Jamaica's Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett was today's guest, discussing the good news that 80% of Jamaica's tourism infrastructure is back in place, after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa. He also discussed why Jamaica's coffee is world class (and coffee plantation tours on island), the nation's cuisine and music traditions, some of the island's top attractions, and more.

Places, people, and companies mentioned in this episode

1. Jamaica
2. Negril
3. Ocho Rios
4. Treasure Island
5. Golden Eye
6. Firefly
7. Ian Fleming
8. Noel Coward
9. Bob Marley
10. Kingston
11. Montego Bay
12. Rocky Point

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Foreign.

And welcome to the Fromer Travel Show.

I'm your host, Pauline Fromer.

We have a very exciting show today because on the line I have the Honorable Edmund Bartlett.

He is the Minister of Tourism for the beautiful island of Jamaica.

Minister Bartlett, welcome to the Fromer Travel Show.

Thank you.

I'm so excited about engagement with you today and certainly the opportunity to speak to your wider audience across the US and elsewhere.

Well, speaking about that audience, let's address the elephant in the room first.

I think some of them may be surprised that we're speaking today because they know that Jamaica had a terrible hurricane just this past fall.

I think it was the third most intense hurricane ever to hit the Caribbean.

So they may be thinking, why are we talking about Jamaica now?

Can you visit Jamaica?

Shouldn't this conversation be happening, say, a year from now?

So how is Jamaica doing?

Well, Very well, actually.

We have made a remarkable recovery following Hurricane Melissa.

And that is a testament, of course, to the resilience of our tourism sector and the dedication of our Jamaican people.

Through strong collaboration between the public and the private sectors, we restored tourism operation by December 15, which was a record period we had coming out of, as you said.

And perhaps I should correct you a little bit that the third worst hurricane is actually the worst, a category 5 plus plus, so much so that our meteorologists now have retired the name Melissa.

And they say there'll be no more Hurricane Melissa, oh, my goodness, in the future because of the effect, impact and the sheer intensity of that weather system.

So in six weeks after, we were able to invite international visitors back to Jamaica, and we opened with 70% of our room stock.

And since then, we are now at 80% of our visitor arrivals for last year in the month of March.

And we are looking to complete the renovation of all the rooms that were affected by December of this year.

And this is obviously a testament to the hard work of the people of Jamaica, but it also speaks to the fact that Jamaica, I should have said the third largest island in the Caribbean, not the third biggest hurricane, because Jamaica is huge.

And so even with a storm of this magnitude hitting the island, not all areas were affected in the same way.

And so right after the hurricane, there were certain places that probably were already ready to see visitors.

Right, Right.

So a third of the country was impacted, as you know, on the western side.

But the rest of the country, the city, the main city, Kingston, was fully intact.

The Port Antonio Ocho Reyes and areas in the middle of the island were all not affected.

So where the impact was was on the Western side, Montego Bay, Negril and Treasure beach area.

So the good news is that we have restored significantly all our infrastructure are back.

Airports are in good shape, fully.

Electricity fully, water fully.

The road networks back full, fully in shape.

But because we lost a significant portion of the built environment in the interior of those communities, you know, settlements and so on, we are now working on building back roofs and getting houses back in full shape.

But insofar as our tourism is concerned, we have a very strong year ahead of us so far.

As I said, we've restored up to 80%.

We have increased airlifts, we have more flights coming out of the US Southwest is to launch new non stop flights from Nashville to Montego Bay.

In March, Breeze Airways will begin international route to Montego Bay with services from Tampa and then also from Raleigh.

So we are opening new gateways in the United States.

We have also welcomed continued record breaking growth in visitor arrivals from Latin America.

That's a big new era.

Expanded air capacity.

We're expecting to get about six flights out of Colombia, expanded flight arrangement from Copa to Brazil, and we are also expecting in short order expanded arrangements out of Canada and Europe.

So why go to Jamaica?

I have my own answers.

I think that Jamaica is, and this is maybe an arguable thing to say, but it has the most piquant, exciting culture, I think, of any of the Caribbean islands.

I mean, you're the home of reggae.

You have this extraordinary cuisine.

I would go to Jamaica just to eat ackee.

Ackee is this incredible.

It's a fruit that looks like a brain.

It's this little white fruit and when you cook it up, it tastes like the creamiest eggs you've ever, ever tasted.

It's really extraordinary and in fact it

is unique to Jamaica.

Yes.

In that Jamaica is the only country where that fruit is prepared the way it is and becomes part of the cuisine of the country.

And that's fantastic.

But you know, you ask the question and there's so many exciting things that are happening in Jamaica, major events that are coming up to excite the interest of visitors around this period and into summer.

We have Carnival, which is our Jamaican street parades and music and entertainment.

And that doesn't happen.

Does that happen around Easter or when is that?

Yes, April 8th to 14th.

Yeah, just a little after Easter.

You know, we want.

And is that, is that all over the island or just in Kingston?

And you said it was mainly in Kingston for this one.

And then we have the dream weekend which will be in Montego Bay.

And then Reggae Sunfest which is July 18, and that will be in the the St. Anne area near Ocho Rios.

So before you go away, what is Dream Weekend?

Dream Weekend is an exciting series of parties and entertainment primarily for the younger folks.

You know, it's a whole period of absolute indulgence in reggae music.

Music of all types, really.

Food, you know, and drink and general camaraderie and excitement among young people.

Well, that's cool.

Beyond that, we have Food and Drink Festival.

We also have the Coffee Festival, we have a Rum Festival and a whole series of festivals that happen.

And then there's a Calabash Literary Festival on the south coast.

So there's a lot of things to anticipate in coming to Jamaica.

So I'm hoping that the Rum Festival happens.

The Rum Festival happens first and then you have the Coffee festival.

So you sleep it off.

You can be awake again.

You can be awake.

And then of course, after that you can have the pairing with coffee and various different types of foods.

So, you know.

Yeah, I don't think people know that Jamaica has such an important coffee culture.

And this is a type of food stuff that is endangered because of climate change.

So tell me a little bit more about Jamaican coffee and what makes it so interesting.

And if people.

First of all, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is premium coffee.

It is among the top rated quality coffee of the world.

And it is occasioned by a very special geophysical feature.

It grows primarily on Blue Mountain of Jamaica, which is 7,000 odd feet in the air, right?

That's just a little over three under three meters.

Yes.

So we have cloud cover at that height, which enables the moisture from that to be imbued on the plants and it enable a very rich and powerful flavor that comes from that coffee at that height.

So it is a unique feature.

Very few places in the world has that, if any.

And we benefit from the fact that you have microclimates there.

So the plant grows in a special way, the beans are matured in a special way, and they maintain a certain level of texture and quality and moisture level.

So we see our Blue Mountain Coffee I as being a special asset to the country.

And it is a geophysical feature that is making a demand in the global space that we are unable to even supply.

We just have not been able to supply the demand for the Blue Mountain Coffee.

But you'll get it in Jamaica.

And are there visits to plantations so one can see the whole process?

Yes, absolutely.

There are tours that are arranged and then you could also.

We establish a culinary trail, the Blue Mountain Culinary Trail.

That while you are driving from Kingston up into the mountains there you can benefit from these very powerful eateries that are established along the way as you go up and then you have a number of plantations there that you could tour.

You could see how the beans they are processed.

You could see how the farmers actually operate in planting and in, in caring and culturing the crop.

And then the reaping process and then of course the manufacturing elements.

Yes, it's very scenic.

But then you also see the wonderful geophysical features that are part of the Blue and Junko Mountain, which is a World Heritage Site that has been designated by UNESCO.

Interesting.

So when UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site, was it for the geo.

The geological features of it or for the coffee or what was the designation?

It's a full combination of the geophysical features embodying the flora and fauna of that area.

So it's unique in many forms.

And you know, Jamaica is said to be a mountain of out of the sea.

Huh.

And that makes us have something called caste topography at a certain point.

The Jamaica cockpit country represents in many instances features of the floor of the sea.

Yes.

And you still have the caste scenery that would be reminiscent of coral formations.

Really.

So it creates it's excitement in its own way and is a point of inquiry for a lot of geologists and so on.

Interesting.

I had no idea.

That's fascinating.

So you're probably best known for your beaches, at least to those who are planning vacations.

There are other features that I'm referencing.

I'm referencing now.

There are other features, good features that will excite the visitor who.

Yes, absolutely.

Going into the interior should not be overlooked.

Is Dunn's River Falls.

That's something I've never done.

Is that in the interior of Jamaica and what does that experience consist of?

It ends on the northern coast of the country, but it really begins in the interior of the country.

And it's part of that same geophysical feature that I mentioned earlier on because the water is collected in these mountain caverns, if you will.

And then it flows down through the rocks and over flat rocks then and into the sea.

So it becomes an exciting, shall I say it's an exciting adventure.

Sure.

To just climb up those rocks with the water flowing across it and that's what makes it so exciting to many.

And then you could swim in parts and then you could then follow the trek all the way down to the sea.

Yeah.

Duns River Fall is the number one attraction for the entire.

In the entire Caribbean.

More tourists go to the Dunn River Fall than any other attraction in the Caribbean.

I had no idea.

That's fascinating.

So Dunn's River Fall is the biggest, not only in Jamaica, but for the entire Caribbean.

What's number two?

English speaking Caribbean in particular.

Right, because these are bigger countries, you know, with stronger geophysical features.

Yes, sure.

What's number two in Jamaica, would you say, in terms of the attractions?

Well, I think we have developed some human attractions now.

You know, our zipline has been exciting.

The Chuka experience is one that is worth making sure we have.

Our zip line takes you straight into the sea, which is an exciting part of.

Oh, wow.

Yes, that's cool.

Does it end in the sea?

I'm assuming the sea in the swimming.

And then you have the zipline that take you now into just the mountain areas.

That's over and above Ocho Reus and that's Mystic Mountains, as we call it.

Ah, yeah, yeah.

No, that sounds really fun.

I love ziplines, I gotta say.

So looking towards the future, obviously you've got 20% you have to rebuild.

Is there anything beyond that?

Is there anything new?

Do you have new resorts, opening new attractions?

Well, you know, Jamaica is ever evolving into a more exciting and alluring destination.

We're establishing new destinations within the destination of Jamaica.

And the St Thomas area, which is in the eastern side of the country, is being focused on now for development.

In this way, post Hurricane Melissa, we are going to be reimagining our tourism offerings.

We're going to be making some new cities, new townships, relocating some towns more into the interior and to allow the coastline to be more focused on lighter touristic activities, entertainment and so on.

We're going to also be looking at building nearly 7,000 new hotel rooms over the next five years.

Construction for about 4,000 of that is currently on.

And so we should see new attractions, new hotels, and also we are training our workers, certifying our workers to achieve a level of competence in service providing that will be unmatched in the region.

60% of the value of the visitor experience is service.

We're going to ensure that all our workers are fully equipped to provide the best quality service possible.

Right.

You talked a little earlier about some of the wonderful festivals you have in Jamaica.

But if somebody goes outside of festival time and they want to have a reggae experience, do they go to Bob Marley's hometown or where do they go to?

Really, reggae is all over.

You can enjoy good reggae music almost in every part of Jamaica that you go.

But Negril has special entertainment areas for, you know, weekly and Sometimes nightly reggae experiences in Ocho Reyes in Montego Bay.

Kingston and Kingston is really buzzing.

It's a very powerful entertainment city with strong cultural attributes.

Heavy and good cuisine.

The gastronomy is at a very high level now.

And Kingston has become the new culinary center in the Caribbean.

So we want to encourage visit to Kingston as well and stay in Kingston and to enjoy what city tourism is all about.

In Jamaica.

I think that represents a change.

It used to be maybe 20 years ago that when you went to Jamaica, you kind of just stayed on the resort, but you're telling people that you want them to see the whole island.

Now.

See the whole island because we're a country, we're not just a beach or a country.

Right.

And we want you to come and explore all that we have to offer.

And you will find that one visit is never enough.

So you'll have to come again and again and again.

As 42% of our visitors have discovered that you need to come again and again and again.

Yeah, absolutely.

Well, the last time I was there, I took a wonderful cooking class.

That's where I learned about ackee, actually.

Is that part of the culinary scene?

Are people teaching cooking as well as serving visitors or is that just on the resorts?

No, in fact, we are looking at in the city of Kingston, Devon House, which is one of our big museums of Jamaican art as well as Jamaica craft.

And Devon House represents the Jamaica living, the standard of living for the well to do Jamaicans of the past.

In fact, Devon House was built by the first black millionaire in Jamaica.

And so the furnishings and the period representation indicates that level of opulence during the early 19th century.

Interesting.

So a culinary exposition is being structured for Devon House so that in the future we're working on getting that pop up kitchen going where you can actually come in and be guided by certified chef.

And you do your cooking yourself.

Great.

And you bring your friends and.

And your sorority groups and your church groups and so on and you cook.

Yeah.

And then around it, you would have a sort of farm market from which you can buy all the ingredients that you want and do your cooking yourself.

Fabulous.

Love it.

You could learn to do a little more with ackee and saltfish.

Well, I learned ackee and I learned jerk chicken when I did this.

It was really fun.

It was great and delicious.

One of the things I really respect about Jamaica is unlike some island groupings where it's only high end, and others where you're only going to get the budget experience, Jamaica has something for all price ranges.

I'VE found you have nice, all inclusive resorts for people who really want to know in advance what they're going to pay.

But you also have historic resorts like goldeneye, which was the home of Ian Fleming.

Am I getting the name right?

We have it in our.

We have a new coffee table book about some of the most beautiful places you can stay on earth.

And goldeneye in Jamaica is there.

It's one of them, definitely.

And Ian Fleming, you know, he wrote the OOC James Bond series.

So everybody.

Yes, it's very popular for that.

And then Noel Coward has another Fireflies in the same area.

And Jamaica was the literary center for many.

And so many authors and playwrights and poets have come and I've written books from locations in Jamaica and I've been inspired creatively from their experiences in Jamaica.

I didn't know about Noel Coward.

So Fireflies, is that visitable, his house there?

Yes, yes, in St. Mary, which is close by to GoldenEye.

Interesting.

So is there anything I haven't asked you that I should have?

Well, I think we were talking about hidden gems a while ago without going into that detail.

And so there are many more wonderful hidden gems, you know, like Reaches Fall in Portland and the luminous lagoon in Falmouth.

You know, we're the only place in the region in the Caribbean where you have these phosphorus type appearances from small fish that are in the ocean and they give that appearance in the nights in particular.

And so the lagoon literally illuminates from these maritime creatures.

I thought they had that in Puerto Rico too, but I know that they've had problems with light pollution there and it's lost the bioluminescence.

So are you saying that lagoon.

Please do come and spend your time.

We have an excellent hotel nearby by that very name, Excellence.

And then we also have a number of other properties around that could provide proper accommodation.

Can you take a boat out into the lagoon so you're surrounded by the creatures?

So you do have small canoes.

Boats.

Small boats, yes.

That could take you on and you could go and see them in the nights, take pictures and enjoy that view.

And then there's Floyd's Pelican Bar, which is a bar in the ocean.

Wow.

It's on the south coast outside of Black river, near to Treasure beach, which is.

Yes.

Which is where the Calabash Literary Festival takes place and so on.

Do you have to give people a swimming test before they swim out to the bar?

I was a bartender in my early 20s and it was very important to know when to cut people off.

So that they didn't get too drunk.

I would think this is doubly dangerous in the ocean.

How do you know you're going to get back to shore?

Well, we were well equipped with wonderful boats and canoes and so on that are ready there to take you.

Okay.

With lifeguards and also diving experts who can assist you.

So don't worry about it.

The Pelican Bar.

Lovely and very exciting.

And it really is one of the big attractions also on our south coast.

Fabulous.

So I think what really sets us apart is the breadth of experiences that are rooted in our heritage and the warm hospitality of our people.

You know, we tend to say that Jamaicans have hospitality in their DNA.

You are going to feel that warmth, that friendliness, that sense of really belonging to something, someone.

When you are in Jamaica, I urge our visitors to come on down.

Come and experience the beauty, warmth and the diversity of the Jamaican culture.

And let us share with you why our motto is out of many, one people.

Beautiful.

Thank you so, so much, Minister Bartlett.

Really appreciate your.

Sour candy on the table.

Lazy afternoons in your sweatpants Watching cable.

Well, it feels so far away.

All the channels seem the same.

Trying to remember all the songs we like to play.

Cause those lazy afternoons don't come so frequently these days.

Oh, it's been so long And I cannot help but wonder Are you ever coming home?

I like you with your sour candy in the boat house on the lake.

Oh, but I hate, I hate, I, I hate, I hate, I hate, I hate the way it takes.

I can't get you off of my mind.

Looking out the window where we spend so much of our time.

Cause I miss the way it felt.

But I guess you can't control those damn cards with Babe.

I know that both of us are happy when we're free.

But would it be so hard to find your freedom here with me?

Oh, it's been so long.

And I cannot help but wonder Are you ever coming home?

I like you with your sour candy in the boat house on the lake.

But I hate, I hate, I hate, I hate, I hate, I hate the way it tastes.

And I,

I

hate the way it tastes.

But I love it all the same.

And I, I hate the way it tastes But I love it all the same.