MONTEGO BAY, St James — Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett is touting Wednesday’s official launch of the Gastronomy Academy of Jamaica as a significant plank in the country’s ongoing push into the luxury tourism market.

“The culinary academy… embodies the emergence of our rich culinary tradition and world-class training, and that’s what is going to be necessary to drive this luxury side of our pivot,” Bartlett said during the event held at Montego Bay Convention Centre.

He pointed out that the country is on the cusp of securing investments in several multimillion-dollar luxury tourism projects, developments that will drive greater demand for high-quality culinary offerings.

The tourism minister pointed to the US$1-billion Harmony Cove resort development — for which ground was broken in Trelawny a day earlier — as well as The Pinnacle, a US$450-million project that is under construction in Reading, St James, as evidence of the direction in which the country’s tourism market is headed.

“We have Unico under construction now, which is taking us to another level of luxury. And we’re cleaning up a place just right beside it for what is going to shortly be the tallest building in tourism in the country, with luxury at the base. And then we have another element of it to be expressed in Westmoreland very shortly,” Bartlett disclosed.

He also underscored the academy’s importance to Jamaica’s culinary landscape.

“We’re not simply launching an academy, we are igniting a culinary revolution that will reverberate across the island and throughout the Caribbean. Over the decades, our extraordinary culinary heritage has remained one of our most renowned tourism offerings. The world knows our jerk cuisine, our Blue Mountain coffee and our rum, yet we have not fully capitalised on the depth and sophistication of the Jamaican gastronomy. That will change as of today,” vowed the tourism minister.

“The timing could not be better. Gastronomy tourism is experiencing exclusive global growth, now ranking among the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry here in the Caribbean. This trend is reshaping our region’s future. In 2024 alone, 57 per cent of Caribbean businesses reported increased revenue from the food and beverage sector, with more travellers choosing destinations based on culinary experiences. In fact, you may have heard me say repeatedly… that 42 per cent of the expenditure of the visitor is on food,” he added.

The academy is a partnership between the Jamaican government and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) and Bartlett pointed to the benefits of having the AHLEI stamp of approval.

He welcomed affirmation by the American Culinary Federation and the AHLEI that Jamaica now boasts the first world-class kitchen in the Caribbean. It is located at the Montego Bay Convention Centre which also houses the academy.

“This, of course, is a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence and to high-quality standards in culinary education. The academy, then, is not merely about teaching cooking techniques, it is about securing Jamaica’s rightful place in the global culinary conversations,” asserted the minister.

“Modern travellers crave authentic, immersive food experiences, from cooking classes and food festivals to street food adventures and local market tours,” he added.

AHLEI managing director for the Caribbean Cuauhtemoc Novello, who is also managing director of the National Restaurant Association, described the academy as “more than a kitchen”.

“It’s a launch pad for dreams, a vessel for creativity, and a beacon for culinary innovation,” Novello said via a virtual platform.

“Today is not just about opening a gastronomy academy. Today, Jamaica ignites a movement — one that will elevate Jamaica’s culinary art, empower its youth with world-class skills, and position the Caribbean as a global leader in hospitality and gastronomy. Graduates will be globally competitive, not just job-ready,” he added.