KINGSTON, Jamaica – The stimulus package introduced to support tourism has so far enabled the provision of cash flow support of $634 million dollars to the sector, to sustain jobs and maintain growth.
Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett disclosed this in his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on June 30.
“They have used the resources well. There is not a single hotel in Jamaica that has been closed, even though the times are hard globally and things have been tough. We have been able to ensure that, notwithstanding the very impressive sales programmes that we have had to carry out, we’ve worked in partnership with the trade in order to ensure that we are getting better value for the dollar that we are spending,” he said.
The stimulus package was announced by Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding late last year, and makes concessionary loans available to the tourism sector at all levels.
Meanwhile, Mr. Bartlett said his Ministry is resolved to continue to make strides in the industry, despite tough economic times and a tight budget.
“In difficult times, we have to act outside of the box, and we have to develop the kind of concepts and ideas that are going to enable us to meet the challenges. If the short term actions can be aligned with long-term social goals, then the overall industry may actually be strengthened by this crisis,” he said.
He added that the Ministry has developed what is termed ‘new tourism’, built on marketing, product development and investment.
This ‘new tourism’ the Minister said, looks beyond the short-term and demands the support of the private sector, and a shared vision by all sectors and all Jamaicans.
It benefits not only those who travel, but also the people in the communities that tourists visit. With this new approach, Mr. Bartlett said he is confident that tourism will continue to be Jamaica’s number one foreign exchange earner.
