SOME of the island’s top local and international hotel owners are scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett today to discuss the Government’s growth agenda.

The meeting forms part of Bartlett’s efforts to thank the hotel owners for their investments in the island and to update them on the Administration’s growth plans.

“The tourism minister has set ambitious targets to secure five million visitors by 2021. By that timeline we also intend to generate US$5 billion in tourism earnings, increase the total direct jobs to 100,000 and add 15,000 new rooms,” Delano Seiveright, Bartlett’s senior advisor, said yesterday.

“Several of these international and local hoteliers are currently engaged in expansion projects and are absolutely crucial to the growth and prosperity agenda,” he added.

Seiveright also said that the investors will be briefed about the Shovel Ready projects initiative led by Jamaica Tourist Board Chairman John Lynch and which operates out of the tourism ministry.

Among the owners and CEOs attending the exclusive day of activities that span face-to-face meetings at the Office of the Prime Minister and dinner at Vale Royal, the official residence of the prime minister, are Luis Riu of RIU Hotels & Resorts; Guy Steuart, chairman of Half Moon; Alejandro Zozaya, CEO of Apple Leisure Group, operators of Secrets Resorts; Bruce Wardinski, founder, chairman and CEO of Playa Hotels and Resorts BV; Stephen Hunter, president and CEO of Sunwing Travel Group, operators of Royalton; Fernando Bosque Mohino, CEO of Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, the operators of Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay; Ruben Becerra, Neil Evans and Rafael Feliz of Karisma Hotel and Resorts; Adam Stewart, deputy chairman and CEO of Sandals Resorts; Richard Byles of Jewel Resorts and Hilton Rose Hall; Lee Issa of Couples Resorts; Stephen Facey of Pan-Jam; Chris Blackwell of Island Outpost; and Christopher Issa, among several others.