Bartlett Highlights Business Travel Push, Portland Rafting Concerns and Pension Talks

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says Jamaica's tourism agenda is now spanning business travel, support for senior workers and renewed focus on shrinking visitor traffic in Portland.

Commenting on the opening of the Rogers Commercial Centre, Bartlett said the facility could help create fresh opportunities for the local tourism sector by bringing more business-related travel to Jamaica. He said the industry is no longer driven only by leisure trips, as education, knowledge-based visits and other work-connected travel are becoming more important in generating arrivals.

Bartlett said, "What Rogers is focusing on is data and um tourism is driven by data. As you know now what these entities that come in with investment bring persons, bring tourists... and one of the big areas that drive arrivals into your country is industry business tourism. So, Rogers will be one of those elements that enable business flows into Jamaica and that's tourism. We will also see that they will be a very important source for employment for a lot of our young people."

The minister also addressed complaints from rafters on the Rio Grande in Portland, who told CVM's news team that fewer visitors are coming into the area. He said the eastern side of the island needs stronger tourism offerings, better movement through the area with improved road links, and closer work with travel agents to better market rafting on the Rio Grande and nearby communities along the river valley.

Bartlett also said discussions are taking place on possible support for elderly tourism workers who did not qualify to join the Tourism Workers Pension Scheme before the deadline. He said he is sympathetic to older people in the industry who are now in their 70s and 80s and is speaking with the fund's board to see what arrangement can be made to assist them.