This year’s Jamaica Health and Wellness Tourism Conference, scheduled to get under way tomorrow (November 18) and end on Friday at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James, will this year see promotion of the country as a health and wellness destination as its major focus.

The theme for this year’s event, hosted by the Tourism Linkages Network (TLN), is ‘Refresh, reboot, reawaken – the new world of health and wellness’.

TLN Director Carolyn McDonald Riley told the Jamaica Information Service recently that the event would also be streamed live on social media via the YouTube and Facebook platforms of the Tourism Enhancement Fund, of which the TLN is a division.

McDonald Riley said in-person attendance would be limited to 50 persons who are “expected to be vaccinated” and further noted that the conference was designed to promote Jamaica as a health and wellness tourism destination.

“With the COVID-19 pandemic, many persons are looking for destinations that they think are safe, destinations that adhere to COVID-19 protocols, whether international standards or what they deem to be their own local standards. People are looking for these areas to travel,” she said.

“So, everybody who has a business, especially those in tourism whether it is hotel, accommodation [or] attraction, should be particularly interested in this.”

She indicated that the conference will bring together local and international leaders in the health and wellness tourism industry who will make presentations and participate in panel discussions across a number of thematic areas, including, Global Wellness Trends and insights; Wellness travel experiences; Nutrition; Medical tourism; Health and wellness tourism value chain; Wellness in the community; Spas; Wellness Music, and Investing in Wellness.

McDonald Riley also informed that a Natural Skincare Product Development Workshop was to be held today (November 17), ahead of the conference.

For additional information, persons are asked to visit @tefjamaica on Instagram or Facebook.