Jamaica tourism resilient and growing despite challenges in major markets

There has been growing concern about United States travel advisories and the potential drop in the numbers of visitor arrivals in Jamaica, mainly from the United States, as a result of the economic uncertainties arising from recent policies and actions of United States president Donald Trump. Jamaica’s tourism industry leaders however are emphasising the country’s willingness and potential to withstand the shocks, if any.

In seizing the moment at the Jamaica Tourist Board’s 70th Anniversary Cocktails Reception at Devon House in St Andrew on Thursday, May 22, The Gleaner spoke with Director of Tourism Donovan White about the possible negative impacts on tourism of the direct or indirect results of such policies and actions. He started out by listing some moments in time when the world was in turmoil for one reason or the other, yet, tourism in Jamaica weathered the storm, and even rose about it.

“In 2008, 2009 and 2010 when the world faced a financial meltdown, tourism grew three per cent in Jamaica, in the period during SARS, even the results of COVID, we recovered within two years of having no tourists arriving at all. So, the resilience of the tourist industry is what’s important,” White explained, “And what’s important, even more important, is the fact that we’ve been able to maintain the strength of our relationships with the significant partners in the marketplaces. They understand what we’re about, they understand our product. They’ve never deviated from when we say to them, ‘We are open for business.’”

OPENING NEW MARKETS

Thus, while there are challenges in the JTB’s main market, and the world, by extension, White said the JTB also understands that it has “to pivot”, such as opening new markets, and is doing just that.

“That’s what we’ve been about for the last two years in preparation for today. We’ve been opening Latin America, we’ve been opening Europe, we’ve been opening the Middle East, we’ve been opening Asia, and we’re seeing more tourists arrive from some of these markets already, because we’re beginning to get more partnerships in those markets that’s allowing us to grow more tourism markets,” White said.

It is about resilience, he re-emphasised, and understanding what your product is, the importance of it to the economy and Jamaica, and ensuring that we do not wait on problems to find solutions, but have the solutions figured out 10, five or one year ahead.

And it so happens that White is at the helm of the ship called JTB at a time when it is celebrating this significant milestone after years of calm and tumultuous seas. “How do you feel,” The Gleaner asked.

“I am extremely proud and very elated that I am able to lead this organisation at a time when we are celebrating our platinum anniversary, and we are at the zenith of our existence in terms of the people that we employ, 194 people across the world employed to JTB. In Jamaica right here, there are 125 of those people,” He replied.

“We run a very, very technologically savvy organisation. That’s been my mantra. More than anything else, I am proud that my team has been able come with me on this journey of transitioning the organisation to a technology-focussed organisation.”

And about the future, White told The Gleaner. “I want us take technology to its 10th degree because with technology we can enhance our skills, we can enhance what we do as a business. We are going to be able to transition that knowledge into the rest of the industry because that’s where technology is going, and so we have to be the lead and the leaders in ensuring that what we say to the public in the market we can replicate in the destination.