Hotels and attractions security audit to be reviewed this week – Bartlett

Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, says the security audit of hotels and attractions islandwide, which was undertaken by the Tourism Product Development Company, will be reviewed this week.

Speaking at the 58th annual general meeting of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) in St James on Saturday, Bartlett said the audit is complete and “should reach my desk on Monday [July 1]”.

“The issue of safety and security is very central to us (Government). We will have further discussions with the JHTA as it relates to the recommendations, and together we will craft the new architecture in Jamaica,” the Minister noted.

International security expert, Dr Peter Tarlow, provided technical support in the production of the report.

The document is expected to contain a complete list of findings and recommendations on the way forward as the Government seeks to ensure that Jamaica remains safe and secure for visitors as well as locals.

It was designed to get a thorough evaluation of the security vulnerabilities of the properties within the hospitality sector and destination areas to uncover non-compliance, deficiencies and irregularities and to assist the operators of these enterprises to enhance the quality of their existing security apparatus.

The audit aims to measure, monitor and assess the overall security architecture within the industry; collect and collate data in relation to incidents; establish benchmarks and minimum thresholds for elements of the security apparatus.

It also seeks to establish a pathway to correction for the industry and mitigate the concerns of the market; reduce negative public relations values that have partially affected the destination Jamaica brand value; enable human resource personnel practices, such as training, monitoring and recruiting staff within the industry, and ensure that these are aligned with destination assurance principles as a mitigation strategy.

The main areas of focus were personnel and electronic security, environmental profile, building safety and security, communication devices and security incident history.

We want to hear from you! Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169, email us at editors@gleanerjm.com or onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.