Bartlett urges Jamaican tourism to widen gains as Leisure for Pleasure marks 27 years

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has called for Jamaica’s tourism sector to keep creating real openings for local enterprises, employees and communities, as Leisure for Pleasure Holidays and Tours Limited marked its 27th anniversary.

Bartlett delivered the message during a Thanksgiving luncheon held at the Medallion Hall Hotel in St. Andrew to celebrate the Jamaican-owned tour company’s milestone.

He commended Leisure for Pleasure for remaining active through difficult economic periods, including the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bartlett said tourism is repeatedly exposed to shocks, noting that the industry has had to respond to events such as SARS, 9/11, COVID-19 and Melissa.

According to Bartlett, survival in the sector depends on the ability to change course quickly, remain flexible and adjust when circumstances shift.

The minister also said Jamaica’s tourism future must place greater value on the people who shape the visitor experience. He pointed to authenticity, trust and confidence as qualities that technology cannot replace, saying those strengths come from workers and entrepreneurs within the industry.

Bartlett said the country must now focus on what he described as “tourism 3.0,” a new approach to how Jamaicans position themselves within tourism’s value chain.

Leisure for Pleasure Holidays and Tours Limited has been operating in Jamaica’s tourism industry for close to three decades.