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Commitment to Tourism Will Ensure Growth – Bartlett

February 5, 2010

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Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has said that growth can be achieved in tourism even in the worst of recessions, once all citizens are serious and committed to the industry.
“A recession does not mean the end of the world. Our thinking then has to be not just ‘out of the box’ but thinking without any box at all,” the Minister said.
He was giving the main address at the opening of the third annual two-day Tourism Outlook Seminar, at the Ritz Carlton Golf and Spa Resort in Montego Bay, St. James, on February 2. The theme of the conference is: ‘Changes, Challenges and Opportunities in Tourism, Rising Above the Current Global Economic Landscape’.
The Minister argued that if Jamaica is to survive in the fiercely competitive global environment, a new tourism architecture, encompassing new markets, new technology, new investments, new partnerships and new communication processes, would have to be designed.
“This gathering today provides a unique opportunity for us to strengthen our existing partnerships and forge new alliances to ensure our sustenance. We are the architects. We must arm ourselves with the tools and creativity to design and build a new future for tourism in this region and the world,” Mr. Bartlett told participants at the seminar.
The Minister said that the theme of the seminar was really a call for critical self-examination and appreciation of the world environment. “It is a call for us as a country to confront our challenges through innovative thinking and hard work,” he added.
He observed that certain issues and highly important subjects, such as innovative tourism marketing strategies, innovation through technology and the promotion of, and transformation to Green Tourism were on the Tourism Outlook Seminar agenda.
“Jamaica is now conducting the mid-term review of the Tourism Master Plan for Sustainable Development and we have taken the position that matters concerning Green Tourism are to be particularly addressed. We recognised that, even as we desire and seek heightened levels of investments in our tourism infrastructure, the natural environment cannot be allowed to be overrun by the built environment. Let us, over the next two days of deliberations, pool our ideas, talents and solutions, to create societies where our children can grow into responsible and productive adulthood, where our elderly can know dignity in their golden years and where all people can actualise their utmost potential through processes of education at all ages,” the Minister said.

Last Updated: August 19, 2013

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