Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has argued that the sector must move beyond the traditional focus on arrivals and hotel occupancy to become a powerful driver of national development.

Speaking during ‘The Event Playbook: Strategies for Event Tourism Success’ workshop on Thursday at The University of the West Indies, Mona campus in St Andrew, Bartlett noted that for years the industry was perceived as exclusive.

He pointed out that the tourism sector has long being regarded as “something confined to hotels, large companies, or spaces beyond the reach of ordinary Jamaicans — small entrepreneurs, community groups, creative workers, farmers, artisans, and young people”.

Bartlett said this perception has shifted significantly, noting that more Jamaicans are now finding opportunities to contribute to tourism.

He attributed this change to deliberate policy measures, stronger linkages, and the expansion of tourism offerings, including community and cultural tourism, gastronomy, sports, entertainment, health and wellness, and the creative economy.

Bartlett used the occasion to reiterate and reinforce his vision for “Tourism 3.0”, an initiative aimed at expanding the tourism economy by enabling more Jamaicans to participate.

“So, Tourism 3.0 says tourism must no longer be seen only as a sector of arrivals, rooms, and attractions. Tourism must be seen as a national development platform. It must create space for Jamaicans to participate not only as workers but as owners, suppliers, creators, innovators, service providers, and entrepreneurs,” said Bartlett who has previously announced his vision for the pivot of the sector.

In his first announcement of Tourism 3.0 Bartlett said it would be a transformative initiative to reshape the sector under a new framework.

According to Bartlett, the shift is designed to modernise the way the industry operates, making it more efficient, inclusive, and accessible to a wider range of investors and stakeholders — particularly small operators and creative entrepreneurs, who have often been left out of the growth story.

Under the Tourism 3.0 framework, he explained that different regions of the island will be strategically developed to deliver distinct experiences.

Bartlett has indicated that the south coast will be developed around accessible tourism, offering new and differentiated experiences, while the north coast will chart its own path as an anchor for wealth and luxury tourism, complemented by the north-eastern corridor.

“Then we’ll be looking at city tourism. That’s a big item, and it says Kingston is ready to take its place [for city tourism],” said Bartlett.