Jamaica’s Travel Industry Goes Smart

15 July 2018 4:45am

Jamaica Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett said that Jamaica is being positioned as a smart destination.

This is through the use of digital platforms to strategize marketing, connect with various stakeholders and meet the demands of a growing number of visitors.

Bartlett said, “Digital platforms have created a seismic shift in how the world receives, shares and uses content, and they are more influential than they have ever been in informing travel decisions. For Jamaica, this presents a significant marketing opportunity to engage these active users and reach a larger segment of the travel market.”

Mr. Bartlett was speaking at the opening of the Global Digital Marketing Summit 2018, being held from July 11 to 13 at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston.

Noting that the millennial generation is pushing many of the new trends in travel and tourism, Minister Bartlett said that the Government has been using information and communications technology (ICT) for creating a sustainable tourism sector while providing personalized responses meeting the needs of visitors.

Recent initiatives include development of mobile applications (apps) such as Taste Jamaica and a microsite to connect persons from anywhere in the world with local food hotspots, culinary trails and food-focused events

There is also the Agri-linkages Exchange (ALEX) initiative, which is an online platform for connecting farmers with buyers within the local hotel sector for assisting the purchase of produce. There would also be a comprehensive website to provide multiple platforms for access by all players in the industry.

Minister Bartlett said tourism is a labor-intensive sector that directly employs over 117,000 locals while generating indirect jobs for another 300,000 people.

Jamaica experienced a record-breaking year in tourism in 2017, welcoming 4.3 million visitors.

Creative Brands & Concepts Limited is collaborating with the India-based Texila American University to host the first Global Digital Marketing Summit in Jamaica.