Barlett to meet with tourism stakeholders over entertainment hiring practices
Published:Wednesday | June 13, 2018 | 9:49 AM
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says starting today, he will be meeting with key tourism stakeholders as part of efforts to discuss concerns raised about entertainers hired in hotels.
"I will be meeting today with members of the Tourism Linkages Council with a specific focus on the Sports and Entertainment Network. The meeting is to review, clarify and discuss concerns raised regarding entertainers" said Bartlett in a statement.
He added that "It is important that any misleading information is resolved and that every tourism worker feels empowered and included within the Tourism value chain. We will also be looking closely at the demand for entertainers within the sector, the number of local entertainers, and challenges being faced among other things,".
The tourism minister said discussions with the Council will also include transportation providers, craft entrepreneurs and the current island-wide programme of sensitisation of workers regarding the new tourism workers’ pension scheme that will come on stream later this year.
He said he will also hold talks with Spanish Hotel Group Invotel on Thursday, June 14, 2018, to discuss data collection to help inform the Tourism Demand Study and cooperation on a number of matters including but not limited to local purchases of goods and services.
“I have always been an advocate of providing more economic opportunities for small and medium-sized tourism businesses and enterprises, which includes entertainers, within the tourism value chain. This is why my Ministry established five Tourism Linkages Networks, one of which is Sports and Entertainment, to drive programmes and projects that create more of these economic opportunities,” Bartlett said.
He noted that the ministry has also established $1 billion revolving loan scheme through the Tourism Enhancement Fund and the Exim Bank to further to assist with investment for micro and small Jamaican owned businesses to build capacity to create and compete.
Bartlett also noted that efforts will be followed up with engagements by Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange with entertainment stakeholders and Labour and Social Security Minister Shahine Robinson to dissect the broad range of issues and ultimately address all concerns.
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