By Garwin Davis
KINGSTON, Jamaica, (JIS) – Minister of tourism, Edmund Bartlett says Jamaica’s tourism recovery will be guided by a “Blue Ocean Strategy” where market boundaries can be reconstructed by the actions and beliefs of industry players.
The minister, who was speaking at the recently concluded Global Citizen Forum staged in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates on December 13, described the strategy as the simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low cost to open a new market space and create new demand.
He said it will also allow for 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. We understand 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,” the minister said.
“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,” he further noted.
The tourism minister said current trends indicate that post – COVID-19 international travellers will prefer “sustainable” destinations and that the pandemic (creates) 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,” minister Bartlett noted. “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,” he added.
The minister, who was participating in the high-level panel discussion on ‘Cross Border Collaborations; from Periphery to the Core’, 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.
The Global Citizen Forum was hosted by ruler of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi. Over 450 dignitaries were welcomed to the Emirate, in collaboration with the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority.
