Cunningham, renowned as a high achiever, is...
WESTERN BUREAU: Minutes after Stephina Ralston exited a court-ordered counselling session on Wednesday, she reiterated that she wanted the man accused of nearly killing her to be granted bail and for legal proceedings to be discontinued. The 23-...
WESTERN BUREAU: A pastor of an Apostolic church in Granville, St James, who has been accused of raping one of his 15-year-old congregants, is believed to be on the run after not turning up for worship on Sunday morning. The teenager made a report...
WESTERN BUREAU: More than 80 per cent of the island’s tourism workers who were laid off as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have returned to work, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has disclosed. An average 170,000 people are employed directly...
WESTERN BUREAU: A CLINICAL psychologist wants mandated therapy for the 23-year-old Warsop, Trelawny, woman who was viciously stabbed by her ex-boyfriend, but now wants to drop the attempted murder case against him. The victim, Stephina Ralston,...
WESTERN BUREAU: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has redeployed its ship that was booked to homeport in Montego Bay, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has confirmed. NCL’s Breakaway was set to begin service in the tourism capital on August 7...
WESTERN BUREAU: A 23-year-old Warsop, Trelawny, woman who was viciously stabbed in April is now begging the courts to drop the case against her alleged attacker, an ex-boyfriend. Stephina Ralston appeared at the Trelawny Parish Court in Clark’s...
WESTERN BUREAU: Jamaica’s newest entry into the Sangster International Airport, Frontier Airlines, is boasting that it has the lowest fares for Jamaicans wishing to visit families and friends to, or from Miami, Florida. The airline, which flew its...
WESTERN BUREAU: On the heels of investing $600 million into Montego Bay’s Harmony Beach Park, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) will be called upon to play an even greater role in the provision of parks throughout the country. This is the second...
WESTERN BUREAU: Residents of the resort town of Negril were not surprised at Wednesday’s police crackdown at Rick’s Café Negril, many telling The Gleaner that it was long overdue. The residents contend that flouting the Disaster Risk Management Act...
WESTERN BUREAU: The tourism capital, Montego Bay, is leading all other major resort towns in terms of its average occupancy level for the next 90 days, a survey commissioned by the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) indicates. The news...
WESTERN BUREAU: First out the door to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic, Sandals Resorts International (SRI) has embarked on a strategic growth plan for its Jamaica operations, breaking ground for two multibillion-dollar resort investments...
WESTERN BUREAU: There are positive signs on the horizon for Jamaica’s post-COVID-19 economic outlook as the AMResorts Group has confirmed a 280-room Dreams in Montego Bay and a 700-room Secrets resort in Richmond, St Ann. The new rooms are among...
WESTERN BUREAU: The Government is to spend a further $328 million this year to continue the protection of the Montego Bay coastline by building more groynes and protective structures, particularly for lands dumped up years ago. The money...
WESTERN BUREAU: A 77-year-old man who has lost 11 friends and his personal doctor to COVID-19 is appealing to Jamaicans who have taken their first jab to return for the critical second dose as health officials say the UK variant is the most...
WESTERN BUREAU: As Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ laughter reverberated through the airwaves last Tuesday in Parliament, wedding event planners across the island cringed in dismay. The prime minister quipped that he was getting no pushback from...
WESTERN BUREAU: A New York-based bride says her dream wedding planned for Jamaica has not only been her biggest mistake, but has now turned into a nightmare, putting her at risk of losing an additional US$75,000 to US$80,000 if forced to cancel...
WESTERN BUREAU: Jamaica’s chief construction industry lobby has raised concern about a legislative order exempting China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) from procurement rules and which also sets employment benchmarks for local workers on a Montego Bay roadworks project. The...
WESTERN BUREAU: The party boat that capsized in Negril last weekend was not licensed to carry visitors, says the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), an agency of the Ministry of the Tourism. And the operators are to be charged by the...
WESTERN BUREAU: Travel classifications on the basis of national COVID-19 vaccination take-up have been condemned as unfair and shocking by stakeholders in the tourism-dependent Caribbean. The objection comes in the wake of proposals in the United...
WESTERN BUREAU: The Government has been urged to provide a lifeline to craft merchants facing eviction in markets across the island. Tagging craft traders “the most vulnerable in tourism”, Opposition Spokesperson Janice Allen has called for...
WESTERN BUREAU: A multifunctional agro-processing plant estimated to cost $35 million is being established at the Sydney Pagon STEM Academy in St Elizabeth as a gift from the JWN Foundation, the charity and community outreach arm of the rum...
