Tourism Officials Optimistic About Industry’s Rebound From COVID-19

Tourism officials say despite the impact that the coronavirus (COVID-19) has or could have on the local and global industry, all will not be lost.

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says a “new approach” will be required to rebuild the industry in the aftermath of the global outbreak.

This, he told JIS News, will necessitate, among other things, the provision of stimulus packages and rescue support to enable the sector to “bounce back as quickly as possible after this crisis”.

Meanwhile, Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) President, Omar Robinson, said tourism has always been a resilient sector.

Against this background, Mr. Robinson stressed the need for the Government and industry stakeholders to expedite “our negotiations to help organisations ride through this high-level certainty”.

“The [duration of the] level of uncertainty and the length of time, will all be dependent on how quickly our major markets can get their own situation under control,” the JHTA President added.