Reasons Tourism is Important to Jamaica
Jamaica was made for tourism.
Our people
Our beaches
Our food…
Our culture
The island is viewed as the mixing pot for tourism perfection that many other nations work tirelessly to create or imitate.
That is why we need to protect our product. After all, tourism is one of the leading economic transformers in Jamaica.
With the Ministry of Tourism projecting that by 2021 they are expecting annually 5 million visitors who will occupy 40,000 rooms and generate US$5 billion in the Jamaican economy, there is no sign of slowing down this industry.
Here are four main reasons why Jamaicans appreciate tourism.
Employment
Tourism is an important contributor to the labour force. Approximately 25% of the Jamaican labour force is directly or indirectly employed to the tourism sector.
With the planned addition of 10,000 rooms in the next 10 years, employment is projected to increase to 33% of the labour force.
Direct employment includes hotel staff, restaurant workers, tour operators and tour guides. Indirect employment encompasses farmers, security personnel, carpenters and construction workers.
Foreign exchange Earnings
Tourism is the top foreign exchange earner alongside remittances.
In 2015, 3.7 million people visited Jamaica and generated over US$2.5 billion dollars. There is no indication that there will be a decline anytime soon with a projected 4 million visitors for 2016.
While some may argue that a great deal of the foreign exchange leaves Jamaica it does not detract from the reality that what remains is still beneficial to the country.
What we should do is find new ways to generate more income, especially within the community.
Development of Infrastructure
With the current infrastructure and the anticipated development, tourism is here to stay. At least 1,000 more rooms will be built per year over the next 10 years
Growth in tourism forces the government to improve infrastructure such as roads, parks, light and water and to a greater extent the human resource.
Tourist and locals have benefited from the north coast highway which has resulted in shorter travel time to get to tourist areas.
Community Development
Tourism has been the answer to a few of the social and economic problems in our communities since long ago.
When a foreigner or local invests in the construction of a hotel or an attraction, they are really investing in the wholesale development of that community.
Let’s look at the Falmouth cruise pier as an example. Plans are underway to build several hotels in Trelawny in anticipation of the growing interest of the town.
When a tourist visits a community, money is spent in the community. Revenue is garnered from the attractions, restaurants and whatever activity appeals to the tourist.
Persons who find employment in their community will in turn spend their earnings within the businesses in the community.
As a means of rehabilitation, it provides employment for persons who were made redundant, as was the case in the bauxite industry. Many of these individuals have undergone skills training and have found jobs in the tourism sector
With the influx of tourist, small shops will emerge. These shops will include souvenir stores, local restaurants and new attractions. Generally what results from their presence is a great boost to the public infrastructure as well as facilities that exist.
Tourism has been good to us and we should continue to return the favour.
Let us take care of our tourism product so that we will continue to reap great rewards and cement our place as the best destination in the world.