Bartlett upbeat about Jamaica’s Country Brand Ranking in Tourism

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 07, 2019:  Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says he is heartened by results of a new study by the Bloom Consulting, which shows Jamaica entering the top-ten tourism country brands in the Americas for 2019-2020, moving up five places since the last assessment.

“I am very proud of the continued improved positioning of Jamaica’s tourism product globally and particularly the recent Bloom Consulting positioning, which has given Jamaica a premiere place in the Americas,” said Minister Bartlett.

The top-10 ranked countries in the Americas from first to 10th place are the United States, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Argentina, and Jamaica.   Jamaica ranks 52 out of 198 destinations.

Bloom Consulting is a firm, which specializes in nation branding and city branding. Since 2003, the company has developed Nation Branding and City Branding strategies for various local and national governments around the world, collaborating with government officials, heads of tourism boards, and directors of investment agencies.

According to the consulting company, their ranking “not only measures perceptions and appeal of a tourism-specific Country Brand, but also classifies its relative branding performance in a tangible and realistic manner.”

Their algorithm for this ranking comprises four key variables, including the economic performance of a country’s tourism sector, its online performance, as well as digital measurements, to present an accurate and objective Brand Ranking.

“I am particularly pleased that we are included in this list for our economic performance. I am extremely pleased that our earnings have grown exponentially and whilst we make projections for US$5 billion over 5 years, we are seeing the kind of increases that makes us feel confident that we will achieve those targets,” said the Minister.

The study states that the Caribbean region experienced strong growth “despite being hit by violent hurricanes in the summer of 2017.” Sharing also that, “Jamaica must be congratulated for reaching a higher Country Brand Strategy Rating and being able to stabilize its tourism receipts thanks to prioritizing its Country Brand given the strong competition in the area.”

The Minister shared that the positive ranking is a result of the hard work being done by the Ministry of Tourism and other local stakeholders.

“I want to use the opportunity to congratulate my team, the sector, and the stakeholders who have all been working so hard. Over the last three years, Jamaica has distinguished itself as a leader in so many areas. We have grown our arrivals against the background of our projections of our five-pillar strategy – which is to increase arrivals to five million in five years and earn $5 billion,” said the Minister.

He also added that, “I think that all of us as a nation need to feel justly proud that we have built an industry that is truly supportive of our economic goals and is a great contributor in job creation and inclusive growth.”