Tourism Minister Wykeham McNeil - file photo
The Government will be amending the Jamaica Tourist Board Act to clamp down on persons operating businesses in the tourism industry without proper registration and licences.
Tourism Minister Dr. Wykeham McNeil has announced that there will be increased efforts to boost compliance with guidelines in the sector. This decision follows consultations on ways to protect the industry.
He said, among the areas of concern was the practice of persons "who rent out their villas or apartments without having tourism tourisms at all, that don't have other licenses (concerning) health, security, safety, fire... that don't have insurance."
He described such situations as "very dangerous," adding that "tourism is changing with the advent of the Internet, with things like airbnb; it makes it very easy for persons to register, and visitors, and even Jamaicans going to those properties, and those properties may not be safe."
He said, among the areas of concern was the practice of persons "who rent out their villas or apartments without having tourism tourisms at all, that don't have other licenses (concerning) health, security, safety, fire... that don't have insurance."
He described such situations as "very dangerous," adding that "tourism is changing with the advent of the Internet, with things like airbnb; it makes it very easy for persons to register, and visitors, and even Jamaicans going to those properties, and those properties may not be safe."
According to Dr. McNeil, the amendments to the JTB Act are close to implementation, having received the final recommendations for the proposed changes.
"I will be sending out those recommendations now, to have the final consultations on them, and once those are completed, I'm going to take those to Cabinet and to the Chief Parliamentary Counsel, for me to be able to take it to Parliament."
He told RJR News that he expected to be able to take the bill to Parliament "within the next three months."
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