Eva Myers, owner of Evita's Italian Restaurant, gets a hug from Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett after he enjoyed Mother's Day brunch at the popular dining spot in Ocho Rios, St Ann, last Sunday. - Contributed

Following on recent announcements to license casino gambling in Jamaica and the offer of three per cent interest loans to small hotels, villas and small attractions, through the Tourism Enhancement Fund, Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett will be speaking the American Chamber of Commerce (Jamaica) (AmCham) Speakers' Forum Luncheon Series for 2008 on Thursday, at the Hilton Kingston hotel.

His topic: 'The New Tourism: How it will impact you and your business', is expected to focus primarily on the economic linkages that will result from his recently announced five-year plan to boost tourism through increased tourist arrivals, more hotel room capacity and the granting of casino licences to Celebration Jamaica and Harmony Cove.

According to Audrey Marks, president of AmCham, "We are expecting a capacity crowd for this event, as many of our members are eager to hear more on the minister's plans for retooling the industry by way of maximising linkages, minimising leakage and lessening local economic dependence on outside factors. We believe this will set the stage for a path of inclusiveness and partnership in the tourism industry, and AmCham aims to facilitate this by informing and inspiring policies and practices to enable the private and public sectors to work more effectively."

Wide focus

She pledged AmCham's readiness to work with a range of stakeholders and maintain a wide geographical focus to develop a detailed understanding of tourism's role in wealth creation for Jamaicans.

This is the second in the speakers' forum luncheon series for this year.

For reservations, contact Dianne Williams at: 929-7866 or email: gm_amcham@cwjamaica.com