LONDON, United Kingdom (JIS) – Minister of Tourism, Ed Bartlett is encouraging Jamaicans in the United Kingston (UK) to invest in the sector.

Speaking at a community meeting at the Jamaican High Commission in London recently, Bartlett noted that tourism offers numerous opportunities for entrepreneurship and wealth creation.

He noted that investment in tourism can propel growth in other sectors such as agriculture through the demand for farm produce. He noted that the market for fresh fruits and vegetables is valued at about $75 billion.

He noted further that with some 88 per cent of all visitors citing good food as an important part of their tourism experience, there is scope for the opening of restaurants.

Bartlett said that agriculture is set to become the “star performer” of the Jamaican economy. He said the growth in agriculture will continue “because of the growth in the tourism sector and because we are eating more (local produce) than ever before”.

He said there are also opportunities to enter new markets through collaboration with destinations such as Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

Meanwhile, Bartlett noted that the United States (US) remains Jamaica’s major tourist market.

“For us Jamaicans, because of proximity, the US has to be the essential area of consideration. Last year, 63 per cent of stopover arrivals came from the US alone. American visitors are only an hour and a half away in Miami, and just two hours away in New York,” he pointed out.