REPORT FROM JAMAICA - PROFIT: In the opening ceremony, of the Partnership Roles and Opportunities for Investors in Tourism (PROFIT) on Tuesday projects sponsors, investors and business partners from Europe and the Caribbean and investment promotion agencies from 14 Caribbean countries including Jamaica were in attendance.

Lorraine Ortiz, Caribbean Hotel Association, is pleased at the numbers, I think the registration has surpassed our expectations, and the additional persons are from the investment side, which means business is looking good for us.

The meeting, which will aim to ensure that the 120 projects selected from the over 200 submissions from the region will be funded through partnerships from the investors and financial institutions that are present at the meeting.

Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) president, Patricia Francis, Chairman of those proceedings, brought good news to the gathering, as she returned from Malta last week with news that JAMPRO/Jamaica won the first ever World Trade Promotion organisation for a small country.

Minister of Development, Dr. the Hon. Paul Robertson who was also pleased at the delegate turn out, spoke to Caribbean integration and said that the Caribbean is a prime destination for tourists and is ripe for development, so I am hoping that we will have very positive results at the end of this partnership meeting.

In referring specifically to Jamaica, the Minister indicated that the Government long realized the service sector was fast becoming part and parcel of the real economy and created the necessary framework for expansion. We are also taking the necessary decisions at the policy level to create a conducive business climate in Jamaica fro both public and private sectors.

Also speaking at the opening were Peter Odle, 1st vice president of the Caribbean Hotel Association; Athanassios Theodorakis, Acting Director General for Development - European Commission, Leela Narinesingh - CARICOM - who represented CARICOM, Peter Mathers, British High Commissioner.

The sessions today are to look at Tourism Leaders Outlook to be chaired by Hon. Wykeham McNeill, junior minister for Tourism - Jamaica; Noel Lynch - Tourism Minister - Barbados; Philip Pierre - tourism Minister - St. Lucia; and Harold Lovell - tourism Minister for Antigua. Another session will look at A view from the top. How does the Caribbean fit into the plans of Leading international Hotel and Tourism companies? Scott Berman of Price Waterhouse Coopers will lead this and Chris Dehring of World Cup 2007 will be the lunchtime speaker. One on one meetings continue throughout the day.