ST JAMES, Jamaica – Director of Tourism, Donovan White, has emphasised the importance of investing in Jamaicans and the country’s natural environment, to ensure the sustainability and continued growth of the tourism industry.

“Without our people and the environment, tourism would not exist and so investments in our people and the environment are critical to the industry’s sustainability, and, indeed, its survival,” White said.

He was speaking virtually at the Tourism Awareness Week Youth Forum, held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James on September 27, which was observed as World Tourism Awareness Day.

The week is being celebrated from September 24 to September 30, under the theme ‘Tourism and Green Investments: Investing in People, Planet and Prosperity’.

White hailed Tourism Awareness Week as a time for introspection and improvement within the tourism sector, highlighting the need to address existing gaps.

He argued that the theme resonates deeply with Jamaica’s unique product that hinges on the fusion of culture and nature.

“As we reflect on the theme of this year’s Tourism Awareness Day and, indeed, the Week… it helps to define the unique product that we have been blessed to share with the rest of the world,” White said.

He expressed pride in Jamaica’s remarkable achievements over the past year, including a substantial increase in the global search demand for the island, as well as the successful launch of the ‘Come Back’ global marketing campaign, which invites people to experience the beauty of Jamaican life.

Meanwhile, young Jamaicans are stepping up to the plate in embracing green tourism as a means of preserving the country’s natural environment for generations to come.

During the Tourism Awareness Week Youth Forum panel discussion, dubbed ‘Key Skills for the Green Future of Tourism’, University of Technology student, Kawaine Anderson, expressed his eagerness for green tourism, highlighting its intrinsic connection to sustainability.

He sees green tourism as an opportunity to cultivate innovative ideas that can empower young individuals to take the reins as future industry leaders, ensuring that tourism does not deteriorate to the point of becoming unsustainable.

Tourism enthusiast, Katrina Chin, a student at the University of the West Indies, describes green tourism as an avenue for personal growth and a chance to contribute positively to her country.

“I am encouraged by sustainable tourism to work and find out where I can actually operate, what it is that I want to offer to my country, so I am encouraged. Sustainability is a great thing, there are no negatives to it. It is only up from here,” she said.

Students attached to Tourism Action Clubs from 23 schools across the island participated in the youth forum.

-JIS