Jamaica Standing Strong on Tourism Pillars despite the Challenges - Joe Issa

Multiple tourism award winner Joe Issa, says despite its many challenges Jamaica is holding its own against the top 10 countries with the most competitive tourism product, stating that all else being equal this year’s performance is better than the last.

Published by the World Economic Forum every two years, the 2017 World Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index Report shows that Jamaica has moved up seven places to 69, from 76 in 2015.

 

The performance is measured against five enabling environment pillars and values, such as business environment, safety and security, health and hygiene, human resource and labour market, and ICT readiness.

 

“With our limited resources we are continuing to do well against the major tourism destinations. In the last report, we were told that we needed to work the hardest on improving safety and security, health and hygiene, and ICT readiness.

 

“While we continue to work on these going forward, we must not remain complacence about the areas in which we are doing better, such as business environment, and human resources and labour market " the two areas in which Jamaica has scored above the average of the North and Central American region,” Issa informed.

 

He adds, however, “We need to pay greater attention to tourism because, despite the slowdown in economic growth and mounting geopolitical concerns around the world, tourism will continue to be a major sector, enabling growth and providing employment.”

 

Issa is supported by the latest statistics, which show that tourism worldwide has been estimated at US$ 7 trillion or 10 % of GDP.

 

In the 2017 report Jamaica, one of just three Caricom countries to hold a place in the 136-nation survey, performed creditably compared with those in the top 10 positions, except for Japan which moved up five spots, and Canada, one place. All others experienced zero or negative movement.

 

Ahead of Jamaica is Barbados, in 58^th place, 12 places down since the 2015 report. The eleven areas that separate them is represented by a 0.2-points difference in their index, with Barbados scoring 3.91 and Jamaica 3.71, against 1^st place Spain with 5.43.

 

Jamaica is followed by Trinidad & Tobago, which was down four places to 73, with an index of 3.67. No other Caribbean country has a place among the 136 nations.

 

The Americas, considered the macro region, was the second most improved area, with four countries in the top 30 " the US (6^th), Canada (9^th), Mexico (22^nd), and Brazil (27^th).

 

However, there are significant differences between North America, and Central and South America " the former needs to improve on its price competitiveness, environmental sustainability and infrastructure; while the latter should enhance safety and security, business environment and support, according to the latest report.

 

In North and Central America, Barbados, followed by Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago were beaten only by the USA, Canada, Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica.

 

Jamaica’s score of 4.8 in the business environment pillar was higher than the 4.5 average for North and Central America; so too, was its 4.7 score for human resources and labour market, compared with the 4.6 average for that region. However, Jamaica fell short of the region’s standards for safety and security, health and hygiene, and ICT readiness.

 

In the 2015 report Jamaica had better scores than the average in the Americas in business environment, human resource and labour market, and ICT readiness. 

 

Europe and Eurasia was once again the top region in the world, with six countries in the top 10, led by Spain, its 2^nd consecutive number one position. The remaining places are occupied by France, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Italy, Canada and Switzerland.

 

The popularity of the European and Eurasian countries is said to be due to their rich culture, excellent tourism service infrastructure, its international openness as well as its perceived safety, despite emerging concerns.