Tourism Enhancement Fund Empowers Tourism Innovators

 

KINGSTON, Jamaica  — The Tourism Enhancement Fund has selected 15 Jamaican entrepreneurs for the third cohort of its Tourism Innovation Incubator. This advances a national push to bring more locally built products, technology and services into the tourism sector.

The 10 men and five women were introduced Wednesday (Sept. 2nd) at a meet-and-greet event at the Audi Showroom in Kingston after being selected from 218 applicants. The assessment was conducted by TEF and the program’s business service intermediary, the University of Technology, Jamaica.

Seven-month Program

The entrepreneurs will begin an approximately seven-month program focused on capacity building, business development, market validation and investment readiness. For the first time, the incubator will also include AI-powered prototype development.

TEF Executive Director Dr. Carey Wallace said the incubator helps entrepreneurs find opportunity across the tourism value chain.

“Tourism has a wide variety of sub-industries, meaning there are innovation opportunities right along the length and breadth of tourism, even before the visitor gets here. So, it opens up many doors for our incubatees,” Wallace said.

Wallace described the incubator as a key part of the Ministry of Tourism’s transformation agenda, adding, “We sincerely want to see billionaires coming out of this programme.”

UTech Jamaica President Dr. Kevin Brown said the partnership aims to broaden participation in an industry often associated with large-scale accommodations.

“Many of you may be concerned about the strong presence of all-inclusive hotels, and what we are trying to do here is to allow Jamaicans who have other innovative ideas to explore the tourism space and to give them support to build their capacity to do other things in tourism,” Brown said. “In this technological world and digital space, now is the time and opportunity for young Jamaicans to capitalise on this billion-dollar industry.”

TEF and UTech Jamaica signed the business service intermediary agreement Aug. 18. Under the partnership, UTech Jamaica will provide training, mentorship, prototype development, financial literacy and business-development support to the cohort.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, in remarks delivered by Wallace, urged the entrepreneurs to build from local knowledge, design for underserved travelers, focus on execution and use technology without losing the Jamaican character of the visitor experience.

“Artificial intelligence can process a booking, analyse data and recommend an experience, but it cannot replicate the warmth, humour and humanity of the Jamaican people,” Bartlett said.

The third cohort’s portfolio includes immersive tourism experiences. It also covers destination discovery and access. In addition, it includes tourism intelligence and AI. It covers mobility and transport. Plus, it also includes market access. It covers digital commerce. It includes financial inclusion. Additionally, accessibility, sustainability and community tourism are among the cross-cutting themes.

Since its inception, the incubator has accepted 35 businesses, with about 29 completing the program. Three participants have collectively secured about J$40 million in financing from the Development Bank of Jamaica. Cohort One winner Caribbean Front Desk has launched a health-and-wellness tourism platform. In 2025, it will launch a J$43.4 million wellness tourism cluster project.

Beginning with the third cohort, TEF is placing more focus on the wider business ecosystem. This will happen through a structured alumni program. There will also be stronger pathways to help participants become ready for funding. New partnerships will also help them test solutions in real tourism settings.