Tourism Ministry to Develop Sustainable Framework and Strategy

The Ministry of Tourism will be developing a Sustainable Framework and Strategy to help strengthen Jamaica’s resilience and increase its sustainability during periods of crises.

Speaking at a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank at the agency’s head office in Kingston, portfolio Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, said the undertaking will comprise policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks, “with sufficient inducements to stimulate the development of supply and productive capacity, where sustainable goods and services are concerned.”

“This will fill the gaps in the supply side so that we can retain more of the US dollars earned by the industry,” he added.

The Minister cited research suggesting that tourism can be impacted by a myriad of crises, including economic/financial, geopolitical instability, natural disasters, pandemic/health crises, and climate change.

Mr. Bartlett further indicated that these crises are “becoming the new norm”, noting that the industry has been impacted, “in a strong way”, over the last 50 years by four global mega disruptions.

He said these were: the first Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the 9/11 terrorist bombings in the United States, the 2008/09 economic downturn, and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Minister said Jamaica has been, “a pioneer in resilience and sustainability” with “commendable work” being done by the Tourism Linkages Network.

Additionally, Mr. Bartlett highlighted the work of the Global Tourism Resilient and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), noting that it “focuses solely on the constant development of resilience strategies.”

The GTRCMC was established by Jamaica and is the first of its kind in the world, with satellite centres in Kenya and Malta.

“We are looking at frameworks for responsiveness to pandemics, climate change mitigation methodologies, preparedness and scenario planning, and rapid response mechanisms for incidents,” Minister Bartlett said, while emphasizing the need for Jamaica to maintain its status as “thought-leaders in resilient and sustainable tourism.”