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B M & T ••• July/August 2017 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 33 Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, on Tuesday (May 30) launched the Destination Assurance Councils (DACs) for six resort areas, which are tasked with ensuring that the quality, stan- dards and integrity of Jamaica's tourism prod- uct are maintained. The launch took place at the Eden Gardens Wellness Resort and Spa in Kingston. The Destination Assurance Councils, which replace the Resort Boards, are expected to identify the needs of the industry and mo nitor the progress of developmental initiatives in resort areas. This is in keeping with efforts to ensure that Jamaica pro- vides the attractive and secure tourism product, which is marketed to its visitors. In his address, Minister Bartlett called on the DACs to play their part in ensuring that the Jamaican experience is safe, secure and seamless for our visitors, adding that "people travel for the experience, so we need to make it special so that it leaves a positive impac t on the visitors and creates an ambiance that doesn't leave them second guessing the quality of the destination." Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett urges members of the Destination Assurance Councils (DACs) to play their part in Ed la C ar da uc th in ensuring that the Jamaican experience is safe, secure and seamless for the country's visitors. He was speaking at the launch of the DACs for six resort areas, which have been tasked with maintaining the quality, standards and integrity of Jamaica's tourism product. The launch took place on Tuesday, May 30, at the Eden Gardens Wellness Resort and Spa in Kingston. Minister Bartlett said the Ministry, its agencies and the DACs will focus on enhancing the tourism sector in Jamaica by way of their pooled expertise, noting that "the aim of the partnership is to improve standards, the physical development of the resorts and engage with citizens to ensure that Jamaica is viewed as favorable to visitors, facil- itating growth in the sector." He emphasized that the country will flourish economically through the partnership as tourism has the potential to be a net user of foreign exchange and to drive economic growth exponentially, as it is doing in othe r Caribbean islands like the Dominican Republic. "To build the capacity of our country, the council will identify individuals with skills and talents, for example in areas of craft devel- opment; by doing this we will reduce the level of leakage of tourism earnings, resulting in more wealth staying in Jamaica." In giving the official welcome, Dr. Andrew Spencer, executive director of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), expressed his confidence in the DACs s tating that this is Think you know La Quinta? 8 6 6 8 3 2 6 5 7 4 • L a Q u i n t a F r a n c h i s e . c o m • F r a n c h i s e @ L a Q u i n t a . c o m ©2017 La Quinta Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved. LA QUINTA and the Sunburst-Q are registered trademarks of La Quinta Worldwide, LLC in the US and other countries. This is not an offering. Federal regulations and the laws and regulations of some states and provinces regulate the sale of franchises. An offering will only be made in compliance with those laws and regulations, which may require that we provide you with a disclosure document. (MNREG#4544) *As defined by STR Over 880 locations and 240+ in the pipeline • Hotels located in 24 of the top 25 MSA markets* • New Del Sol prototype optimizes revenue-producing square footage There's a whole lot more to know about La Quinta. See how we're investing in and growing one of the best brands in the Americas! MINISTER OF TOURISM, HON. EDMUND BARTLETT JAMAICA TOURISM LAUNCHES DESTINATION ASSURANCE COUNCILS