FALMOUTH, Trelawny – Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness has challenged the Ministry of Tourism to work intently with tourism companions to considerably enhance vacationer arrivals and strengthen linkages with different sectors, particularly agriculture.
“The impression of tourism goes past the confines of the trade itself; it ripples by varied sectors creating an internet of alternatives for folks. Jobs created by tourism lengthen into agriculture, leisure, sights, communications and transportation, to call just a few,” famous Prime Minister Holness.
He was giving the keynote tackle throughout a particular ribbon reducing ceremony marking the official opening of the brand new 352-room, Hideaway at Royalton Blue Waters, in Trelawny on December 13, 2023. With an funding of US$40 million, the event was executed in simply six months.
4.1 Million Guests
With Jamaica on document tempo to safe some 4.1 million guests this yr, so quickly after the fallout attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Holness instructed Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, “I feel we may do eight million.” In outlining his imaginative and prescient, Mr. Holness continued: “I feel we are able to,” he added, “we should be formidable,” noting that “Jamaica has the range in its tourism product to draw that many guests.”
He stated whereas he was happy with the great progress of the trade to date, “I feel we should set new targets; we must be pushing ourselves extra as a result of we’ve the potential.” Prime Minister Holness said that “we as a folks should now start to deal with the weather of our society, our tradition; the issues that outline us as a folks to attain these formidable targets which is able to enhance our prosperity.”
He referenced the Planning Institute of Jamaica’s most up-to-date report that for the interval July to September, 2023, Jamaica skilled progress of 1.9% in actual phrases over the same quarter for 2022, noting that, “the resort and restaurant sector skilled 8% progress.”
Strengthening Tourism Linkages
With that achievement nevertheless, Mr. Holness stated for extra individuals to profit from the tourism trade larger makes an attempt should be made to strengthen the linkages between tourism and all the opposite industries, particularly agriculture. Whereas the sustained impression on labour is seen in each new room that’s constructed, asserting that he couldn’t stress it sufficient, he reiterated that: “For us to actually profit from tourism every thing that may be equipped to the vacationer who visits right here, that may be produced right here needs to be made and equipped from right here.”
He acknowledged that important progress is already being made by the Tourism Linkages Community, a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF). This contains the success of the annual Pace Networking and Christmas in July occasions; in addition to the Agri-Linkages Change (ALEX) platform, which has generated some $1 billion in gross sales by small farmers. The initiative sees small farmers with 3-acre and 5-acre heaps in addition to yard farmers promoting to native inns and eating places. The ALEX platform, a collaborative initiative between the TEF and the Rural Agricultural Growth Authority (RADA), has revolutionized the interplay between hoteliers and farmers.
Nonetheless, the Prime Minister referred to as for much more progress past what has already been achieved. Mr. Holness stated he wished to make it clear to all companions within the improvement of tourism that the subsequent step in strengthening their manufacturers and merchandise, “is to make sure that there’s a symbiotic hyperlink, not simply to employment, however to the consumption of Jamaican made items and providers to the individuals who come right here.” He underscored that “the subsequent frontier of the federal government is to make it possible for extra Jamaican merchandise get into the inns.”
Thanking Blue Diamond for coming to Jamaica and “the boldness that they proceed to point out in Vacation spot Jamaica,” Minister Bartlett hinted at additional investments by the corporate, which has a collaboration with the Marriott worldwide resort chain.
Blue Diamond Resorts purchased the property 12 years in the past. The President of Blue Diamond Resorts, Jordi Pelfort pledged that “we’re going to keep for a very long time” as he expressed gratitude to the Jamaican authorities and folks. He additionally lauded the management of Jamaican girls towards the background of Jamaican Kerry Ann Quallo-Casserly being Regional Business Director, Jamaica at Blue Diamond Resorts. The resorts employs roughly 95% of Jamaicans throughout its inns in Negril and Falmouth.