ROSE HALL, St James — Several students attending the Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation’s career expo were left encouraged about potential professions in the tourism industry. Integral to their optimistic view was a presentation by Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) Executive Director Dr Carey Wallace.

“Our generation had a perception that jobs in tourism meant waiter and bartender and housekeeper. What I want you to recognise, especially today, is that jobs in tourism are millionaire jobs, digital space,” he said.

“There’s opportunities because we in the field, we see the millionaires in tourism, the civil engineers, the executive chefs, the ones who create the innovation in tourism, the Expedia, the Airbnbs; all those guys are billionaires, and we ask ourselves the question: Can we not get some billionaires out of Jamaica?,” he urged.

His comments swayed grade 10 student at Mount Alvernia High Laticia Johnson.

“Before, I wasn’t really considering tourism. I just wanted to be in the financial area and help to build our country… But now that I am here and I have gained more information, I would look more into it,” she stated.

The Queen’s School student, Chalese Kelly was also left enthused about what a career in tourism could mean for her.

“Tourism is Jamaica’s biggest industry, so working in it I feel like I could make a substantial amount of money,” she said, adding that she would focus on something related to finance.

However, the main focus of the expo was on digital innovations, and this was apparent in some of the workshops and booths. Some students were intrigued and could see themselves pursuing careers related to artificial intelligence and 3-D technology.

“I feel like I could pursue something in tourism because it’s not just talking to people and cooking food, it’s more than that. It’s technology, you can even create things,” said grade 12 student of Montego Bay High Gabrielle Dove.

“We saw Sandals, where they created a virtual tour for the resort. So you don’t have to go to the resort to see what it looks like, you can go online where you can literally see it there. I would pursue it because it’s not just one thing but multiple different opportunities in the tourism sector,” she added.

There were similar sentiments from Frome High School’s Clevon Campbell, who is currently in lower six at the Westmoreland-based institution.

“In the day and age that we are in, technology is the way forward. If a specific company wants to advance, I believe investing in technology and investing in the students who will be the future of tomorrow is the best way to go forward,” he declared.

“That’s why I am studying hospitality and tourism management,” Campbell added.

TEF’s Wallace has high hopes for future members of the tourism sector and encouraged students to take advantage of careers that now exist in the sector and others that will evolve with time.

“I want all of you driving, having two cars in a carport, house on the hill, restaurants every weekend, throwing parties for your children when they have their birthdays,” he declared.

“Your friend getting married in Sweden, you just hop on a plane and go to the wedding and come back,” he added.

“We all deserve that quality of life and, certainly, our foreparents fought and died to afford us that quality of life. The job for us, in this generation, is to convert what we have that’s great about us into industries, into job opportunities, into careers where we convert what’s good into quality of life, an outstanding quality of life for people,” Wallace urged.