PM calls for an entertainment training institute

WESTERN BUREAU:

Prime Minister Andrew Holness is calling for the creation of a training institute specialising in Jamaican entertainment and culture, in time for the nation’s 60th anniversary of independence, as a way of acknowledging the tourism industry’s contributions to national development.

Holness made the call on Thursday while addressing the official opening of the Ocean Eden Bay Hotel in Coral Springs, Trelawny. The ceremony marked Jamaica’s first hotel opening since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

“As we approach our 60th year as an independent nation, and we reflect upon what we have achieved, tourism obviously has been an important part of those 60 years of independence. For our 60th year, we need to see an institute that is going to train persons in entertainment and culture so that our offerings are not just unidimensional,” said Holness.

“Our local persons who are naturally talented and gifted can be exposed to a wide variety of other forms and areas of entertainment that they themselves can become professionals in. I think the tourism industry could give this to Jamaica as a gift for our 60th year,” Holness added.

According to the prime minister, while the livelihood of tourism workers should be protected in the midst of the ongoing pandemic, emphasis should also be placed on how other local sectors can intersect with and benefit from tourism.

EXODUS OF EVENTS

“We must spend more time on the linkages between tourism and the rest of the economy … those linkages need to be strengthened. Already we know our utility sector benefits from tourism, but agriculture and manufacturing can benefit much more,” Holness explained.

The prime minister’s call follows suggestions from local party promoters in May this year that the entertainment industry, which has seen several high-profile events being scaled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, could see an exodus of events to overseas venues if the local events scene does not usher in a phased reopening.

Meanwhile, in his address at Thursday’s ceremony, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said that while the tourism industry has seen some gains in the last two years, Jamaica must continue to offer a high-quality product in order to maintain the benefits which have been received to date.

“Jamaican tourism has rebounded by 50 per cent of what it was in 2019. However, we are mindful that to continue this positive trend, we must offer a product that delivers memorable and engaging visitor experiences, [and] I believe investor confidence remains high because Jamaica cares,” said Bartlett.

The Ocean Eden Bay Hotel, which is located next to the Ocean Coral Spring facility, is an all-inclusive 444-suite resort which falls under the Spain-based H10 Hotels chain. Eight hundred tourism workers are slated to benefit from the opening of the property, which boasts meeting facilities and convention services, along with a variety of sport and entertainment options for visitors.