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Holness, Bartlett engage tourism leaders

Published:Sunday | July 31, 2016 | 12:00 AM
Contributed
From left: Alejandro Zozaya, CEO of Apple Leisure Group, the owners of Secrets and Sunscape Resorts; Javier Luque of Grupo Elfuerte;Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Salvador Luque of Grupo Elfuerte and Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, pose for the camera following their talks.

Local and international hoteliers were last Thursday invited to the Office of the Prime Minister for a series of face-to-face meetings with Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.

They were later hosted by the prime minister, his wife Juliet and Minister Bartlett at a private dinner at Vale Royal, the official residence of the prime minister.

The hoteliers noted that the engagements were historic and were thanked for their confidence in Jamaica. Views on a range of policy and bureaucratic issues were exchanged. The hoteliers also discussed a number of expansion projects.

 

AMBITIOUS TARGETS

 

The engagements formed part of Bartlett's efforts to thank the owners for their investments in Jamaica and personally update them on the Holness-led growth and prosperity agenda.

"The tourism minister has set ambitious targets to secure five million visitors by 2021. By that timeline, we also intend to generate US$5 billion in tourism earnings, increase the total direct jobs to 125,000 and add 15,000 new rooms. Several of these international and local hoteliers are currently engaged in expansion projects and are absolutely crucial to the growth and prosperity agenda. Additionally, they were briefed of the John Lynch-led shovel-ready initiatives that operate out of the tourism ministry," said Delano Seiveright, a senior adviser to the tourism minister.