Post-COVID-19 Travelers Will Opt for Sustainable Destinations

Jamaica Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says current trends indicate that post-COVID-19 international travelers will prefer “sustainable” destinations, making this pandemic an opportunity for global leaders to transition their tourism industries by creating policies that balance economic growth with social and environmental concerns.

“The sector must find ways to answer: how increasingly scarce natural resources can be prudently managed; how economic growth can be aligned with the social and economic needs of local populations and communities; as well as the preservation of the natural environment,” said Minister Bartlett.

“Tourism development strategies and practices must be increasingly designed with the view of promoting more resource-efficient initiatives that are aligned with goals of sustainable consumption and production. Understanding the volatile and difficult environment within which they operate, we have come to terms with the fact that reducing the number of raw materials, energy, production, operating and disposal costs will increase the sector’s bottom line,” he added.

The Minister made these remarks yesterday during the just concluded Global Citizen Forum staged in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. Mr. Bartlett was participating in a high-level panel discussion on “Cross Border Collaborations: From Periphery to the Core.”

The Minister also used the opportunity to provide an update on the recovery of Jamaica’s tourism sector and the measures that have been taken to ensure the industry is safe and committed to generating benefits for all involved in the value chain.

“We are well aware that the road to recovery will be very daunting, and we are also cognizant that tourism is a resilient sector that has bounced back from adversities. We are now in full recovery mode, which the Blue Ocean Strategy will guide,” said the Minister.

A Blue Ocean Strategy is defined as the simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low cost to open up a new market space and create new demand. It is about creating and capturing uncontested market space, making the competition irrelevant. It is based on the view that market boundaries and industry structure are not a given and can be reconstructed by the actions and beliefs of industry players.

“A Blue Ocean Strategy will see our Ministry pursuing enhanced value-creation, through product differentiation and diversification, which will allow Destination Jamaica to be more sustainable, appeal to new markets and stimulate new demand,” said Bartlett.

“Resetting Jamaica’s tourism also requires the identification and establishment of innovative policies, systems, protocols, and standards that will assure our visitors a safer, secure, and seamless experience while building out a new national tourism model based on a diversified portfolio of unique and authentic attractions and activities, which draw heavily on Jamaica’s natural and cultural assets and ensure that more locals can participate in and benefit from the tourism sector,” he added.

The Global Citizen Forum was hosted by Ras Al Khaimah’s ruler, Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, and welcomed over 450 dignitaries worldwide to the Emirate. It was held in collaboration with the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority to reimagine a new momentum for human mobility.

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