I am particularly impressed by and satisfied with the kind of vigour and enthusiasm that Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has brought to the job ever since his Cabinet appointment last September.
Further, Minister Bartlett has been very focused on developing our tourism product by seeking to increase and develop more areas as being amenable to tourism, in addition to seeking to widen our product offerings.
In recent times, we have heard about adding religious tourism, perhaps as part of our quest to capture a bigger piece of the convention market. Additionally, the minister has been willing to seriously consider casino gambling as part of our product offering.
I am not a gambler nor do I encourage it as a means of economic survival, as our local lottery has seemed to become for many Jamaicans. To this end, I am supportive of the introduction of casino gambling locally as a tourism product to serve as a means of enjoyment for those who so desire.
Casino legislation
The legalisation of casino gambling in Jamaica should be properly regulated so that it does not become a means for the average Jamaican to go splurge his little fortune in hopes of becoming rich. Further, I propose that we do not have a system in place where licences are offered for the establisment of casinos in any part of the country at any facility so deemed appropriate for it. Rather, a particular zone(s), Port Royal for instance, should be considered for this form of entertainment.
Bringing casino gambling to Port Royal could serve to significantly develop Port Royal and Kingston as the entertainment and cultural mecca of Jamaica and the Caribbean. The Port Royal/Kingston area is not only appropriate for casinos, but also entertainment generally.
Moreover, this zone could be appropriate for cultural tourism, comprising museums, parks and the like.
Duty-free shopping could become a major part of our tourism product as well. The proposed development of Vernamfield could probably open up the centre of the island to something of this sort.
Destination of choice
Making Jamaica a destination of choice for those desirous of getting married abroad should obtain greater attention too. Health tourism, in addition to sports tourism, has the potential of being a huge market for us as well. And, there are still many other offerings that we could consider to provide for a more comprehensive product and a well-developed destination.
I believe efforts to improve our tourism product should not be restricted to or focused on just hotels, sand and sea. Our history, culture and natural beauty are such that we can afford to do much more where tourism is concerned.
To this end, I think Minister Bartlett should, in the development of new tourist areas and the continued development of existing areas, aim to create a particular niche product for each area. A tourist, locally or overseas, should go to different areas because of their unique offerings. This would not only increase tourism arrivals, but would encourage visitors to stay longer and therefore increase their spending from having so much more to see and do.
There is a lot of potential and a great deal of room for the improvement of our tourism product. I am confident that, with a man like Minister Bartlett in charge and being so focused on bettering the product, a lot more will be done to make Jamaica an even more attractive destination of choice.
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