TALKING POINTS FOR MINISTER OF TOURISM, HON. EDMUND BARTLETT AT PRESS LAUNCH FOR THE SPRUCE UP JAMAICA PROGRAMME AND THE YEAR FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM FOR DEVELOPMENT THE DEVONSHIRE, DEVON HOUSE TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2017

Salutations...

§  Mrs. Jennifer Griffith – Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism

§  Mr. Ian Dear – Chairman, Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo)

§  Mr. Godfrey Dyer –Chairman, Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF)

§  Mr. John Lynch – Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB)

§  Mr. Paul Pennicook – Director of Tourism

§  Mr. Christopher Jarrett – Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association’s (JHTA) Area Chairman for Kingston, who is representing the JHTA President, Mr. Omar Robinson

§  Members of the Media

§  Other tourism partners

§  Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning….

INTRODUCTION

·        It is my friend, Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), who said, “Tourism is increasingly and rightly being recognized as a sector that can help usher in a better world. 2017 is a unique opportunity for us to promote the contribution of tourism to achieving the future we want – and also to determine, together, the exact role we will have tourism play in the sustainable development agenda, to and beyond 2030.”

·        This quote is relevant to this morning’s proceedings because it puts into context the two key initiatives that are central to our launch today as we seek to build a more resilient, inclusive and economically viable tourism sector.

·        The first is a revitalized Spruce Up Jamaica Programme – an initiative which is near and very dear to my heart. 

·        As the TPDCo Executive Director mentioned in her overview, in its previous incarnation in 2007, it was more of a beautification programme to keep resort towns in pristine condition.  Over the years, amid stops and starts, it morphed into a more expansive initiative for creating greater awareness and appreciation of the importance of tourism.

·        Today, we will be rolling out a revitalized and expanded Spruce Up Jamaica programme, which focuses on forging creative partnerships among the public and private sectors and the wider community in support of the growth agenda for both the tourism sector and the nation.

·        At the same time, we are changing attitudes, fostering inclusiveness as well as strengthening implementation and monitoring for greater impact. I will expand on this further a little later.

·        The second reason for us being here this morning is to formally announce Jamaica’s commitment to the declaration of 2017 as the United Nation’s (UN) International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. 

·        Last week I attended an event in Madrid, presided over by His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain, to officially launch the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, which is being organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The event was attended by some 600 participants, including more than 40 tourism ministers and other senior officials from 57 countries.

·        According to the UN, this declaration offers an ideal opportunity to promote the significant contribution of the tourism sector to the three pillars of sustainability – economic, social and environmental. At the same time, it raises awareness of the true dimension of this often undervalued sector.

 

YEAR OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM FOR DEVELOPMENT

·        Jamaica is in full support of the year’s focus and we will be hosting various events around the theme of Sustainable Tourism, including the UNWTO flagship event for the year.

·        I am proud to inform you that last week Monday, while in Spain, I signed an agreement at the Palacio Neptuno for Jamaica to host a conference to commemorate the 2017 UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

·        This major global event is a collaborative effort between the Government of Jamaica, international, development firm Chemonics International and the UNWTO. It will run from November 27 to 29 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, St James.

·        We look forward to showcasing our destination but more so within the context of sustainability and the building of public-private-partnerships. The agreement is of great historical importance because it signals the first time that the UNWTO will stage a world conference on tourism in the Caribbean or the Americas overall.

·        Jamaica will kick off its year of activities with an event dubbed ‘Falmouth Invasion’ – a peaceful march and awareness raising concert in Falmouth square on Wednesday, February 8. This project is one of several events, within the wider Spruce Up Jamaica ‘Fi Wi Falmouth’ initiative, geared at building civic pride in the town as it grows as a strong tourist destination.

·        The efforts are being led by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Solid Waste Management Working Group of the Sustainable Destination Alliance of the Americas Initiative and will involve over 100 stakeholders, including the Trelawny Municipal Council, and students from area schools – Holland High, Hague Primary, William Knibb, Duncans and Salt Marsh Primary.

·        Both of Spruce Up Jamaica and the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development are umbrella, multi-sector initiatives that speak to sustainability – the bedrock of a successful tourism sector.

·        Tourism can only be considered truly sustainable if it generates income and decent employment, stimulates trade and linkages, and respects and protects our natural and cultural environment.

·        At my Ministry, we have always championed a sustainable and inclusive tourism sector and, as you can see, there is great synergy between the year of activities celebrating the UN initiative for sustainable tourism and the initiatives that fall under the revitalized Spruce Up Jamaica programme.

TOURISM PERFORMANCE

·        There is little doubt of tourism’s vast potential as a major engine for job creation and a driving force for economic growth and development.  This is especially so for tourism dependent nations like Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean.

·        According to the latest World Travel and Tourism Council data, travel and tourism generated US $7.2 trillion (9.8% of global GDP) and supported 284 million jobs, equivalent to 1 in 11 jobs in the global economy.

·        Here in Jamaica, tourism is arguably the strongest sector in our economy today, with earnings of US$2.5 billion last year.  At the same time, the sector provides tens of thousands of jobs and fuels numerous other sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and entertainment.

·        It is obvious to us all that tourism is an economic sector and labour market worth caring about.

·        So as we laud tourism’s excellent performance in 2016 – which saw us welcoming 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, we must put in place policies and initiatives to incorporate as many Jamaicans into tourism as possible and maximize the benefits of the sector for all.

·        In this way we will ensure that the ultimate beneficiaries of tourism development are the people of Jamaica.

THE GROWTH AGENDA

·        The Spruce Up Jamaica Programme will be a major component of the Ministry’s growth strategy as we seek to attract five million visitors by 2021; generate US$5 billion in tourism earnings, increase the total direct jobs to 125,000 and add 15,000 new hotel rooms.

·        This all encompassing programme will support the Five Pillars of Tourism Growth, which we will use to transform the island’s tourism sector and achieve significant growth. These are:

§  Tapping into new markets

§  Developing new products

§  Promoting investment

§  Building new partnerships, and;

§  Developing human capital

·        Spruce Up Jamaica will also support the seven strategic areas of focus, which will serve to further diversify our tourism offerings through our five networks and our two sector working groups:

§  Gastronomy  Network

§  Sports and Entertainment Network

§  Health and Wellness Network

§  Shopping Network

§  Knowledge Network, and the

§  Manufacturing Sector, and

§  Agriculture Sector

·        In other words, Spruce Up Jamaica is an important vehicle for achieving an inclusive sector that creates integration among industries and programmes that impact the tourism industry.

SPRUCE UP JAMAICA INTIATIVES

·        Spruce Up Jamaica will be driven through the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), which will execute activities directly related to the programme on a day to day basis. While TPDCo provides the technical and project know how, TEF will provide financial support for these projects.

·        The consistent enhancement of our tourism product is crucial to improving our competitiveness as a destination. To this end, Spruce Up Jamaica will drive the development of critical infrastructure across the island. For example, our $307 million National Beach Development Programme which is equipping public beaches with recreational facilities for the enjoyment of locals and visitors to the island.

·        Burwood Beach in Trelawny, Boston Beach in Portland, Lyssons Beach in St. Thomas and Marking Stone Beach in St. Mary have been completed to date. Seven more beaches are poised for renovation commencing mid-2017, including Great Bay Beach in St. Elizabeth, Farquhar’s Beach in Clarendon and Priory Beach in St. Ann.

·        In addition, TPDCo in association with the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is driving an All Island Maintenance Programme to maintain major thoroughfares across the island. Work on this $500,000,000 million project started in September 2016 and is anticipated to be completed in June of this year.

·        Spruce Up Jamaica is also strengthening partnerships. I often speak of the importance of strategic public private alliances in moving the sector forward.  Our Adopt a Roadway Programme is an excellent example of this. This collaborative endeavour offers private sector entities an opportunity to beautify the verges, sidewalks, medians, traffic islands and round-a-bouts throughout the island. I am pleased to announce that several private sector entities, such as NutraMix, NMIA, Jamaica Biscuit Company Limited, Garbage Disposal and Sanitation Systems, have committed to partnering on the initiative to date.

·        Spruce up Jamaica is instilling civic pride through public education programmes such as Fi Wi Falmouth, mentioned earlier, which uses competitions and other interactive methods to instill pride in students at the primary and secondary levels and increase their awareness of tourism to the national and to their community.

·        Spruce Up Jamaica encourages service excellence, which is so critical to destination assurance.  This year we have reintroduced the National Tourism Service Excellence Programme (TSEP), which recognizes and rewards individuals and entities in the tourism sector that demonstrate best practices and offer quality customers service. The kind of service that keeps visitors coming back again and again.  The TSEP awards ceremony will be held on Saturday, March 4 at the Hyatt Ziva, Montego Bay.

·        Spruce Up Jamaica is providing jobs, training and creating economic opportunities. I will use the craft sector as an example.  Handicrafts are an integral part of the tourism experience and the sale of handicrafts to tourists can contribute significantly to poverty alleviation, through its ability to create jobs, socio-economic opportunities, and an enhanced quality of life in local communities. 

·        To this end, we are in the process of creating an effective governance, operational, technical and infrastructural framework that will strengthen the craft sector and facilitate production, sales, promotion and marketing of craft locally and internationally. I am therefore pleased to announce that today TPDCo and the Edna Manley College of the Visual and performing Arts (EMC) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the development of a Craft Development Institute (CDI).

·        This CDI will provide training and certification in skilled craft areas to all current craft producers, as well as provide support for the development of authentic Jamaican craft and protection for new designs.  It is to be located in St. Ann’s Bay and training will start in May 2017.

·        All of these efforts will be supported by a National Public Awareness Programme which will build a positive consciousness of tourism among the Jamaican people by shaping and redefining the work of the Ministry and sector in the eyes of the public. If tourism is to be a success then we must all own it. The direct and indirect reach of the sector is great but many people do not appreciate it.  This multi-media campaign will target the broadest cross section of society, to engender on-going public goodwill, buy in and support for the industry as a critical foundation on which to develop the sector.

CONCLUSION

·        In closing, I would like to emphasize my commitment to ensuring that Jamaica’s tourism industry continues to grow and thrive. 

·        Done the right way, tourism has tremendous capacity to create decent jobs, provide opportunities for inclusion and education, and contribute to preserving cultural heritage and the environment. Done the wrong way, it can negatively impact our local communities, our heritage and environment, while exacerbating inequalities.

·        We are going to do what is right. We have exceptional tourism assets, we have an excellent record of performance, we have dedicated people in the tourism sector, and we have strong and strategic partnerships. Together, we can build a viable tourism sector that benefits everyone. Together we will.

Thank you.