CARIBBEAN/JAMAICA: Tourism master plan to cost private sector $82b

Tourism master plan to cost private sector $82b
Expected to absorb almost 90 per cent of the cost 
TONY LOWRIE, Observer staff reporter
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
 
THE government is looking to the private sector to pump about $82 billion, or 
about 90 percent of the cost, into the implementation the long-overdue $94.4 
billion tourism master plan.

Tourism minister Aloun Assamba made the announcement during Monday's 
post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

But even though the plan has been five years in the making and was recently 
approved by Cabinet, the government still does not have its portion of the 
funds in place. According to Assamba, that aspect "is in the process of being 
finalised".

"A high-level inter-ministerial committee comprising the ministries of local 
government, development, transportation, land and the environment, and 
national security is being formed, along with the Urban Development 
Corporation and the Port Authority, to assist in the plan's implementation," 
she said.

The tourism minister revealed that the first phase of the master plan's 
implementation involved what she called "must-do projects" that include 
resort clean-up and beautification. She said the results of the first phase 
should be seen by the start of the winter tourist season on December 15.

"Clean-up and beautification programmes would achieve 'quick-wins' at this 
point, to enhance the experience of visitors and locals, consolidate the 
upturn shown in the market so far, and demonstrate and signal the 
government's commitment to the master plan," Assamba declared.

Using the year 2000 as its baseline, the 10-year master plan is expected to 
result in:

* an increase in stopover arrivals from 1.3 million to 2.2 million in year 
2010;

* cruise passengers up from 908,000 to 2.2 million;

* increase in visitor expenditure from US$1.3 billion to US$2.9 billion;

* growth in room stock from 23,640 to 35,000;

* increase in employment from 75,000 to 130,000;

* the industry's contribution to GDP up from eight per cent to 15 per cent;

* and net foreign exchange earnings up from US$800 million to US$1.8 billion 
in year 2010.

"We are already a little behind in the implementations of the plan, but we 
are sticking to the objectives that were set out," Assamba said Monday. "For 
our targets to be successful, we need to have a more diversified tourism 
product, moving away from the traditional sun, sand and sea with an expansion 
of tourism offerings and experiences including heritage, music and 
entertainment, retirement and health, sports and repositioning Jamaica as a 
shopping destination."

With regard to the marketing of Jamaica's tourism product, the minister said 
the strategy will include focussing on leveraging Jamaica's brand name, 
targeting the top-end market and focussing more on visitors' expenditure than 
on arrival volume.

The main objectives of the island's master plan for sustainable tourism 
development are:

* Growth based on a sustainable market position. The industry needs to return 
to a path of sustained growth and to do so must develop a sustainable market 
position. In line with market trends, a sustainable market position must be 
based on Jamaica's heritage -- natural, cultural, historic and built.

* Enhancing the visitor experience. The current run-down resorts must be made 
more attractive; gaps in the product offering to be filled by mobilising 
investment; and the visitor experience made more rewarding and diverse 
through increasing the types and quality of attractions. The aim should be to 
achieve self-sustaining growth based on word-of-mouth referrals and high 
repeat visitors.

* Community based development. For sustainable development, local communities 
must play a major role in defining, developing and managing the tourism 
experience so that they take ownership of the industry and are committed to 
providing the visitor experience on which the success of the industry 
depends.

* An inclusive industry. From its current perception as an exclusive industry 
that benefits the few, the Jamaican people should come to view the industry 
as inclusive, benefiting them and the country as a whole. This will call for 
measures that ensure that the benefits of tourism are spread widely and to 
promote gender equality.

* Environmental sustainability. The environment is the product. Its continued 
degradation threatens the future of the industry and the lives of successive 
generations. The industry must contribute to the preservation of the natural 
habitat.




SOURCE: Jamaica Observer