Jamaica earned US$80 million after re-opening
Jamaica has earned an estimated US$80 million from around 40,000 tourists who came to the island since the country re-opened its borders on 15 June.
During the Rediscover Jamaica campaign launch last July 22, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett credited the earnings to the measures which the Government implemented for building confidence for tourists.
Bartlett said that many of the measures are the first among tourist destinations of the world and that protocols have enabled the Government of Jamaica to manage the movement of the tourists.
“The reopening of the industry along the northern coast corridor has allowed thousands of workers to return to their jobs, while the reopening of the southern coast corridor last week ensured that another 10,000 Jamaicans would start working again.”
The Minister added that the Caribbean is a tourism-dependent region, and in Jamaica, the Government knows that tourism is integral for the survival of the country.
“As the most significant economic engine of the country, travel and tourist industry of Jamaica employs 170,000 workers and effects an additional 120,000 from other related industries, and it fuels more than one-third of the economy of Jamaica.”
He went on to say that the past few months were particularly challenging because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. As a country, Jamaica suffered the most significant economic decline, which it witnessed in the past four decades.
Jamaica’s GDP declined by 1.7 per cent for the month of March this year and the real GDP is projected to fall 12-14 per cent for this year’s April-June quarter.
Bartlett noted that until there is mass access to a COVID-19 vaccine, the risk can not be eliminated.
He likewise said the protocols were benchmarked against 20 other markets around the world, and reviewed by global health agencies, with the phased opening of the sector as a result of consultations with the ministries of health and wellness; national security; and foreign affairs and foreign trade.
“We are all seeing and feeling the societal shift in mindset, including how we travel. There is a sense of anticipation, of wanting to reconnect with nature and with people. For this to happen there must be an imperative that we work together across sectors to develop a framework that prioritises the health of our citizens, along with traveller confidence and safety.”
In other news:
CARICOM IMPACS to host first-ever Virtual Security Conference in the region.