Tourism The Engine For Growth In The Region – Assamba

Minister of Tourism, Aloun Ndombet-Assamba, has called for the forging of strategic alliances between sectors and nations of the Caribbean, with the hope of creating powerful synergies for the growth and development of national and regional economies.
Emphasising that the region could no longer be dependent on traditional crop exports such as sugar and bananas for economic prosperity, she cited tourism as one of the areas through which regional cooperation and integration would lead to benefits for all.
“The true value of tourism to our countries lies in the reality that it is not a stand alone industry. It thrives and provides opportunities for growth and development through its interaction with other economic sectors.
“It offers a real solution to our people because it can and will involve entire communities, even those that are not close to the traditional resorts”, she stated, while addressing the 30th assembly and conference of Rotary International District 7020, yesterday (May 4) at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Montego Bay.
Minister Assamba said further, that tourism offered the Caribbean the best hope of economic prosperity, adding that the sector had moved from being a peripheral enterprise to a powerful industry. She pleaded for a continuation of areas of cooperation through institutions such as the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and the Caribbean Hotel Association, pointing out that it was through these groups that ideas and initiatives for the development of the sector could be advanced.
Remarking that the governments and people of the region were now grasping and acting on the idea that they could earn their way to prosperity using tourism as a catalyst, she cited for example, efforts being made by her ministry to forge synergies with other sectors.
“What we have been doing in my ministry is to forge a collaborative working relationship among all our agencies and partnerships with other agencies outside the ministry. This, so that government can be more efficient in helping new Jamaican enterprises to be successful and prosperous,” she informed.
She pointed out further, that visitors were also being encouraged to move beyond the hotel properties and visit the attractions and craft markets and to get acquainted with ordinary Jamaicans. “Modern tourism is about people; both sellers and buyers, and sharing information and establishing relationships which foster fulfilling experiences and mutual benefit”, she stated.
Approximately 1,000 delegates from the Caribbean, Europe and North America are attending the five-day conference, which got underway on May 4. Rotary International is active in over 130 countries worldwide with membership of approximately 1.2 million persons.