KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -The Jamaica government is to embark on a series of islandwide public consultations to discuss issues relating to tourism and its impact on the national economy.
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, who noted the sector has grown by 36 percent over the past 30 years, against a total economic growth of 10 percent, said it was important that all stakeholders know about the opportunities available within the sector.
“My vision is for Jamaica to be at the top of the list of aspirational destinations for travelers. We must put in place the framework to ensure Jamaica’s brand integrity and promise, both of which are critical to the success of the tourism industry.
“When tourism wins, we all win because this vital industry is the key driver of the Jamaican economy. This sector generates direct employment for 175,000 Jamaicans and indirect employment for over 354,000 others, including hotel workers, farmers, craft vendors, entertainers, and transportation operators,” Bartlett added.
Bartlett said Jamaica’s reputation as a world-class vacation destination, with numerous high-quality offerings, enables the country to remain competitive in the international marketplace.
“It also allows us to retain our envious position as the gem of the Caribbean with a 44 percent visitor return rate while keeping in mind that each visitor that comes to our island is a potential brand ambassador. In this technological age, good news travels fast, while bad news travels faster. Therefore, we must ensure that when a visitor leaves, it is with a world-leading experience.”
Bartlett said crucial to the effective development of the tourism product are the Destination Assurance Councils (DACs) in the six resort areas, tasked with ensuring that the quality, standards, and integrity of Jamaica’s tourism product are maintained.
But he noted that except for Montego Bay, the DACs have not been as active as “we had hoped; however, this is going to change in short order.”
Bartlett said that the tourism sector is the single most significant contributor to Jamaica’s gross domestic product (GDP) and a primary source of foreign revenues.
“It is multidimensional and multifaceted, interfacing with nearly every economic sector, including agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, finance, the creative and cultural industries, construction, and many other services.
“To put it in perspective, tourism drives 15 percent of construction, 10 percent of banking and finance, 20 percent of manufacturing, and 21 percent of utilities, agriculture, and fisheries,” he said, pointing to the quick recovery of the sector, following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We closed the year (2022) with some 3.3 million visitors and earnings of US$3.6 billion. Furthermore, 2023 is shaping up to be another record year with stopover arrivals for the first ten weeks at 558,119, a 55.6 percent increase over the same period last year,” Bartlett said, stressing the importance of keeping the sector on a growth trajectory.
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