In a message to travel industry partners regarding the state
of public emergency in St. James Parish in Jamaica (where Montego Bay is
located), tourism minister Edmund Bartlett assured them that the country is open
for business, saying that enhanced security measures were put in place to
ensure the continued safety of residents and visitors.
He said that a state of public emergency "is a
tool to ensure enhanced security for all persons entering and leaving a
particular geographic area. Restrictions in the stated areas should not
adversely impact law-abiding persons."
Individuals and groups have gone about their daily
activities throughout the various resort regions without issue, Bartlett said.
All business activities are functioning as normal, including
all airports, cruise ports, hotels and attractions.
Bartlett said that Jamaica has been fortunate "to have
very few negative incidents against visitors, which is borne out in the
statistics. The current proactive initiative will only serve to boost our
record of safety and security."