Workers at the Heart of Tourism – Minister Bartlett

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says workers are at the heart of the country’s tourism sector and focus is being placed on their growth and development. 

“Tourism is about people, and it is the people who are the driving force; they are the energy of tourism. Therefore, the number one concern of tourism must be the workers of the industry,” he noted.  

The Tourism Minister, who was participating in a panel discussion on ‘Integrated Tourism Development,’ during the just concluded Caribbean Hotel and Tourist Association’s (CHTA) Travel Marketplace at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, cited investment being made in  developing a well-trained workforce, where persons can access a wide range of new and exciting career opportunities to transform their lives, while delivering excellent service. 

“It’s not the responsibility of the public sector or private sector alone; it’s a joint responsibility and we all must share in enabling the best labour environment to prevail. It will lead to higher productivity, great performances and, most importantly, excellence of service, which is the experience that the visitor comes to a destination for,” he pointed out. 

Mr. Bartlett noted that tourism is responsible for the employment of thousands of workers and is the main provider for many households. 

He said that the Ministry has put training programmes in place that will provide workers with the qualifications needed to command higher salaries, and these initiatives have been bearing fruit.  

“We are no longer a tourism of seasonality — six months off and six months on. We are now 24/7 so we must create and train people to serve,  to do well, and to add value every step of the way 24/7,” he pointed out. 

“We in the Caribbean know that if you classify the worker then you can remunerate according to classification. That is our formula in increasing the capacity of the tourism worker to give more and to do more,” he added. 

Executive Chairman of Sandals and Beaches Resorts, Adam Stewart, who was also part of the discussion panel,  said the hotel chain is “very proud” of the opportunities being created by tourism.  

“At times, when comments are being made about the industry, sometimes, there is a lack of understanding of how deep the tourism industry goes and how many people have created incredible careers,” he said. 

“Tourism is not just about being at the front desk checking in people…or being in the bar and dining areas. There are also jobs in areas such as project management, finance, accounting, banqueting, information technology, as well as newer ones related to artificial intelligence that are coming on stream,”  he contended. 

“Tourism is many things. I talk about it as the total ecosystem of tourism. Whether it is restaurants,  entertainment, excursions, whether it’s transfers and the taxi division, the farmers and the fishers, tourism supports every single facet of industry at large,” he noted further. 

Mr. Stewart cited instances where high school graduates have been given opportunity to climb the employment ladder within the Sandals chain after in-house training. 

“I could [point to] dozens and dozens of people who started right here in the Flanker community who came fresh out of school into what Sandals calls the hospitality training programme (HTP), who today, are senior leaders in managing 40, 50, 60, 80 people. So, I think that when some people talk about tourism they do not understand how tourism truly works. Those of us in tourism are really proud of what tourism has done for Jamaica and the Caribbean,” he said. 

CHTA President, Nicola Madden-Greig, who moderated the session, said that the Caribbean ended 2023 with tourism arrivals on par with 2019, which was a high-water mark year. So far for 2024, arrivals are up 20 per cent over last year.