AS Jamaica prepares for one of the busiest periods on its tourism calendar — with Reggae Sumfest, Dream Weekend, and the peak summer travel season expected to drive increased visitor activity across the island — greater emphasis is being placed on the front line hospitality professionals who shape the experiences visitors remember long after they return home.

Against that backdrop, the D&G Foundation has expanded its Brewtender hospitality training programme to St Ann for the first time, equipping 15 bartenders with practical customer service, hospitality, and product knowledge skills, designed to strengthen service excellence ahead of the busy tourism season.

According to the D&G Foundation, the programme’s expansion reflects St Ann’s strategic importance to Jamaica’s visitor economy. Home to Ocho Rios, Jamaica’s second-largest stopover destination, the parish attracts approximately one in every five stopover visitors to the island.