Permanent Secretary Highlights Inclusion in Tourism

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Jennifer Griffith, says the Government is seeking to build an inclusive sector through a digital transformation from which all Jamaicans can benefit.

Ms. Griffith was speaking at the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) Tourism Awareness Week Thanksgiving Service, which was held at the Calvary Baptist Church, in Montego Bay, St. James, on Sunday (September 23).

“Building an inclusive sector where all Jamaicans can benefit from tourism’s success is always foremost in the Government’s thinking, and digital technology is helping us to enhance such an inclusion. There is no doubt that digital technology has revolutionised the way in which we live, the way we think, and the way we see the world,” she said.

“Consider our daily lives; we use smart devices to pay our bills, watch movies, attend classes, order meals, meet potential partners and even track down lost friends… such is the use of technology,” Ms. Griffith added.

The Permanent Secretary argued that tourism has not escaped the digital revolution, as every technology that affects the citizenry impacts the industry.

She said that contrary to popular belief, technology has not hampered the tourism experience, but has enhanced it, leading to more enticing opportunities for both the traveller and the destination.

“Travellers can [now] visit interactive web portals to reach and to research travel destinations and accommodations. They can do so via online platforms such as Expedia, Travelocity and Priceline, and they can book an entire customised trip themselves on their mobile phones or laptops,” the Permanent Secretary said.

She pointed out that new technologies have affected the travel industry in a most profound way, changing traveller behaviour and expectations.

Tourism Awareness Week 2018, being observed from September 23 to September 29, is being held under the theme ‘Tourism and the Digital Transformation’.

Other activities will include a Tourism Action Club Forum at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, as well as a digital marketing competition that will highlight Jamaica’s hidden tourism gems.