ST JAMES, Jamaica (JIS) — Senior Advisor at the International Institute of Tourism Studies (IITS) at George Washington University in the United States, Eduardo Fayos-Solá, has commended the Government of Jamaica for establishing the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI).

He said the Institute is a demonstration of the State’s willingness to not only spearhead innovation but to lead by example.

Fayos-Solá was making his keynote address titled ‘The Future of Tourism – Innovation Challenges in the Caribbean Region’ at today’s opening of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Global Conference at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James.

I think you have taken on already, in Jamaica, what I see as an incredible initiative, which is to create a centre for innovation, because if you create a centre for innovation, it means you are accepting your part in the game. You are trying to invest in the future by minimising the risk of the private sector, so the private sector does not have to go all the way,” he said.

“You don’t have to give them (private sector) money; you give them knowledge – and you give them knowledge in areas where they will probably not step in. And, that is clearly positive, so my congratulations for the initiative taken here with the innovation centre…,” he added.

The JCTI was officially launched on November 1 and is part of the Government’s Human Capital Development Plan aimed at facilitating the certification and licensure of Jamaicans working in tourism, and to facilitate innovation in tourism.

It was born out of Vision 2030’s Tourism Sector Development Plan, which calls for the development of a training institution focused on developing a management cadre with the skills, knowledge and motivation required by tourism entities, and is expected to become a globally competitive certification institution.

Fayos-Solá said he was conscious of the fact that in pursuing job creation and economic growth, Caribbean tourism leaders have been demonstrating the willpower to drive innovation.

“In tourism, you have a number of ideas for innovation. Many of them are technical, but then it takes the will, the leadership, to adopt those technical innovations into proper institutional frameworks,” he said.

Among the confirmed speakers at the three-day conference are Prime Minister Andrew Holness; President of the Dominican Republic, His Excellency Danilo Medina; and UNWTO Secretary General His Excellency Taleb Rifai.

The UNTWO conference is being hosted jointly by the Government of Jamaica, the World Bank Group and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Key partners include the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), private international development company, Chemonics International; and the George Washington University.

The conference is also sponsored by some major international entities, including Airbnb, CNN, American Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, as well as Jamaican companies, including the Sandals Group, Chukka Caribbean, MBJ Airports, Cari-Med, Red Stripe, and the Jamaica National Group.