KINGSTON, JAMAICA – Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that he has initiated discussions with top representatives of Emirates Airlines, with the aim of introducing a unique flight between Dubai and Jamaica early next year. The announcement comes as the Minister concluded marketing activities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) yesterday, with a crucial meeting with senior executives of Emirates Airlines at their Dubai Headquarters. A major element of the wide-ranging discussion was the possibility of introducing a special service between Dubai and Jamaica, in celebration of Jamaica Day at Expo 2020, Dubai in February 2022. “We agreed to explore the feasibility of arranging this flight, details of which are to be worked out as soon as possible. There was also a productive discussion around tourism and airline recovery prospects and the positive V-shape pattern being experienced by Jamaica and Dubai,” said Bartlett.
He anticipates further discussions in the context of multi-destination strategies being formulated in the northern Caribbean to enable a more fulsome engagement of the Emirates and other partners in the Middle East. Emirates is the largest airline in the UAE, and the Middle East overall, operating over 3,600 flights per week.
While in the UAE, Minister Bartlett and his team also met with the country’s Tourism Authority to discuss collaboration on tourism investment from the region; Middle East tourism initiatives; and gateway access for North Africa and Asia and facilitation of airlift. There were also meetings with executives of EMAAR, arguably the largest and most prestigious hospitality and Real Estate/Community developer in the Middle East; DP World, one of the world’s largest port and marine logistics companies; DNATA, the single largest tour operator in the UAE and TRACT, a powerful tour operator in India.
“The round of marketing activities my team and I had with the key tourism and logistics partners in the UAE, were very fruitful. This will undoubtedly result in the process of securing new investments, markets and gateways from the Middle East, Asia/Asia Minor and Africa to Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean,” Minister Bartlett explained.
From the UAE, Minister Bartlett will head to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he will speak at the 5th edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII). This year’s FII will include in-depth conversations about new global investment opportunities, analysis of industry trends, and unparalleled networking among CEOs, world leaders, and experts.
He will be joined by Senator, Hon. Aubyn Hill in his capacity as Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), with responsibility for Water, Land, Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs), the Special Economic Zone Authority of Jamaica and special projects.
Cruise Investment Talks with DP World
Also Edmund Bartlett recently concluded a series of important cruise investment meetings with DP World, a major multinational logistics company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“I am very happy to announce that our meetings with one of the world’s largest port and marine logistics companies, DP World, have been very successful. During three consecutive days of meetings, we have had serious discussions about investments in the Port Royal Cruise Port and the possibility of homeporting. We also discussed the development of a logistics hub, a Vernamfield multi-modal transport and aerotropolis, as well as other infrastructural investments,” said Bartlett.
DP World Chairman, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, through his emissary, Executive Vice President of DP World, Mohammed Al Maullem, expressed interest in Jamaica and conveyed greetings to Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness.
Bartlett and executives of DP World are to continue these discussions in the near future with the Port Authority of Jamaica and the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.
DP World specialises in cargo logistics, maritime services, port terminal operations and free trade zones. It was formed in 2005 following the merger of Dubai Ports Authority and Dubai Ports International. DP World handles some 70 million containers that are brought in by around 70,000 vessels annually, which equates to roughly 10% of global container traffic accounted for by their 82 marine and inland terminals present in over 40 countries. Up until 2016, DP World was primarily a global ports operator, and since then it has acquired other companies up and down the value chain.
While in the UAE, Minister Bartlett and his team will also meet with representatives of the country’s Tourism Authority to discuss collaboration on tourism investment from the region; Middle East tourism initiatives; and gateway access for North Africa and Asia and facilitation of airlift. There will also be meetings with executives of DNATA Tours, the single largest tour operator in the UAE; members of the Jamaican Diaspora in the UAE; and three major Airlines in the Middle East – Emirates, Etihad and Qatar.
From the UAE, Minister Bartlett will head to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he will speak at the 5th Anniversary of the Future Investment Initiative (FII). This year’s FII will include in-depth conversations about new global investment opportunities, analysis of industry trends, and unparalleled networking among CEOs, world leaders, and experts. He will be joined by Senator, Hon. Aubyn Hill in his capacity as Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), with responsibility for Water, Land, Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs), the Special Economic Zone Authority of Jamaica and special projects.
Minister Bartlett will return to the island on Saturday, November 6, 2021.
Source: https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/jamaica%27s-tourism-minister-in-talks-with-emirates-airlines-to-introduce-special-flight-to-jamaica