Jamaica is riding high these days. The tourism-dependent nation made hay during the pandemic by creating a strictly controlled ‘resilient corridor’ that successfully kept COVID spread to a minimum and gave people the confidence to travel there when most of the world was locked down.
With the pandemic fading into the rear-view mirror, Jamaica continues to benefit from that head-start, closing in on ten consecutive quarters of economic growth. It’s the only country in the Caribbean with such a record.
For Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s situation is a demonstration of tourism’s resilience, and the industry’s potential as an important framework for creating jobs and economic prosperity.
A satellite centre of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre has been established at George Brown College in Toronto. From left, Professor Lloyd Waller, GTRCMC Executive Director, Jamaica tourism minister Edmund Bartlett and George Brown College President Dr. Gervan Fearon. (Photo Credit: Edmund Bartlett)
As one of tourism’s global thought leaders, Bartlett has worked with organizations including the UNWTO, CTO and the Regional Commission of the Americas. He is founder and Co-Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, which focuses on destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and crises.
During an in-person interview with TravelPulse Canada, Bartlett said tourism in Jamaica is evolving to deliver more benefits to the country and its people. The COVID experience both accelerated and highlighted the importance of more inclusive tourism.
“Tourism has always been seen as an extractive industry. We want to be shapers, not takers,” Bartlett said.
“We’re trying to shape the realities of tourism to emphasize growth, social development and enrichment. I think the tourism industry is now recognized as an important framework for creating jobs and economic prosperity – and a great agent for fast economic recovery.”
Tourism is “the most consumption-driven industry,” Bartlett said, so Jamaica has put a strong emphasis on creating linkages with local suppliers in areas including transport, culture, agriculture and farming, creative and tech industries.
“COVID has shown how critical local supplies are to growth,” Barlett said. “If more resources were owned and provided by locals, it could significantly mitigate that situation. Our ambition is to encourage investment on the supply side to enable more inclusive tourism and rely more on local suppliers.”
Jamaica has taken other steps to make tourism a positive part of the social framework. The Tourism Workers Pension Scheme, which Bartlett calls “a first of its kind through legislation,” was created in 2020.
The pension fund includes contributions from employers and employees, and is designed to cover about 350,000 workers aged 18-59 years in the tourism sector, whether permanent, contract or self-employed.
Jamaica's Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett with TPC's John Kirk. (Photo Credit: Photo: TravelPulse Canada)
Bartlett says the plan is giving workers more satisfaction and a higher sense of value, as well as making their retirement more financially secure. “It’s a safety net and it’s already the largest pool of domestic savings in Jamaica. It will also enable us to secure credit and capital for investments, and enable continued economic growth.”
Another interesting initiative is through the Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation, which is helping workers who are “competent but uncertified” to go through a process to earn certification, making it easier for them to advance or change jobs.
TravelPulse Canada’s conversation with Minister Bartlett came during a Canadian visit when he announced a new partnership with Ensemble, focused on promoting Jamaica’s luxury tourism products. The Ministry of Tourism also reached out to the Asian-Canadian market during his visit, attracting over 200 to an event touting Jamaica’s tourism pleasures.
Opportunities like those are why Bartlett has set a target for Jamaica to grow its Canadian arrivals to 500,000 per year by 2025. Canadian visitation peaked pre-pandemic at around 400,000.
“Canada is our second-largest source market, but there’s still enormous potential to make a larger impression,” Bartlett said.
Topics From This Article to Explore
