Tourism 3.0 to increase opportunities for more Jamaican—Bartlett

A key pillar of the Tourism 3.0 framework is strengthening linkages and building capacity across local industries to ensure that more Jamaicans participate directly in the tourism value chain, says Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett.

Delivering the feature address at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the rehabilitated Fontabelle to Geddes Town Road in St Mary, on May 29, Bartlett noted that while tourism has been a major driver of Jamaica’s economy for more than five decades, there remains a perception among some persons that the industry does not sufficiently benefit ordinary Jamaicans.

“What we are doing is changing the perception of tourism because tourism has been at the heart of the economic engine of this country for over 50 years. But the perception is that it does not provide enough and, in some cases, some people even dare to say it’s not providing anything,” he said.

Introduced by the Ministry, Tourism 3.0 is a transformative strategic framework designed to shift the sector from a traditional model focused on visitor arrivals and room stock to a broader national development platform.

Its primary objective is to retain more tourism earnings within the local economy through increased local ownership and stronger supply chains.

The minister pointed out that some 363 communities across the island stand to benefit from initiatives such as the Local First policy and the Spruce Up Pon Di Corner programme, which are being strategically developed to deliver distinct, region-specific tourism experiences.

“The essence of what I am trying to do is to analyse, parish by parish, the assets, capabilities and the essence of the experiences that can be developed in each parish,” he said.

He explained that the initiatives are intended to create opportunities for ordinary Jamaicans to develop products and services that visitors can enjoy and purchase, thereby increasing local participation in the industry.

“It is not the big investments that the tourist consumes [when they visit], it’s the little things that you do in your areas. So, we want to build capacity…for our local people to be able to supply all the things [they need] when they come,” Bartlett said.

He emphasised that rural communities play a critical role in supporting the tourism sector and should benefit from investments aimed at improving infrastructure and accessibility.

“What we want to do is to make communities like Geddes Town feel that they are truly contributing, because they are,” he said. “So, when we come in and fix a road to enhance the infrastructure, it’s really emphasising that we want you to have greater access. We want you to be able to come with greater ease [and] be available to supply against the demand that the visitor brings to Jamaica.”