Government of Jamaica
“Knowledge is power”, a commonly used phrase that for decades holds true. In this decade we are armed with information that can be accessed anywhere and anytime. In fact, right this moment, you were able to source or access this blog post with little to no effort. However, in some cases, information can still be sparse or, based on the field of study, can be difficult to comprehend. In this highly trafficked space, it is also easy to lose readers or visitors to your website or social media by using the wrong words/ phrases.
In July, with plans to host a tourism-focused webinar, we thought of the type of information that our audience might find useful and apply in their respective fields. Based on research, we realized that our services, and hearing from other tourism businesses topped the list for the most needed information.
The content, on the day, included discussions with our licensing, Product Quality and training experts who provided detailed and valuable information about steps involved for all the above. For licensing, led by department’s head Sheryll Lewis, we delved into the categories of licenses, the process of getting licensed, the documents required and some useful “dos and don’ts” for the application process. To have the information from someone in the field gave our attendees the chance to pose their questions, and receive an answer in real-time, which was of course highly appreciated.
Our Product Quality discussion, led by department head Deanne Keating-Campbell featured information on the assessment process, and the much sought-after information about becoming COVID-19 Compliant, for which a certificate is granted upon passing all steps involved.
Training was also deemed top tier in the lineup, and Western Training Manager, Megan Mollison was able to provide details on our training programmes. Team Jamaica and Tour guiding, being highly requested training programmes were discussed at length, which we believe will help to answer some of the questions that appear frequently in our public mailbox letusknow@tpdco.org
As a bonus, inspiration came from experts in the field – Wolde Kristos of Reliable Adventures Jamaica or RAJ Tours, Farrah Blake of the St. Ann Development Company, specifically Dunn’s River and Kimika Beckford of Royalton. All partners provided insight on their coping with the pandemic, which has impacted the tourism sector, as well as tips on how similar businesses can use creative skills and other strategies to remain afloat.
The overall activity signified that it is important for us to touch base with the public, for you to completely understand what we have to offer and how everyone can benefit. Tourism Is not for the “big-man”. it is intended to benefit all Jamaicans, and to improve the well-being of all our citizens. We implore you to use the information to get to that next level of success or share it with someone who you believe might want to make their stamp in the tourism sector.
Should you wish to watch or re-watch the session, please use the links below, and feel free to send us your questions and/or queries to letusknow@tpdco.org
A special thank you to all our viewers and attendees who responded to our invitation and engaged with us for the entire 2 plus hours. We are also grateful to the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) for a high-quality production and Royalton Resorts for their generous gift of a day pass for two adults and a child, which was snatched by attendee Akel Johnson.
Happy viewing and until next time,
Stay safe
TPDCo Youtube https://youtu.be/Zl-u_Lz7BEM
JIS: https://youtu.be/Zl-u_Lz7BEM
