Jamaica committed to visitor safety - Bartlett

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has reiterated Jamaica's commitment to creating a new way forward as it relates to visitor safety and security.

This follows a meeting with international tourism security expert, Dr Peter Tarlow, Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang and senior members of the Ministry of Tourism and its agencies.

"This exercise of reviewing our security arrangements with a view to improving our infrastructure is not a knee jerk reaction because the whole business of safety and security is fundamental to tourism," he said. "Safety, security and seamlessness underpin the sense of well-being of visitors crossing borders. It is a feeling that must pervade the traveller before they even leave their destination and therefore it is the responsibility of the destination that the well-being of visitors are secure," said Bartlett.

Dr Tarlow is currently in the island to provide technical support for the island wide security audit being carried out by the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo).

The security audit, which is to be completed by the first half of 2019, will identify gaps and ensure that the destination remains safe, secure and seamless for visitors and locals alike.

As part of Dr Tarlow's engagement, he met with and made a presentation to hotel general managers, security professionals, contractors and the police high command during a Tourism Safety and Security Forum held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre yesterday.

Today, Dr Tarlow will join a briefing with the security operations audit team, meet with embassy officials from the US, UK and Canada, and take part in a media briefing to be held inside TPDCo's boardroom at their New Kingston office.