KINGSTON, Jamaica – Following the passage of Hurricane Beryl in Jamaica, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has indicated that based on information collected by the Tourism Emergency Operations Centre (TEOC), Jamaica’s tourism sector has not experienced any major fallout from the weather system.
Hon. Edmund Bartlett (file photo)
“While there have been some reports of fallen trees, debris, flooding and power outages, we are grateful that there has been no wide-scale impact to our general tourism infrastructure,” said Minister Bartlett.
The TEOC reported that a limited number of tourists required relocation due to blocked roadways or due to precautionary measures. “Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our TEOC team and tourism partners, visitors were safely relocated from one location to another,” Mr. Bartlett explained.
The tourism minister continued: “We are also aware of isolated reports of property damage. Post-hurricane impact assessments are now underway and are being led by the Tourism Product Development Company’s (TPDCo) product quality team, and we will have a clearer picture of the steps that will have to be taken to address any concerns in the coming days.”
“I commend our tourism partners and representatives of the Ministry of Tourism and its public bodies, including members of the TEOC team, for working closely and tirelessly to mitigate the impact of Beryl, which will also facilitate a speedy recovery,” Minister Bartlett underscored.
“Our resilience and collaboration in the face of adversity was again demonstrated over the last few days, and I am confident that the industry will recover rapidly and emerge even stronger,” Bartlett added.
The TEOC serves as the central hub for coordinating emergency response and recovery efforts within the tourism sector. Serving as the official source of information for the tourism industry, the TEOC is located at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel and was officially activated on July 2.
