MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER OF TOURISM, THE HON. EDMUND BARTLETT FOR WORLD RESPONSIBLE TOURISM DAY

GOOD EVENING,
TODAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2008 MARKS A SIGNIFICANT DAY AS A MILESTONE TO RECOGNIZE WORLD RESPONSIBLE TOURISM DAY DEDICATED BY THE UNWTO…UNITED NATIONS WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION. THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM RECENTLY FACILITATED THE SIGNING OF A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT COMPANY (TPDCO) AND THE NATIONAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY (NSWMA) FOR THE CLEANING, BEAUTIFICATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT IN OUR PRIMARY TOURIST RESORT AREAS UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE SPRUCE UP JAMAICA NATIONAL PROGRAM.ME..
THIS COLLABORATION WILL SEE THE AGENCIES JOINTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR CUTTING AND CLEARING UNDERGROWTH AND OVERGROWTH, GARBAGE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL, PLANTING AND REPLANTING FLOWERS AND TREES, REPAIRING SIDEWALKS, PAINTING CURB, HANGING FLORAL BASKETS AND OVERALL SPRUCING UP OUR SURROUNDINGS.
THIS IS BUT A MERE FIRST STEP IN A MULTI-STAGE ENHANCEMENT OF DEEP-BEAUTY TREATMENT FOR OUR MAJOR RESORT TOWNS AND AREAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IT IS THE PRECURSOR OF STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENT PLANS INTENDED TO MAKE ALL OUR RESORT AREAS TO SHOWPIECE WHAT THE COUNTRY HAS TO OFFER AS HAVENS OF HOSPITALITY.
THIS RENURTURING AND MAKEOVER OF THE LANDSACPE OF OUR TOURISM AREAS WILL EXTEND OVER MANY YEARS AND INVOLVE MUCH MANUAL AND CREATIVE LABOUR, IT REPRESENTS NOT ONLY A MLTI-MILLION-DOLLAR INVESTMENT, BUT ALSO AN INVESTMENT IN THE AMBITIONS OF A SMALL NATION THAT HOPES AND KNOWS THAT IT CAN BE A WORLD LEADER IN THE GLOBAL TOURISM INDUSTRY IN MUCH THE SAME WAY OUR ATHLETES USAIN BOLT, ASAFA POWELL, VERONICA CAMPBELL AND OTHERS CONQUERED A WORLD OF SUPERSTARS, BRINGING MORE ATTENTION TO THIS LITTLE PIECE OF PARADISE IN ONE DAY THAN MOST THOUGHT IMAGINEABLE.
MY MESSAGE ON THIS WORLD RESPONSIBLE TOURISM DAY IS SIMPLE.
TAKE RESPONSIBLE ACTIONS FOR YOURSELVES, VISITORS, CHILDREN AND THE SAFETY, COMFORT, HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND SURROUNDINGS. HOLD US AS TOURISM STAKE HOLDERS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF A COUNTRYSIDE, A PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, A CLEAN COUNTRY THAT WILL BE HEALTHY FOR YOU AND I TO LIVE, ENJOY AND FOR US TO INVITE MILLIONS OF VACATIONERS AND INVESTORS TO OUR COUNTRY WITH CONFIDENCE.. IN ORDER TO HOLD US RESPONSIBLE YOU YOURSELF – AND I MEAN YOU THE HOTELIER, YOU THE FISHERMAN, YOU THE GARBAGE COLLECTER, YOU THE HOUSEHOLDER, YOU THE TOURISM WORKER – YOU YOURSELF HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE.
WE EXPECT ALL JAMAICANS TO RECOGNISE THAT IN KEEPING OUR RESORT AREAS BEAUTIFUL, WE MAINTAIN AND PRESENT AN IMAGE OF OURSELVES, OUR IDENTITY — HOW WE TREAT OURSELVES AND WHAT WE ASPIRE TOWARD — WILL MAKE PEOPLE TREAT US THE SAME WAY AND WANT TO BE AMONG US. LOOK HOW MANY JOURNALISTS CAME WITH THEIR CAMERAS TO RECORD US FOR THE WORLD ONCE THEY SAW WHAT OUR ATHLETES DID AND WERE CAPABLE OF DOING?
WE MAY NOT BE WEALTHY, BUT WE CAN CLEAN UP AND TIDY UP. WE MUST TREAT THIS INVESTMENT IN THE BEAUTIFICATION OF OUR COUNTRY AND, SPECIFICALLY, OUR RESORT AREAS AS THE BEAUTIFICATION OF OUR OWN HOMES – WE SHOULD NOT WILFULLY OR RECKLESSLY OR NEGLIGENTLY CAST OUR GARBAGE ALONG EITHER THE ROADWAYS OR IN OUR OWN COMMUNITIES. WE SHOULD NOT STEAL THE PLANTS – WE WANT THEM TO BE HERE FOR US AND ANOTHER GENERATION. THIS INVESTMENT IS FROM YOUR OWN LABOURS. THIS INVESTMENT REPRESENTS YOUR TOURISM DOLLARS WORKING FOR YOU.
AND IN MUCH THE SAME WAY, WE WANT YOU TO HOLD US RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY AND MAINTENANCE OF THIS COMPREHENSDIVE BEAUTIFICATION EXERCISE THAT WE KNOW WILL PRESENT JAMICA IN SOUCH A POSITIVE LIGHT THAT MORE AND MORE TOURISTS WILL FEEL COMPELLED TO CHOOSE JAMAICA ABOVE OTHER DESTINATIONS, WHETHER HERE IN THE CARIBBEAN OR IN SOME FAR REACHES OF THE GLOBE.
WE HAVE INVESTED IN A NEW WEBSITE THAT SHOWS JAMAICA OFF TO THE WORLD. WE’VE ALSO INVESTED IN MORE AIRLINE SEATS TO BRING MORE TOURISTS TO JAMAICA. FINANCIAL INVESTORS HAVE SPENT MONEY CREATING STUNNING RESORTS TO WOO TRAVELLORS TO JAMAICA.
AND NOW, WE HAVE INVESTED IN TRULY ENHANCING AND MAINTAING A WELCOMING AND WOOING ENVIRONMENT, CLEAN, ATTRACTIVE AND HEALTHY – ALL TO BACK UP OUR BOAST OF BEING ONE OF THE GREATEST TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN THE WORLD.
BE RESPONSIBLE TODAY.PROTECT THIS INVESTMENT.PROTECT OUR TOURISM INDUSTRY.