Janet Silvera, Senior Tourism Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

President of the World Travel and Tourism Council, Jean-Claude Baumgarten, is forecasting that the United States will remain the largest travel and tourism market in the world, despite signs of economic slowdown.

"A global slowdown is anticipated, sparked by a US recession, however, this will be partially offset by today's changing world," said the expert, while addressing delegates at the inaugural 'Tourism Outlook Seminar' held at the Hilton Kingston hotel last Wednesday.

Jamaica receives 70 per cent of its visitors from the United States, which has caused concern among local tourism interests about an imminent US depression.

Old saying no longer holds

But Baumgarten argued that the saying, 'When America sneezes, Europe catches a cold and the rest of the world dies of pneumonia' no longer holds. Instead, he said, today, the United States sneezes and the rest of the world goes shopping in the emerging markets of China, India, Russia and the Middle East.

"Rapidly expanding economic growth in these emerging markets creates a new and dynamic source of visitors," he argued.

Baumgarten's arguments were strongly supported by Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, who, in his presentation, identified Brazil, Russia, Europe and Latin America as important growth markets that would be strategically targeted by Jamaica.

"Of course, core markets remain a priority in our outreach while the threat of recession looms large, and could certainly be a deterrent to many travel plans," he said, adding that research based on previous financial downswings has indicated that Americans will continue to travel, especially those in the luxury sector.

Vast market to tap

Minister Bartlett noted that while tourists from North America account for 70 per cent of Jamaica's total arrivals, those travellers represent substantially less than one per cent of the continent's outbound travel. "So, clearly, there is a vast market to tap still," he noted.

"The global marketplace," he added, "is becoming progressively more competitive and makes no allowance for size ... It is a David-and-Goliath environment, and a small island like Jamaica must hold its own against the leviathans of the planet, regardless of all circumstances and resources."

In sharpening our competitive edge, he suggests that the country ensure accessibility, diversity, attractive price points, value, superior service, a safe, crime-free environment, an authentic and exquisite travel experience, and the uniqueness that Jamaica offers.