Bartlett to woo African American hotel owners and developers to Jamaica
MINISTER of Tourism Edmund Bartlett will be attempting to attract more investment in the tourism sector when he addresses the 14th annual International African American Hotel Ownership and Investment Summit and Trade Show slated for the Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, Florida on July 21-24.
The four-day event is organised by the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD) under the theme: “Creating new opportunities” and is expected to explore African American hotel ownership, public/private partnerships, financing, franchising, investment opportunities and employment and supplier opportunities.
Bartlett will focus on the performance of Jamaica’s tourism industry, the opportunities for investing, the synergies that exist in the tourism sector and the overall attractiveness and benefits of investing in Jamaica’s tourism sector.
“We are always looking to attract new investors to the island, and so this summit represents an excellent platform on which to sell Jamaica to potential investors. Despite the global economic challenges, Jamaica has been one of very few destinations that have recorded growth, which is testimony to the strength and quality of our tourism product,” Minister Bartlett said. “This is the largest gathering of black hotel owners and developers of hotel properties, which includes some of the most notable names in the business,” he added.
Among the other speakers scheduled for the African American Hotel Ownership and Investment Summit and Trade Show are: Bill Marriott, Chairman and CEO of Marriott Hotels International; Christopher J. Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton Hotels Corp; Eric Danziger, President and CEO of Wyndham Hotel Group; Jim Abrahamson, President of InterContinental Hotels Groups; Haiti’s Prime Minister, Jean-Max Bellerive and Vincent Vanderpool Wallace, Bahamas’ Minister of Tourism.
Some of those expected to attend the signature event include African American hoteliers, entrepreneurs, national leaders and hospitality representatives, professional athletes, McDonald restaurant owners, developers of hotels and financial experts.