(TAN): Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has announced an end-to-end insurance programme for tourists travelling to the island. The Jamaica Cares Insurance Programme is set to be officially launched mid-November.
The initiative, which according to Bartlett is “first-of-its kind in the world”, comprises two components — an all-hazard and a Covid-19 programme aimed at providing travel protection and emergency services to tourists coming into the island, as well as to ensure the safety and protection of workers in the tourism sector and, by extension Jamaican citizens.
The minister, who is the co-chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), said during a virtual press conference that the GTRCMC has signed an agreement with Global Rescue for the implementation of the program.
“The Jamaica Cares Programme represents another prong in our COVID resilience and has been designed very specifically and very deliberately. The programme protocol will ensure our ability to welcome travellers to Jamaica safely, knowing that in the worst-case scenario, they will be treated to the gold standards of care and service by building an alliance that looks at the travel experience to Jamaica and back home again,” Bartlett said.
Noting the negative impact of the pandemic on the tourism sector, the minister said that during this crisis period Jamaica has shown the way towards revival of tourism by new procedures like the Covid-19 protocols and the resilient corridor. He pointed out that the coronavirus resilient corridor is an important and effective component that gives the country the ability to manage and track the movement of tourists, while enabling them to enjoy the tourism activities.
