KINGSTON, Jamaica – Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says he is making it a priority to re-imagine the local tourism sector by creating strategic policies, programmes, and initiatives that can aid in building resilience and increase the capacity for local small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs) to earn more.

Speaking at the Tourism Enhancement Fund’s Business Development Information Session for SMTEs at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Wednesday, the Minister said, “we called this gathering and brought all these stakeholders here today to understand the need that we see for building resilience and capacity for our small and medium-sized players who are at the heart of tourism.”

“Eighty per cent of the value of tourism experiences worldwide is driven by small and medium enterprises. The unfortunate fact is that less than 20 per cent of the returns from tourism go to this sector,” he continued.

“So, as we rebound and reimagine, we are bringing a new dynamism to the process, and we are trying to rebalance that anomaly. We want you [SMTEs] to get a larger share of the tourism dollar.”

Bartlett noted that the Ministry and its public bodies are offering support to the SMTEs and hospitality workers using three pillars: international certification through the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation; financial support through businesses such as the Jamaica National Bank and the EXIM Bank; and marketing through the Jamaica Tourist Board.

As part of increased efforts to boost the competitiveness of the local tourism product and to offer support to budding SMTEs, Bartlett shared that the Ministry of Tourism will be developing an innovation-based tourism incubator (ITI). The initiative, led by the Tourism Enhancement Fund, will support entrepreneurs in converting innovative ideas into viable businesses.

“We are investing in ideas through the innovation incubator that we have established. We have $31 million in this year’s budget to do just that – to go and mine ideas and find young people all across Jamaica with ideas because tourism is driven by ideas,” said the Minister.