KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, has hailed the Tourism Product Development Company Ltd (TPDCo) for its critical role in the advancement of the nation’s tourism sector.

He said the entity continues to be a custodian of integrity and quality, advancing the reputational value of the industry.

“TPDCo stands in the gap between the promise made to the (tourists) in the marketplace and the experience they have when they get here,” the minister pointed out.

He was addressing TPDCo’s staff service awards luncheon at the Caymanas Golf and Country Club in St Catherine yesterday.

Bartlett said the company will be required to play an even greater role as the country’s tourism product continues to evolve to meet the needs of the marketplace.

“You have a larger role to play because the product is evolving; the experiences are changing and the attitude of our visitors and customers are equally in that state of constant transition,” he pointed out.

He said TPDCo will be required to be “nimble and adaptive” in order to ensure that Jamaica maintains its hold on tourism.

Turning to developments at the Montego Bay Convention Centre (MBCC), Minister Bartlett said the facility registered a 65 per cent increase in revenue for the fiscal year ending March 31.

There was also a 13 per cent reduction in operating expenses over the prior fiscal year and a 41 per cent increase in the number of meetings held at the MBCC.

Bartlett informed that the MBCC is “now on the path for the first time to break even in its operational expenses over revenue”.

“This tells you that with application, with serious management, with marketing…we have proven that a public good, which a convention centre provides, offers opportunities for economic activity in other areas,” he said.