Workers Urged to Get Vaccinated, as Jamaica Anticipates Cruise Ship Return    

•  Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has implored workers in the sector to sign up now to receive the coronavirus vaccine, as Jamaica anticipates the return of cruise ships. 
• Although cruise activities at Jamaica’s ports have been inactive for the past year and a half, the ministry continues to invest in the development of cruise tourism. Jamaica Vacations Limited (JAMVAC) has been driving this effort to take advantage of a new collaborative approach that will bring greater value for passengers, cruise lines and destination Jamaica. 
• The global cruise industry has cautiously resumed its voyages with new rules and guidelines. A total of 190 cruise ships are expected to take to the seas in August. With several countries lifting their ban on cruise shipping, and cruise lines anxious to recover lost ground, it is the ports of call which meet the strict health and safety protocols that will be first in line to receive vessels. 
• Minister Bartlett noted that Jamaica has been credited for its proactive approach in developing protocols for the tourism industry, which has contributed to the reopening of the tourism sector with a positivity rate of less than 1.0%. He added that it is time for the cruise subsector to play its part, as the ministry follows a strategic path in reimagining the tourism sector to rebuild faster, stronger and better.

(Source: JIS News)