KINGSTON, Jamaica – ‘Tourism and Rural Development’ is the theme for this year’s observance of Tourism Awareness Week, slated for September 27 to October 3.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett disclosed that several activities will be held digitally to mark this year’s commemoration, which will incorporate the observance of World Tourism Day on September 27.

These engagements include a virtual church service being streamed from the Trumpet Call Ministries International in Montego Bay on September 27, a virtual expo on September 30, a webinar on October 2, and a series of social media competitions.

Bartlett indicated that the expo will showcase craft and “other kinds of manufactured goods which come from our rural folks and [are] made available to the hotels”.

The minister said that the commemoration of World Tourism Day will focus on rural development

“We want to focus heavily on the people and how we use tourism as a vehicle to enable people to enhance themselves and, more importantly, secure their health and well-being,” he said.

“So our focus for Jamaica is going to be on driving education information and to empower rural communities to respect the importance of health as the centre of their own future development and to facilitate economic development,” Bartlett added.

World Tourism Day and Tourism Awareness Week will be observed against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted global economic activities.