Local First Policy Ensures Jamaicans Benefit from Tourism

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has announced a Local First Policy, aimed at ensuring that Jamaicans benefit from the successes of the country’s tourism industry.

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (October 14), he said that the policy provides that every new investment in tourism must translate into jobs, contracts, and opportunities for Jamaicans.

“It enshrines the principle that Jamaican farmers, artisans, manufacturers, transport operators, entertainers, and micro-entrepreneurs must have the first opportunity to supply hotels, attractions, and tourism enterprises,” Minister Bartlett said.

“As Jamaica expands globally, we must ensure that the benefits of tourism remain local,” he emphasised.

Minister Bartlett told the House that the Local First Policy will build on the successes of the Tourism Linkages Network (TLN), which, for over a decade, has proven that tourism can drive real, immeasurable local development.

Out of the TLN has come programmes such as Christmas in July, which has generated more than $200 million in sales for small producers; the establishment of the Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) online platform, which has connected hundreds of farmers directly to hotels, with nearly $2 billion in sales; and the establishment of the Artisan Village at Falmouth.

“Local First will elevate this model from a programme to a national policy framework,” he pointed out.

The Minister said that the policy aligns squarely with the Government’s Vision 2030 National Development Plan, ensuring that growth is inclusive, sustainable, and anchored in local enterprise.

“The truest measure of tourism success is not the number of arrivals; it is in the number of lives improved. The framework introduces measurable local procurement targets, Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) in every resort area, and a Linkages Data Network that will publicly track how much of the tourism dollar stays in Jamaica. This is the first time that this will be happening in the history of tourism in Jamaica,” he said.

A high-level task force, led by Minister of State, Hon. Tova Hamilton, has been established to advance the Local First Policy.

The body will bring together key tourism agencies such as the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation (JCTI), Jamaica Vacations Limited (JAMVAC), and the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), along with critical partners such as the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA), and the Municipal Corporations.

Opposition Spokesperson on Tourism, Andrea Purkiss, will be invited to join the task force.

“This will be a broad-based arrangement, and the consultations will begin shortly through the efforts of the task force. The consultations will be wide… and will continue for 90 days so that at the end of our first 100 days, we should have framework ready for a White Paper to come to this House on this revolutionary strategy of Local First,” Minister Bartlett said.