Subscribe Login
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Business Bites
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Videos
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obits
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Business Bites
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Videos
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obits
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
  • Home
  • News
    • International News
  • Latest
  • Business
    • Business Bites
  • Cartoon
  • Games
  • Food Awards
  • Health
  • Entertainment
    • Bookends
  • Regional
  • Sports
    • Sports
    • World Cup
    • World Champs
    • Olympics
  • Videos
  • Career & Education
  • Classifieds
  • All Woman
  • Environment
  • Webinars
  • More
    • Football
    • Elections
    • Letters
    • Advertorial
    • Columns
    • Editorial
    • Supplements
  • Epaper
  • Design Week
Tourism and a better future for all
The tourism product hasmany inputs. (Photo: Courtesyof Round Hill Hotel and Villas)
Columns
Gaunette Sinclair-Maragh  
September 30, 2019

Tourism and a better future for all

Tourism continues to be among the largest industries in the world having recorded 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals in 2018, representing an increase of six per cent when compared to the previous year (United Nations World Tourism Organization Barometer, 2019). In 2018, tourism generated revenue of US$8.8 trillion (World Travel Tourism Council Report, 2019) and also showed 3.9 per cent growth compared to the global economy of 3.2 per cent. Additionally, it accounted for 10.4 per cent of the world gross domestic product (GDP), provided 319 million jobs, employed one in every 10 individuals worldwide and created one in every five new jobs over the last five years. This record performance of tourism supports the recent global commemoration of World Tourism Day 2019 under the theme: ‘Tourism and Jobs: A better future for all’.

This theme is very fitting to the sustainable tourism development thrust at this time as tourism is a powerful driver of job creation/employment and, ultimately, global economic development. The phenomenon, tourism, encompasses many sectors, activities, and resources to include accommodation, food and beverage, transportation (air, land and sea), events/entertainment, attractions, policymakers and destination planners as well as support services (banking and finance, information technology, marketing, travel intermediaries, law/legal entities, health and safety, agriculture, manufacturing and engineering). These practical manifestations of the business of tourism are not exhaustive, but simply underscore a few of the direct and indirect benefits of tourism by way of employment, job creation, and/or entrepreneurial activities.

Additionally, the phenomenon of tourism impacts many lives from the demand and supply chain and backward and forward linkages models, as well as the sustainable development perspective. On the demand side of tourism business, professionals in the field have to monitor the ongoing diversification in travel trends: the increase in the desire to experience new destinations; the need for healthy options (sports, health and wellness); the aspiration to be engaged in responsible tourism; and be an integral part of local community living and experiences. A demographic shift is simultaneously occurring with an increase in multigenerational travel; people are living longer and travelling with their younger generation. The supply side through artificial intelligence and strategic marketing has been responding to these needs and desires by way of affordable air travel and improved air connectivity to many destinations. This has resulted in diversified source markets, technological advances, improved visa facilitation, and new business model for tourism.

Demystifying the perceptions of hospitality and tourism education and training

The growth in the number of travellers correspondingly requires qualified and trained personnel to fulfil their expectations and keep the business of tourism sustainable; hence, the importance of education and training in diverse areas. It is, however, critical to demystify the traditional perception of hospitality and tourism education and training as it is often perceived as linked only to the practical expertise associated with food preparation and service, and housekeeping. Illustrations, photographs and graphics which depict hospitality and tourism training and education in order to highlight careers in this field tend to focus predominantly on job options which showcase the practical, skills-based expertise of professionals in the field.

However, the practical and technical skills of these specialists, whose innate attention to detail and creative flair make the experience happen with great aplomb, are supported by managerial experts. This explains why institutions of higher learning across the world position their hospitality and tourism schools in their business colleges. Some of these programmes are actually called hospitality business management to reflect the specialised focus. Students are taught the specificity of managing the various sectors/areas by way of the theories and management principles applicable to business ventures in hospitality, tourism, front office, event planning, housekeeping, the culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, and food and beverage operations, to name a few. Students must also have an appreciation of the legal and ethical tenets applicable in the business world as well as proficiency in the mitigation of risks, both globally and locally, by way of their exposure to hospitality and tourism law, risk management and professional ethics. The programme curriculum, developed in collaboration with experienced industry professionals, gives students the required foundation in accounting and financial management as well as human resource management and organisation behaviour to equip them to apply innovation in mentoring, guiding and leading a professional team. The goal is to create entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs capable of adapting 21st century technological skills in the process of growth and renewal at the workplace. Destination management and marketing with sound knowledge of international relations are also vital components of the curriculum as they prepare students with the adeptness required to target the various markets and build destination brand, image, identity, and loyalty. Likewise, students must be trained to demonstrate and apply knowledge and know-how in environmental management, which is especially purposeful in light of tourism’s solution-oriented approach to the challenges of climate change.

Students whose passion resides in the culinary arts required to enhance the gastronomical experience of our guests/visitors are educated and trained in the theoretical frameworks of the culinary sciences and experimental foods. The science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education model includes the culinary arts among the areas of focus, thus these culinary arts specialists are grounded in the theoretical approach applicable to this field in addition to the execution of the hard sciences (physics, chemistry and biology), the principles and application of nutrition, and the use of high-tech equipment and inventory management systems. The application of the sciences is an integral component of recipe development, which requires the appropriation of weights and measures, coupled with the admixture of colours, tastes, and textures. The same discourse is valid for the student who pursues baking, pastry arts and patisserie. Knowledge and execution of facility layout and design, along with the maintenance and repair of kitchen equipment are also paramount to these disciplines. These skill sets enable the aspiring chefs and food and beverage specialists to manage their resources efficiently while establishing the requisite foundation which will facilitate their training pursuits among the top executive and pastry chefs globally. The challenges, though tremendous, are worthwhile, given the substantial gross salary of a celebrity chef, as well as the opportunities open to food and beverage specialists who often carve out positions for themselves as industry leaders. Training in dining room services and banqueting operations extends far beyond the serving of meals to guests. It ensures that an exquisite dining experience is being achieved from the diverse and colourful interactions as the gastronomic delights are showcased; hence, the importance of customer service management and communication studies as components of the curriculum.

Kudos to the hospitality

The next time you encounter a hospitality and tourism student or graduate, congratulate this enterprising young Jamaican for making a non-traditional career choice. They ought to be commended for their input in enabling the economy as their area of specialisation in the tourism industry is poised for growth and holds much potential for Jamaica and the Caribbean.

According to the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) 2019, the hotel and restaurant sector in Jamaica has grown by 5.6 per cent during the period of April to June this year. This contributed 1.4 per cent growth to the service industry and an overall one per cent growth in the economy for the same period, resulting in an improved debt-to-GDP level. The PIOJ pointed out that the overall growth of the economy is driven by the services industry. Tourism is the truest form of a service industry. This view is supported by the underlying perspectives of both the service economy and the experience economy. Additionally, tourism is the truest form of ‘service export’; its activities are exported without crossing physical boundaries with revenue derived from visitor expenditure and foreign exchange.

In concluding, let us acknowledge and commend all hospitality and tourism educators for their commitment to the business of tourism. We are enabling ‘Tourism and jobs: A better future for all’.

Gaunette Sinclair-Maragh, PhD, is an associate professor, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Technology, Jamaica. Send comments to the Observer or gaunsmar@yahoo.com.

{"website":"website"}{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
0 Comments · Make a comment

ALSO ON JAMAICA OBSERVER

Second-hand smoke causes nearly 1.7M deaths globally — study
International News, Latest News
Second-hand smoke causes nearly 1.7M deaths globally — study
September 7, 2026
PARIS, France (AFP) — More than 2.7 billion people, including children, have been exposed to second-hand smoke globally, contributing to nearly 1.7 mi...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Documentary on James Bond creator Ian Fleming to premiere at GoldenEye
Latest News, Lifestyle, News
Documentary on James Bond creator Ian Fleming to premiere at GoldenEye
September 7, 2026
Ian Fleming and the Curse of James Bond , directed by Adam Low, a new feature documentary exploring the life, imagination and enduring legacy of James...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Case against captain of MV Barima further adjourned
Latest News, News
Case against captain of MV Barima further adjourned
September 7, 2026
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – Three people, including the captain of the ill-fated MV Barima that sank on July  18, killing more than 100 people, appeare...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Daley concerned as staffing shortages reportedly force school for blind to turn away students
Latest News, News
Daley concerned as staffing shortages reportedly force school for blind to turn away students
September 7, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesperson on Gender, Elderly and Persons with Disabilities, Denise Daley, is calling for an urgent assessment of the...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Rybakina tops Osaka, sets US Open quarter-final clash with Zheng
Latest News, Sports
Rybakina tops Osaka, sets US Open quarter-final clash with Zheng
September 7, 2026
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — World number two Elena Rybakina swept past four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4 on Monday to line up a U...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Education ministry to review textbook lists amid cost concerns
Latest News, News
Education ministry to review textbook lists amid cost concerns
September 7, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information has announced plans to review schools’ textbook lists to ensure that only e...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Forex: $158.96 to one US dollar
Latest News, News
Forex: $158.96 to one US dollar
September 7, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The United States (US) dollar on Monday, August 7, ended trading at $158.96, down 8 cents, according to Bank of Jamaica’s daily ex...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Hurricane warning issued for westernmost Hawaiian islands
International News, Latest News
Hurricane warning issued for westernmost Hawaiian islands
September 7, 2026
HONOLULU, United States (AFP)—A hurricane warning was issued Monday for the westernmost Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Niihau as Category 3 Hurricane L...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
❮ ❯

Polls

HOUSE RULES

  1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper; email addresses will not be published.
  2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
  3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
  4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
  5. Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
  6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
  7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

Archives

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Tweets

Polls

Recent Posts

Archives

Logo Jamaica Observer
Breaking news from the premier Jamaican newspaper, the Jamaica Observer. Follow Jamaican news online for free and stay informed on what's happening in the Caribbean
Featured Tags
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Health
  • Auto
  • Business
  • Letters
  • Page2
  • Football
Categories
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
Ads
img
Jamaica Observer, © All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feeds
  • Feedback
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Code of Conduct