TALKING POINTS FOR MINISTER OF TOURISM, HON. EDMUND BARTLETT AT THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF 138 STUDENT LIVING SUMMER RENTAL PROGRAMME LESLIE ROBINSON HALL, UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017

Salutations...

·       Professor Archibald McDonald, Principal, University of the West Indies, Mona

·       Mr. John Lee, Chairman, 138 Student Living Jamaica Limited

·       Members of the Media, Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Afternoon...  

·       Successful tourism requires innovation. It is the only way to gain and maintain long-term competitive advantage in one of the greatest global industries.

·       It is unfortunate that often we associate innovation with industry and manufacturing, and underestimate its relevance to the service industry. 

·       But what do I mean by innovation?  I am speaking of fresh thinking that translates great ideas into goods and services for which customers – our visitors – will pay. This is especially important for an industry like tourism, which is at the mercy of continuously changing demographic trends and consumer preferences.

·       It may be a pioneering package tour; more convenient and affordable accommodation; technology solutions that allow for off-site airport check in; or innovations in transportation – all of which work together to create a richer and more immersive experiences for visitors and locals alike.

·       How do you think Lyft, Uber and Airbnb have been able to make such significant inroads into the hospitality industry? They were created by innovators who thought out of the box to provide much needed services in a very non-traditional way. In short, they disrupted the travel economy with easy to access and affordable transportation and accommodation.

·       I am therefore pleased to be here this afternoon to participate in the launch of 138 Student Living’s Summer Rental Programme, which will see the use of thousands of student apartments for visitor accommodation outside of academic terms.

·       These rooms are an excellent budget alternative to hotels in Kingston. In addition, they are centrally located and so provide a great starting point from which to discover all that our vibrant Capital has to offer. 

·       Universities all over the world - from London to Florence as well as cities across the United States – are opening their dorms up to travellers, providing no-frills accommodation that is convenient and astoundingly cheap.

·       In addition, it is wonderful that these facilities, which targets, among others, church, professional and cultural groups, comes with access to the Mona Bowl with its Olympic-size pool, football and track fields, the gym, lecture theatres, the Phillip Sherlock Centre for the Arts and other amenities.

·       My Ministry and our Agencies are taking further steps to develop Kingston as both a cultural and sports tourism destination and as we increase visitor numbers to the city we are going to need alternative accommodation options like those being offered by 138 Student Living.

Innovation and Sector Performance

·       Jamaica’s tourism sector is performing incredibly well. In 2016, we welcomed a record 3.8 million visitors; an increase of 3.9 percent over 2015 – and as we look forward to an even more robust 2017 there is no doubt that our sector is on the right path to achieving our target of double digit growth.

·       However, if we intend to attract five million visitors by 2021; generate $5 billion in tourism earnings, increase the total direct jobs to 125,000 and add 15,000 new hotel rooms, then we must put in place the framework to foster the growth of this sector.

·       It is for this reason that my Ministry is keen on developing innovation-oriented tourism programmes to create more diverse travel experiences for our visitors, expose them to our rich culture and showcase the warm Jamaican hospitality for which we are known the world over.

·       I have spoken often of the Five Pillars of Tourism Growth, which we will use to transform the island’s tourism sector and achieve this growth. 

·       These are:

§  Tapping into new markets

§  Developing new products

§  Promoting investment

§  Building new partnerships, and

§  Developing human capital

·       Underpinning these five pillars of growth are five strategic areas of focus, which will serve to further diversify our tourism offerings while building business opportunities and generating improvements in the competitiveness of our tourism product.

·       These are our:

§  Gastronomy  Network

§  Sports and Entertainment Network

§  Health and Wellness Network

§  Shopping Network

§  Knowledge Network

The Knowledge Network

·       It is the latter – the Knowledge Network – that resonates most when I see what is taking place here today, in particular as it relates to Educational Tourism or Edu Tourism.

·       Through our Knowledge Network, which is headed by Digicel Jamaica CEO David Butler, we are seeking to establish ourselves as a meeting place for the thinkers of the world and Jamaica could very well become the centre for think tanks in the Caribbean.

·       The Knowledge Network is very dear to my heart. For years I have been talking about Jamaica becoming the place of choice for meetings, conventions and other events.

·       We have seen the construction of the International Seabed Authority building in downtown Kingston, the Montego Bay Convention Centre and meeting rooms established by a number of hotels, but we have not been fully capitalizing on the vast potential of the meetings and conventions market.

·       We have to put on our thinking caps, so to speak, to effectively address this issue. To this end the Knowledge Network will:

§  Develop a central information repository and an online tourism knowledge portal

§  Conduct a Convention Centre Review

§  Develop Edu Tourism (Map, Package and Market best practices in Tourism)

§  Host an International Forum

·       Travelling to destinations with the primary purpose of engaging in a learning experience (Edu Tourism) is growing in popularity, especially among young people.  There are so many facets to Edu Tourism and Jamaica has so much to offer with the rich history of our museums and heritage sites, our vast natural resources, our many educational institutions and excellent meeting facilities.

·       I see where a variety of programmes involving hundreds of participants are already taking advantage 138 Student Living’s facilities, including a three-week Youth Life Skill Expo Summer Camp; a 21-day Holistic Wellness Health and Fitness Programme; and a one-month Summer Soccer Sumfest operated through Global Soccer Ministries.

·       This augurs well for Jamaica’s tourism sector in general and Kingston tourism, in particular. I commend the principals of 138 Student Living for their innovative thinking, which is adding a new facet to our Capital’s accommodation offerings and I wish you great success.

Thank you.