Janet Silvera, Gleaner WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
TRAVEL AND tourism - encompassing transport, accommodation, catering, recreation and services for visitors - is Jamaica's highest-priority industry and employer, says a report done by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
Jamaica ranks third in the region, in terms of employment numbers, with an estimated 387,400 jobs resulting from travel and tourism. The Caribbean economy with the largest number of tourism jobs is the Dominican Republic, with 772,200 and Cuba, which ranks second with 505,900.
Jamaica's numbers represent 35 per cent of the country's total employment. Over the next 10 years employment in the industry is expected to grow by 3.9 per cent per annum.
Tourism's vital role as a generator of wealth and employment across the 14 parishes is indisputable. It also acts as a catalyst for growth in other areas such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing and the financial services.
UNDERESTIMATED
However, the industry's contribution is underestimated and its potential for growth is taken for granted. Several important challenges continue to limit its full potential.
hese challenges include building awareness of the industry's contribution to national and local economies- how it permeates the depth and breadth of the general economy and overall fabric of the society
While the baseline forecasts for Jamaica's Travel and Tourism over the next 10 years are generally positive, they nonetheless highlight a few weaknesses that could hinder growth and may prevent the island's economy from attaining its true potential over the long term.
In order to achieve or even better; surpass the baseline forecasts and to ensure future growth is sustainable; the WTTC said certain key factors need to be assured.
These include a favourable Government fiscal policy, a climate that is conducive to business, offering attractive incentives for investment and sustained and effective marketing and promotion, as well as environmentally friendly policies. Most importantly, the clearly defined, long-term development plans must be drawn up to help guide national and local public and private sector activities. These plans should be developed in consultation with all stakeholders, feeding from and back into the national tourism policies, which should be disseminated as widely as possible.
Jamaica seem to have mastered the art of attracting investors to its shores and Spain's current interest in the country has transformed the sector into a more diversified offering.
DIRECT JOBS
A report from JAMPRO says that seven Spanish chains will, within the next three years, generate some 7,000 direct jobs in tourism services with over 18,000 jobs to be generated in link industries such as construction and food and service.
Over 5,000 rooms will be added to the current stock with seven new properties to be built, which represent an addition of over 25 per cent of the room capacity in the accommodation sector.
"If RIU is anything to go by, the average room occupancy is 85 per cent as they provide their own airlift and tour operator services we can expect a very large increase in our visitor arrival," said JAMPRO President Pat Francis at the Life of Jamaica High Flyers luncheon on Monday.
She said she is confident that Jamaica will continue to improve its position in the region by tapping into non-traditional tourism markets including Spain and France, hence more job creation for more Jamaicans.
