ST THOMAS, Jamaica — The Ministry of Tourism says it will be taking strategic steps to facilitate the development of tourism in St Thomas and the expansion of the sector along the south coast.

The ministry said it was also looking to expand in “other parts of the country that have untapped tourism potential”.

The revelation was made by portfolio minister Edmund Bartlett during the recent Tourism Awareness Week 2020 Thanksgiving Church Service.

“We will continue to build out a framework of support that will include product development, training, infrastructural improvement and access to financing for rural communities,” Bartlett said.

“We are committed to adding depth and diversity to our tourism product while providing economic viability in communities beyond Jamaica’s traditional resort areas. This will lay the foundation for a more equitable, sustainable and inclusive tourism sector that benefits all Jamaicans,” he added.

The service, hosted by Trumpet Call Ministries International in Montego Bay, was one of several activities by the ministry in observance World Tourism Day and to kick-start the local Tourism Awareness Week activities.

Other activities for the week include: daily advertorials highlighting rural development initiatives of the Ministry of Tourism and its agencies, a virtual expo, a virtual webinar, social media competitions, and a youth photography competition.

Bartlett said this year’s World Tourism Day theme: “Tourism and Rural Development” highlighted the unique role that tourism plays in providing opportunities outside of big cities and preserving cultural and natural heritage all around the world.

The theme is guiding local activities from September 27 – October 3 to raise awareness of tourism’s significant contribution to the island’s wide-scale growth and development.