EDITORIAL: Could 007 be the answer?

Jamaica has been slow to take advantage of its rich history and construct an image of a country whose culture and identity set it apart from its regional rivals.

For years, we have primed our island on its natural beauty and have used various campaigns to draw attention to the physical assets. But we know all too well how the face of Jamaica has been scarred by crime and violence and multiple annoyances that make life so uncomfortable for citizens and visitors alike. Too few of us understand that a country's image has a profound effect on its economic, cultural, and political destiny.

Now it seems there is an attempt to rebrand the island and attract more global tourism traffic by projecting positive moods, images, expectations, and feelings that will appeal to more than the budget tourist that we are accustomed to getting.

The expansion and rebranding of the Boscobel aerodrome as the Ian Fleming International Airport is one example of offering more options to the potential visitor/investor. Already, there is grumbling about the choice of name, but Prime Minister Bruce Golding has explained that this was done to attract high-end tourists that have been missing from Jamaica over the last four decades.

Fleming is revered for creating one of Britain's most famous literary characters: the legendary James Bond. Not only did Jamaica provide the inspiration for some of his writings, it was the scene of some of the early movies. The house of Ian Fleming in St Mary, which features his writing chair, continues to attract attention.

More could be done

But we cannot help thinking that there is much more that savvy marketing could do to celebrate Fleming. The same could be said of music legend Bob Marley - whose name continues to enhance Jamaica's image around the world.

Undoubtedly, there are rich people who are seeking an escape from their energy-sapping lives and to whom hassle-free travel is welcome. We hope Mr Golding is right that the name Ian Fleming will have some resonance with the luxury tourist that he and industry stakeholders are hoping to woo to the island.

Coinciding with this new development is the appointment of a tourism advisory council featuring some of the biggest players in local tourism. The mandate of the council, headed by successful businessman Maurice Facey, hopefully, will give the needed direction for industry players to step up their game in the regional battle to capture the travel dollar.

Although late in the day, we commend Minister Ed Bartlett for recognising that tourism is the engine that will fuel the country's growth and progress. We hope the council will not become another government pawn but will tackle industry shortcomings to ensure that tourism marketing efforts are focused, relevant, and will actually bear fruit.

Whether it is the unique promotional treatment of James Bond or Bob Marley's genius, tourism is the platform for encouraging people to move around the globe sampling other people's cultures.

We are trusting that the council will promote cooperation among all the key players in the industry, including attractions, hoteliers, ground-transportation operators, carriers, and other intermediaries in advancing Brand Jamaica to boost investment and tourism opportunities.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.