Jamaica is looking to grow investment in the tourism industry “beyond the development of hotel rooms,” according to Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.
That means developing opportunities for more projects in technology, infrastructure and services, he said.
“The tourism industry is rapidly changing with the onset of new technologies which are changing the way we do business. To keep apace of these changes to be able to meet the growing demands of the industry, our investment focus should be on building the capacity of the suppliers in the industry who are the main drivers of tourism,” said Bartlett, who was speaking at the International Tourism and Investment Conference in London this week.
That means an emphasis on smaller and medium-sized businesses in the broader hospitality industry.
“Small tourism players, which I refer to as Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs) are the backbone of the industry. It is through their creativity we have been able to tap into the passion points of our visitors whether through food or entertainment, to give authentic experiences to our visitors,” Bartlett said.
Through Jamaica’s Tourism Enhancement Fund, small businesses in Jamaica have access to a $7.2 million USD revolving loan programthat is administered through the EXIM Bank.
In total, since its inception, as at last month, September 2019, TEF has disbursed more than $631,0000 in loan funds to 367 borrowers.=
Building their capacity will build their ability to be even more creative to enhance our tourism offerings,” he said.
“Luxury all inclusive” is a term that invites immediate skepticism.
If you’ve ever stayed at a Four Seasons or a Ritz-Carlton or an Aman resort, you know there’s more to a five-star resort experience than offering top-shelf liquor at a bar or dressing someone in a suit and calling them a “butler.”
It’s just really difficult to realize a true luxury experience, with the amenities and training it requires, in pay-one-price resort concept.
The Le Blanc Spa Resort Cancun, however, comes closer to realizing this vision than most.
The flagship of the Palace Resorts group, the Le Blanc is a 260-room, adults-only, AAA Five-Diamond resort in the center of Cancun’s Hotel Zone that combines smooth, South Beach style, attentive service, well-conceived accommodations, and true dine-out quality restaurants.
Fresh off a $30-million renovation completed in spring 2019, this dazzling resort lives up to its name.
When the sun is shining it’s hard to look directly at the whitewashed Le Blanc sans sunglasses.
Arriving guests are welcomed in a bright and spacious Francois Frossard designed lobby, with dangling glass chandeliers reflecting the sunlight pouring in from a wall of windows.
Concierge staff posted strategically between the lobby and the guest elevators unfailingly offer greetings to passing guests, as does the equally well-positioned head butler stationed by the elevators on the hotel’s third-floor, where my butler-served room was located.
The beach at Le Blanc.
That made it easy to request services like a hot pot of tea delivered every morning without having to pick up a phone; I just asked when I were on my way to or from the beach or other activities.
Guest rooms featured mini bars stocked with complimentary snacks and drinks, and the resort offers a menu of fun add-on butler services, from laundry pickup and shoe-shining to delivery of room service food, nightly aromatherapy, a choice of pillows, and handcrafted soaps. Butlers also will draw a hot bubble bath in the en-suite tub, located a step down from the bedroom area with views of the ocean or the Cancun lagoon from the nearby French balcony.
The smart service extends to the “BLANCSPA,” which delivered one of the more expert massage treatments I’ve received in a hotel spa.
The Le Blanc spa is well equipped with a hydrotherapy area, hot and cold plunge pools, a sauna, a herbal steam room, chromotherapy, sauna therapy, a relaxation lounge, and 19 treatment rooms.
Upon arriving a few minutes early for my treatment, I was led by an attendant through a brief but invigorating pre-massage ritual utilizing the sauna and steam room (I opted out of the cold plunge). A lot of spas have similar facilities but don’t provide the one-on-one guidance — they could learn a lot from Le Blanc about how to extend the pleasure of a spa visit.
On my next visit I’ll try the signature, 80-minute Kukulcan massage, billed as a “sacred Mayan ritual” where four hands are choreographed in a simulation of three traditionally revered animals — jaguar, snake, and eagle.
I didn’t get to experience as many of the resort’s dining options as I would have liked during my short stay, but was very impressed by what I did get to sample. Long story short, the all-inclusive dining at Le Blanc is indistinguishable from a visit to a high-end, standalone restaurant — in Cancun or anywhere other big city.
The service, menu options, decor, atmosphere, and food quality were excellent, from the Mexican breakfast options at the pooloside, open-air Terraza to the delicate sushi and interesting rolls at Yama. Other dining choices included elegant Italian dining at Bella, modern Mexican at Blanc, fine dining at Lumiere, healthy eating at Pure, a poolside ice cream shop, Glasé, and a chocolate and coffee shop, K’akau.
The beach is almost an afterthought, but the resort is located on a broad swath of Cancun’s famous white-sand beach, with ample beach chairs, cabanas, and other shelter available to guests. On the fringes of the property you’ll find nesting areas for sea turtles, with periodic evening hatchings a delightful addition to the resort’s daily activity calendar.
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The hotel’s reopening comes after Old Bahama Bay’s marina and yacht club had already returned to full capacity.
The 73-unit resort’s Teasers Beach Side Bar, Banana Hammocks Harbour Side Bar and pool are all open as well.
The property’s return “has truly shown the strength of our staff and stakeholders here at Old Bahama Bay,” said Old Bahama Bay President John MacDonald.
Puerto Rico says it’s in the midst of a tourism boom, and another carrier is set to launch new daily nonstop flights to the island.
Beginning Nov. 14, Frontier will be operating a new daily flight between Newark Liberty International Airport and the Luis Muñoz Marín in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The new route is the latest in what has been a veritable airlift boom in Puerto Rico, which has been seeing surging air arrival numbers according to the latest data from ASUR, which operates Puerto Rico’s two biggest airports.
Indeed, Luis Muñoz Marín Airport, one of the largest hubs in the wider Caribbean region, is seeing an 11.2 percent jump in passenger traffic for the year.
That’s been accompanied by continued record-breaking growth for Aguadilla’s airport, the primary gateway for Puerto Rico’s western tourism destinations like Rincon.
Rincon, Puerto Rico.
The new daily nonstop route is part of a broader Caribbean expansion for Frontier in Newark; in the spring 2020, the carrier will be launching new routes from Newark to both Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Cancun on the Caribbean coast of Mexico.
“Frontier is the most fuel-efficient airline in the U.S., offering passengers both the most affordable and sustainable approach to flying,” said Barry Biffle, President and CEO of Frontier Airlines.
More and more carriers continue to ramp up their flight service to Puerto Rico.
“Puerto Rico is on a path towards a record-breaking year for tourism, with growing visitor arrivals and airlift globally,” Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s destination marketing organization , said in a statement. “In addition to world-class beaches, the Island boasts an impressive variety of natural offerings including three of the world’s five bioluminescent bays, the only rainforest in the U.S. forest system, El Yunque, and a standout farm-to-table movement, which has evolved into a variety of agri-tourism experiences for travelers to enjoy.”
That’s borne out in the numbers including a 19 percent increase in average hotel rates compared to the island’s previous high in 2017, and a 11.2 percent jump in total lodging revenue in Puerto Rico from its previous pre-Maria high in 2017.
