MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica – Tourism Consciousness Week 2024 started on a constructive notice. It highlighted the expansion of Jamaica’s tourism trade. This progress comes regardless of native and worldwide challenges. The trade additionally performs an vital function within the wider economic system.
In a message delivered on September 22 at a thanksgiving service at Household Church on the Rock in Montego Bay, Minister of Tourism Hon Edmund Bartlett introduced that Jamaica skilled an unprecedented inflow of 4.29 million vacationers final 12 months, leading to earnings of US$4.38 billion. He careworn that “primarily based on preliminary figures, for the reason that begin of 2024 now we have welcomed some 3 million stopover and cruise visitors to the island, incomes roughly US$3 billion.”
Minister Bartlett added that “regardless of numerous challenges regarding US journey advisories, hurricane Beryl and tightness in relation to airlift, we’re marginally forward of final 12 months’s efficiency and stay on monitor to attain our goal of securing 5 million guests and US$5 billion in earnings by 2025.”
In a message delivered by Tourism Director Donovan White, Minister Bartlett emphasised that the tourism sector is acknowledged as an important element of the nation’s economic system, supporting the livelihoods of quite a few Jamaicans.
Tourism Consciousness Week 2024
Tourism Awareness Week (TAW) 2024 is being noticed from September 22-28, beneath the theme “Tourism and Peace: Out of Many, One Love.” This 12 months’s theme is consistent with UN Tourism’s (United Nations Tourism) international theme for World Tourism Day, which is marked yearly on September 27, “Tourism and Peace.” All through the week, the Ministry of Tourism, its public our bodies, and trade companions will search to emphasize tourism’s essential function in fostering cross-cultural collaboration and international unity.
Minister Bartlett underscored that tourism served as a catalyst for peace, creating financial alternatives and stability for people and communities, resulting in improved social cohesion and a stronger dedication to sustaining peaceable situations with the intention to appeal to and maintain guests.
“The annual worldwide motion of hundreds of thousands of individuals creates invaluable alternatives for cross-cultural alternate, permitting people to immerse themselves in numerous traditions, cuisines, languages and existence. This intercultural dialogue is essential for breaking down prejudices and stereotypes, whereas constructing bridges of understanding and acceptance. Recognizing this potential, leveraging tourism as a robust software to advertise peace is logical and important,” he stated.
Additionally taking part within the service had been President of the Jamaica Resort and Vacationer Affiliation (JHTA), Robin Russell; JHTA space chair for Montego Bay, Nadine Spence; Junior Minister of Tourism from the Tourism Motion Membership at Manning’s College, Taj Melbourne; Chairman of the Tourism Enhancement Fund, The Hon. Godfrey Dyer; Government Director of JAMVAC, Pleasure Roberts; Government Director of Devon Home, Georgeia Robinson together with a number of different representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and its public our bodies.
