KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 21, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett yesterday revealed that his Ministry’s Tourism Linkages Speed Networking event has resulted in local Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs) negotiating contracts valued at over $630 million, over the past three years.

Speaking at this year’s staging of the Speed Networking event in Montego Bay, the Minister said, “I am pleased to share that Speed Networking 2016 resulted in contracts valued at some $181 million; while the 2017 event saw suppliers benefitting from over $200 million in contracts; and in 2018, the value of these contracts grew to over $250 million.  That is over $630 million in contacts for local SMTEs from just three one-day linkages events.”

He also noted that among the top beneficiaries of the event, were Boss Furniture and Tortuga Rum Cakes.

Boss Furniture won a contract valued at $30 million to provide bedding and furnishings to Montego Bay’s new S Hotel while another $10 million in contracts with that property is in the pipeline.

In addition, Boss Furniture CEO Omar Azan is also in negotiation with the Sandals and Hendrickson Groups to supply their properties with locally made bedding and furniture. Tortuga Rum Cakes also negotiated a $500,000 contract with Half Moon Hotel, from their participation in the event.

“This event is a tremendous help to local manufacturers, farmers and service providers. In creating these linkages, it helps us to grow our business, provide jobs for our people, provide revenue for the government, and in the end grow our economies. Two years ago I attended the event and got a big order from a hotelier and it can be like that for any supplier,” said Mr Azan.

The Minister noted that the event is a key initiative designed to offer support to SMTEs and helps to strengthen the linkages between tourism and other sectors of the economy, and in so doing, increases the economic impact of the sector.

“The strategy must be to increase the capacity to supply the demands that tourism consumption patterns require and find creative ways of building entrepreneurship among our local stakeholders to fill these requirements. In this way, we will retain more of the revenue generated by tourism in the local economy and stop leakages,” he said.

The Tourism Linkages Speed Networking event took place on March 20 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. It is a core initiative of the Tourism Linkages Network in close collaboration with the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Jamaica Manufacturers’ Exporters’ Association (JMEA), Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC).

The event format features fifteen minute pre-scheduled meeting appointments between Managing Directors, General Managers or CEOs of local supplier companies of products and services with Owners or Managers of properties, restaurants, attractions and other tourism entities throughout the course of one day.

Additional representatives from core areas within the hotel’s operation such as Purchasing, Food and Beverage and Maintenance who are in a position to make purchasing decisions also attend.

For this year’s staging organisers targeted suppliers from areas such as: Digital marketing, Content capture services, Maintenance providers and Entertainment. Other suppliers included areas such as furniture, fresh produce, craft, chemicals and cleaning products, cosmetics and spa products, training, electrical services and construction.

“Last year we had 56 supplier companies and 33 tourism entities in attendance.  This year we have 110 supplier companies and 57 tourism entities, proof that this event is gaining traction because participants are seeing results,” said the Minister.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 18, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says Jamaica’s tourism industry has benefitted tremendously from the recent staging of mega culinary and entertainment festivals.

In the month of March, Jamaica hosted its second annual Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival, the inaugural Jamaica Rum Festival as well as the much-anticipated Buju Banton Long Walk to Freedom concert. Each event saw thousands of patrons, with many visiting from overseas.

“I am very happy to announce that tourism arrivals have been impacted positively in March, from these mega-festivals. They provided an opportunity for us to broaden the market by bringing more people to the destination to meet a variety of passion points which embody the very best of our food, culture and music,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Minister also noted that preliminary figures indicate that arrivals for Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport, last Friday, ahead of Buju Banton’s Long Walk to Freedom concert, show that 2,434 foreign nationals visited. This represents a 143% increase over the same period last year.

The data from the Jamaica Tourist Board also shows that 7,389 foreign nationals arrived into Montego Bay on Friday, which is a 58% increase over the same day last year. 

“The arrivals over the weekend have been very strong and as an industry we are ecstatic. Our focus on our core tourist arrivals remains on strong footing from our key source markets. Since the start of the year, as at yesterday we have receive 72,999 more visitors than last year overt the same period,” said the Minister.

Kingston, Jamaica; Friday March 15, 2019… Tourism Minister Hon Edmund Bartlett has lauded the contribution of the finalists who will vie for the coveted award of national champions in the Tourism Service Excellence Awards (TSEA) on March 30.

The TSEA, which is in its sixth staging was created by the Ministry of Tourism, and is implemented annually by the Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo). The awards seek to recognize and reward tourism entities and individuals that have consistently provided exemplary service within the tourism industry.

 “Sixty percent of the value of the visitor experience is service and it is because of your service to the sector we were able to last year, break another record in terms of arrivals and earnings by welcoming about 4.32Million visitors and securing approximately US3.3Billion.

So Service for us is not a reference but service is what we do and in tourism, he who does it the best gets the most,” said Minister Bartlett.

Nineteen finalists are set to contend for the award of national champions in the TSEA come March 30^th. The finalists, ten of which represent organizations and nine, the individual category, were selected from the 6 resort areas of Jamaica.  107 nominations were received this year from the major sub-sectors of the tourism industry, from which 50 semi-finalists were shortlisted and further narrowed to decide the final 19 contenders for the major awards and prizes.

Minister Bartlett added that, “Our phenomenal arrivals and earnings last year helped us to employ 120,000 people directly and another 250,000 indirectly. This enabled us to contribute close to J$450 Billion to the GDP, in fact 22% of the earnings or the revenue that went into GDP came from tourism.

We could not have done it without the exceptional service of our tourism workers and these 19 finalists represent workers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to ensure our visitors experience service beyond expectation.”

Minister Bartlett also underscored the importance of rewarding tourism entities and individuals for their contribution to the tourism sector and the impact they continue to have on visitors to the island, which has resulted in an impressive 42% in repeat business; this represents the highest percentage in the region.

He recognized as well the importance of the service excellence awards programme which acknowledges, celebrates and showcases service.

The finalists for the 2018 TSEA are Beaches Negril, The Tryall Golf & Country Club, Ultimate Freedom Bed & Breakfast, The Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience, Half Moon Hotel, Deja Resort, Miss T’s Kitchen, Jamaica Inn, VIP Attractions and El Sol Vida from the organization category and from the individual category, Shenade Quarrie of Sandals Negril, Yanike Brown of Beaches Negril, Coleen Powell- Gordon of Jakes Treasure Beach, Kingsley George Blake of Round Hill Hotel, Conroy Thompson of Half Moon Hotel, Paul Norman of Dolphin Cove Jamaica, Nardia Angus of Golden Eye, Duane Phillips of Knutsford Court Hotel and Caroline Bonner of VIP Attractions.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Tuesday, March 12, 2019:  With visitor arrivals for the first nine weeks of this year exceeding one million and Jamaica being the first Caribbean destination to achieve this result, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett says the tourism industry has reached the peak of its growth. Earnings for the nine weeks have been put at US $800 Million.

The latest arrival figures were disclosed by Minister Bartlett as he delivered the keynote address at the official opening of Montego Bay’s newest attraction, the Grand-A-View Restaurant and Event Place on the weekend.

He said the figures signalled “that the earnings from tourism can now penetrate the economy of Jamaica and is influencing all the consumption patterns within the economy.” Also, said Minister Bartlett, “the industry now is at the peak of its growth” but will face new targets “because we’re in a continuous state of growth.”

Lauding the proprietors of Grand-A-View, Carl and Dr Barbara Erskine for their investment, Minister Bartlett was pleased that they had done so in gastronomy, stating that Jamaica must leverage for great effect, its ability to combine something produced or manufactured here with the range of international cuisine it offers to the world.

“Food tourism is going to be the major driver for growth and the experiential tourism product in Jamaica, but it is also going to be the basis on which a larger number of ordinary Jamaicans are going to be involved in the value chain of tourism,” said Minister Bartlett.

In consideration of that forecast, he disclosed, “We’re spending, from the Tourism Linkages Network, over USD300, 000 in this new fiscal year and building out these kinds of attractions and activities for the ordinary Jamaican. We’re starting out by reimagining the Lilliput area where now we have close to 3,000 rooms and by the end of this year we would have broken ground for at least 2,000 rooms in the Rose Hall area.”

The Tourism Minister said that is going to mean a demand for Jamaican goods and services such as barbers and hair braiders and “we met with some backyard farmers in Lilliput recently because we’re going to help to plant vegetables like tomatoes, the fruits that are natural to the area like soursop and sweetsop, and make sure that those fruits are sold to the hotels across the road from where they live.” Minister Bartlett said this initiative would be replicated in Negril and St Ann “because this is a big area.”

He also said coffee was now being treated as an international product in tourism “that every visitor that comes to Jamaica as of this year on a cruise ship will get a cup of Jamaican coffee at the terminal when they arrive.”

According to Minister Bartlett discussions were also taking place with Finance and Planning Minister, Dr Nigel Clarke on how to improve the fiscal arrangements that will allow “the kind of tax arrangements that will incentivise production and make more people want to invest in various areas of Jamaica.”

He singled out investment in food and restaurants, noting, “We’re looking at how to make it easier for them to bring higher cut pieces of meat and other items that are required to make us provide the higher level of culinary expressions that are deemed good for the growth of tourism in Jamaica.”

In consideration of what the Grand-A-View offers, Minister Bartlett said it was a solid investment to the growth and development of the city and portends that Montego Bay was returning to being the happening place for business and the entertainment centre for tourism in Jamaica.

The Grand-A-View is the only facility of its kind in Montego Bay, featuring an Observation Tower on the third floor that offers a 180-degree captivating view of the northern coast of the city. It also boasts an executive lounge, a conference room and an exquisitely laid out dining room.

Also welcoming the Grand-A-View as a fine addition to the Montego Bay landscape were Mayor Homer Davis and St James Custos, Bishop Conrad Pitkin; former minister of government, Dr Karl Blythe; Tourism Enhancement Fund Chairman, Hon Godfrey Dyer and Rev Frank Kellier, all of whom joined Dr Barbara Erskine in cutting the ribbon signifying the opening.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 08, 2019: Board Members and associates of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) had their second meeting, in Berlin, Germany today to discuss their major projects, which will be completed this year.

Speaking at the board meeting, Tourism Minister and Chairman of the Centre, Hon. Edmund Bartlett said, “I am very happy to announce that we are ahead of schedule for many of the plans that we have for the establishment and operations of this very important global institution. Our partners have been very active in securing important potential investors, as well as in the development of our key initiatives.

The major 2019 projects include the appointment of the Professorial Chair in Resilience and Innovation at University of the West Indies (UWI); the development of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Tool-Kit; and the development of the Global Tourism Resilience Measurement Framework for Global Tourism Resilience Readiness.  They also intend to develop an appropriate Global Indices for Tourism Resilience Readiness, as well as the official GTRCMC Academic Journal.

The Centre, with the assistance from East Park Drive and partners, has also engaged several potential investors to fund other projects. Some of these include the Tourism Seismic Readiness Study of International Airports across the Caribbean; Tourism Climate Resilience Awareness Campaign for Small and Medium Size in Small Island Developing States (SIDS); and the Tourism Health and Wellness Audit among SIDS.

The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) was launched on January 30, 2019 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre and is housed at the UWI.

The focus of the Centre includes: Risk Assessment, Mapping and Planning; Cyberspace Policy and Counter-Terrorism; Resilience-Related Research Collaborations; Development of Innovation Systems; Coordinating resilience policies with the government, Resource Mobilization, Capacity Building and Cross-Border Intelligence-sharing.

It will also provide research fellowship opportunities for individuals seeking to either expand their knowledge or, gain experience in tourism resilience and crisis management, through postdoctoral research, and internships for undergraduate and graduate students in fields of study related to tourism resilience and crisis management.

The first Board meeting was held on November 4, 2018 at the Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel in London, UK. The Board discussed among other things: the thematic focus of the Centre; the location of the Centre and, possible satellites in the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East as well as Oceania.

Minister Bartlett was accompanied by Dr. Lloyd Waller, Senior Advisor/Consultant and Gis’elle Jones, Research and Risk Management in the Tourism Enhancement Fund, who acted as secretary for the Board of Governors Meeting on the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre.

The team is expected to return to the island on March 09, 2019.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 07, 2019:  Jamaica was today presented with the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association’s (PATWA) International Travel Award for Destination of the Year, in Berlin, Germany.

Speaking at the ceremony, Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett said, “Jamaica is truly honoured to once again receive a prestigious award from the internationally recognized PATWA organization.

Our country has been continuously creating innovative initiatives aimed at improving the destination, as well as bolstering our marketing efforts in new and emerging markets. I am very happy that we have been recognized for our hard work, during this event, among other leading destinations.”

The Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA), a professional organisation of travel writers, which was founded in 1998, organizes the event. The awards recognize individuals and organisations that have excelled and/or are involved in the promotion of tourism from different sectors of the travel trade and service providers related directly or indirectly to the industry.

The Minister also noted that locally, the industry continues to break records for arrivals and revenue earned, making it a critical industry in the country’s growth agenda.

“Destination Jamaica has been performing exceptionally well. I am very proud to say that each year we continue to see an increase in the number of visitors to our shores – most of which have been to our island at least once before. This I am sure can be credited to our beautiful attractions and of course friendly people, who have also been able to earn from the industry,” he said.

The total visitor arrivals for 2016 stood at 3,837,243 with 2,181,684 being stopovers. In 2017, total arrivals broke the 4 million mark to end the year at 4,276,189. The record-breaking streak continued into 2018 when the country welcomed 4,318,600 visitors.

The statistics show that last year stopover arrivals exceeded the previous year by 5.1 percent but when compared to 2016, growth was a whopping 13.3 percent. The USA market in particular, grew by 7.5 percent in 2018 over 2017.

Preliminary figures for airport arrivals for the period of January 1 to February 17 2019 show Montego Bay recording 275,902 and Kingston 44,400 for a total of 320,602.  That is 31,172 or 10.2 percent increase in arrivals over the 2018 corresponding period.

The country also welcomed 469,000 cruise passengers, last month, which is 43,000 more tourists compared to the corresponding time last year

Projected figures for the 2018/19 fiscal year show gross earnings at US$3.334 billion, an 8.8 percent increase over the last fiscal year. Stopover arrivals are also projected at 2.713 million, which is a 6.2 percent increase.

The ceremony forms part of ITB Berlin, which is the largest tourism tradeshow in the world – the foremost business platform for global touristic offers and a prime marketplace and driving force behind the international tourism industry. It highlights hotels, tourist boards, tour operators, airlines among others related to the travel industry. ITB is also the ideal forum for establishing new customer contacts and conducting business.

The Minister is joined by Director of Tourism, Donovan White and the Jamaica Tourist Board’s Events Manager, Lorna Robinson. He will return to the island on March 9, 2019.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 07, 2019:  Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett was today awarded the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association’s (PATWA) Tourism Minister of the Year for Sustainable Tourism in Berlin Germany.

“The award for Tourism Minister of the Year for Sustainable Tourism is a very special accolade that I accept humbly on behalf of the people of Jamaica. Jamaica has been working very hard to ensure that tourism not only benefits the country but also remains sustainable,” said the Minister.

He also noted that Jamaica has hosted two major international conferences, over the past two years, which focused on sharing best practices and solutions to make the industry more resilient and sustainable.

“The truth is the Caribbean is the most tourism-dependent region in the world, with tourism being the largest generator of foreign exchange and jobs in 16 out of 28 countries in the region, and the sector receiving the most foreign direct investment. A major disruption to tourism will likely devastate the economic livelihoods of millions and stymie the sustainable development of the region, said Minister Bartlett.

It is for this reason, the Minister noted, that Jamaica has led the development of the first Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre.

‘Given the globally recognised importance of tourism management, the centre positions Jamaica as a global thought leader in tourism resilience and crisis management, and is thus a critical development enabler for countries around the world,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Centre which is housed at the University of the West Indies, will be staffed by local, regional and internationally recognized experts and professionals in the fields of climate management, project management, tourism management, tourism risk management, tourism crisis management, communication management, tourism marketing and branding as well as monitoring and evaluation.

It will also provide research fellowship opportunities for individuals seeking to either expand their knowledge or, gain experience in tourism resilience and crisis management, through postdoctoral research, and internships for undergraduate and graduate students in fields of study related to tourism resilience and crisis management.

During the awards presentation, Jamaica also received PATWA’s International Travel Award for Destination of the Year.

The event is organized by the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA), a professional organisation of travel writers that was founded in 1998.

The awards recognise individuals and organisations that have excelled and / or are involved in the promotion of tourism from different sectors of the travel trade and service providers related directly or indirectly to the industry.

ITB Berlin is the largest tourism tradeshow in the world – the foremost business platform for global touristic offers and a prime marketplace and driving force behind the international tourism industry.  The event highlights hotels, tourist boards, tour operators, airlines among others related to the travel industry. ITB is also the ideal forum for establishing new customer contacts and conducting business.

ITB this year will feature a Jamaica Night event on March 7, which will highlight the county’s attractions, food and culture.

The Minister is joined by Director of Tourism, Donovan White and the Jamaica Tourist Board’s Events Manager, Lorna Robinson. He will return to the island on March 9, 2019.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 05, 2019: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett departs the island today to participate in the International Tourism Bourse (ITB), in Berlin, Germany, where he has been invited to be a guest speaker at the ‘International Seminar on Global Tourism’s Trends and Challenges.’

The event is organized by the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA), a professional organisation of travel writers which was founded in 1998. The International Seminar on Global Trends and Challenges is an annual signature event.

The seminar will feature key stakeholders and global leaders in tourism such as the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili; Mr. Geoffrey Lipman, President of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners; and Mr. Alain St. Ange, Deputy Secretary-General of  the Forum of Small Medium Economic AFRICA ASEAN, among others.

“It is an honour for Jamaica to once again participate in this very important tradeshow.  I am looking forward to engaging tourism stakeholders and investors to share best practices, and forge solutions to create a more resilient industry,” said the Minister.

ITB Berlin is the largest tourism tradeshow in the world – the foremost business platform for global touristic offers and a prime marketplace and driving force behind the international tourism industry. 

The event highlights hotels, tourist boards, tour operators, airlines among others related to the travel industry. ITB is also the ideal forum for establishing new customer contacts and conducting business.

ITB this year will feature a Jamaica Night event on March 7 which will highlight the county’s attractions, food and culture.

“Jamaica Night is a great marketing opportunity for us in Germany. Last year we welcomed over 34,000 stop-over visitors from that country, which is a 14.7% increase over the same period in 2017,” said the Minister.

He also noted that during the last ITB, Berlin event, Eurowings officials announced their once weekly scheduled nonstop flights between the German city of Munich and Montego Bay, which began last summer.

“The new Eurowings route has been a welcomed addition to our industry, as Munich is one of the largest and wealthiest cities in Europe with a population of a population of 13 million. We have already seen an increase since and hope to further strengthen our marketing efforts to see an even greater increase,” he said.

The Minister is joined by Director of Tourism, Donovan White and the Jamaica Tourist Board’s Events Manager, Lorna Robinson. Minister Bartlett will return to the island on March 9, 2019.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 4, 2019:  All cruise passengers disembarking at Jamaica’s main ports will soon be treated to a cup of Jamaica’s world famous Blue Mountain Coffee.  The Ministry of Tourism is currently in discussions with two local coffee companies to roll out this new gastronomy initiative across the island.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett announced the new initiative to the hundreds of coffee aficionados and industry stakeholders who flocked to Newcastle, St. Andrew, for the Festival Marketplace of the second annual Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival on Saturday, March 2.

The Marketplace was the highlight of the three-day coffee festival and featured 45 exhibitors, food demonstrations, live entertainment and a Barista competition.

Noting the island’s record visitor arrivals, Minister Bartlett said, “This successful performance is not happening because we stood idly by and said Jamaica is nice so people will come. It is because we have created new experiences like the coffee festival that will attract more and more people to our destination.”

Jamaica welcomed 900,000 visitors in the first eight weeks of 2019  and projections by the Jamaica Tourist Board indicate that by the end of the first week of March the island will see over one million visitors.

Minister Bartlett lauded the creativity and innovation of the exhibitors, which included a variety of products from coffee-infused beauty products to coffee foods and drinks. “Our growth in Jamaica is predicated on creativity and innovation.  It will not come from producing new things but from adding value to existing things,” noted the Tourism Minister.

“We need to realign our thoughts to see the vast potential of coffee beyond the rich aromatic brewed beverage that we drink. The Tourism Linkages’ Gastronomy Network is opening up channels that will allow for investments and development of a whole line of products that can come from coffee ranging from coffee cake and coffee flour to air fresheners and fertilizers,” said Minister Bartlett as he called for less reliance on foreign markets.

The coffee festival, hosted by the Tourism Linkages Network of the Ministry of Tourism, showcased the rich tradition of coffee production in the Blue Mountain region.  It began with business development workshops for farmers on March 1, held in collaboration with the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA).

The final day of the festival (March 3) was the Jamaica Blue Mountain Culinary Trail, which featured eateries with specialty menus as well as attractions, coffee estates and manufacturing facilities in the Blue Mountain region.

Saturday’s Professional Barista Competition was won by Sadiki Gordon of Toyota Coffee House.  He was trained by Deaf Can! Coffee, a social enterprise that trains deaf workers in the art of coffee and baking, and has been a professional barista for four years.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Monday March 4, 2019:   Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett is urging banks to invest more in the sector’s value chain by establishing portfolios geared towards Tourism. This Minister Bartlett highlighted, will provide more access to funding to build capacity among smaller players in the sector and stimulate more economic growth.

“Last year, 1.4Billion people travelled the globe and spent US1.6Trillion. In that same year, the value of tourism to global GDP was eleven percent (11%). In the Caribbean, 1 in 5 jobs are tourism based and foreign exchange generated by tourism in the region represents more than 50% of the total foreign exchange generated which includes minerals and extractive industries.

Despite this growth we recognize that tourism was never organized or structured as an industry and a driver of the economy. It just mushroomed and has grown exponentially while make-shift arrangements were made to facilitate it,” said Minister Bartlett.

Minister Bartlett was speaking at a breakfast meeting organized by Executives of First Global Bank with several key tourism stakeholders from Montego Bay on Friday March 1, 2019.

“As tourism continues its growth, things are changing and we must respond appropriately to meet the needs of this mega industry starting with a labour market architecture. That is why I have initiated the Human Capital Development Strategy to train and certify all the workers through the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation to build a professional cadre of hospitality practitioners who can now be classified and salaried in relation to qualifications and competences,” Minister Bartlett highlighted.

Minister Bartlett also spoke about the need for a more structured approach to investing in tourism, “Tourism has now morphed into public funding where Wall Street is now a big player which means the ownership structure of the industry is changing globally and the requirements are changing.

In fact, the impact of Wall Street is changing the production and consumption patterns in the industry as we are now moving towards the commodification of tourism where price and value will play a more important role in a destination’s competitiveness. Because tourism remains a people centred activity, service will be the point of differentiation and so training remains a critical area in restructuring the industry to boost our competitive edge.”

In outlining investment opportunities in the sector, Minister Bartlett also added that, “When we look at what drives investment in tourism, we see that a key potential area to invest in is the reasons people travel. People travel to fulfil their passions such as food, shopping and entertainment and we must build out experiences around these passion points.

A major area is food as data shows that eighty-eight percent (88%) of the world travels for food. So we must invest in food experiences of all types and then then you must also invest in the basis of getting the food, that means investing in agriculture and agro processing applications.”

Data from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica shows that tourism’s contribution to the country’s economic growth is continuing its upward trajectory. In 2017, Tourism’s contribution to the country’s GDP was 9%, up from 8.4% in 2016. This represents a 7% growth which is a little over six times the annualized GDP growth. This means tourism is actually growing six times the rate of the growth of GDP.

Last year over 4.31 million visitors arrived in Jamaica; 2.4 million via airports and a further 1.8 million by cruise. These visitors generated approximately USD3.3Billion in earnings, an 8.6% increase over 2017.