RBSC

**Don1** · November 9, 2019, 04:34 PM

GWAAN Bartlett!!!!!

**Don1** · November 10, 2019, 12:57 PM

Sum Ting Wong... Critical Thinking Required

Originally posted by Jangle View Post

Bartlett praises tourism workers
Tourism minister Edmund Bartlett has praised the more than 377,000 employees across the tourism sector for playing a vital role in Jamaica, which is now on track to secure more than a record four million visitors to Jamaica by year end.

“It is projected that by the end of this year, the island will welcome 4.303 million visitors and earn US$3.7 billion. That’s approximately 700,000 more visitors in the last three years and almost double the earnings in the same period,” Bartlett said.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/n...ourism-workers

So the guy claims tourism income has "almost doubled" in a mere 3 years. Thanks in no small part to the calamities affecting our competitors since 2015.

Tourism has been JA's "leading industry" for 60+ years

When a "normal* country's leading industry doubles income in a short period (and there's no calamity affecting other economic sectors) -- economic growth usually surges. In JA's case growth over said 3 year period remains tepid at <2%/year. That's where it was before this great tourism surge

Here's why...

* The world economy has shifted dramatically from the 1960s when low-skill pursuits like tourism could significantly drive backward countries forward. JA is in a 21st century world economy but still structured as and wedded to 1960s-1970s thinking & practices

* As a now widely acknowledged low skill and low value adding industry - JA Plantation Tourism - which bottles up tourists (and their spending) in all-inclusive warehouses

- has a relatively low economic impact (esp for a leading industry). This should now be clear - even to dummies

* Maintaining fat tourists in the lifestyle they crave in JA - requires enormous imported goods & services - leading to enormous FX outflows. Energy/Water processing/Capital Goods etc etc. Likely ~65% of tourism income is repatriated abroad. So tourism's economic multiplier effect is very low

* FX outflow issues also includes resort owners (being mainly foreigners & foreign-minded locals) who largely export their all-inclusive warehouse profits to Babylon economies. Their interest in JA is mainly profit-generation - definitely NOT JA development

Tourism is a vital industry in our low skill oriented economy.. JA's current economic structure might be adequate for the 1960s - 1970s ..maybe 1980s

For the 21st century JA has a pathetic economic profile esp with tourism still being the leader after 60 years.

The problem is - most are ignorant of this reality

**Jangle** · January 18, 2020, 10:18 AM

Jamaica well positioned to host UN tourism conference

Strategies for coping with natural disasters and enhancing resilience to speed up recovery, with the capacity to build back better where necessary, are expected to dominate discussions at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to be held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, in Rose hall, St James, from May 28 to 29.

Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett told a press conference at his New Kingston office Wednesday that global events such as the 1,280 earthquakes which have rocked Puerto Rico since December 28, record-breaking fires which ripped though the Amazon RainForest – an ecosystem on which the whole world is dependent, last August and the bush fires which up to January 14 had scorched an estimated 18.6 million hectares of land, destroying over 5,900 buildings and killing 29 persons as well as an estimated one billion animals in Australia were redefining the global tourism reality.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/n...ism-conference

**Don1** · January 18, 2020, 12:04 PM

Originally posted by Don1 View Post

HEART is a very useful institution which helps many people to upgrade themselves. No doubt about that. But HEART mainly provides remedial training to people whom have not received adequate education at the K-12 stage.

As currently configured HEART is unable to drive the innovation and human capital upgrade required to TRANSFORM Jamaica's workforce to compete effectively in this 21st century.

To be effective at transformation education at the critical primary through high school level has to be reformed and resourced in alignment with and serving the requirements of a strategic industrial development policy of GOJ.

Nothing else will work effectively to transform Jamaica's workforce

**Don1** · January 18, 2020, 12:29 PM

Originally posted by Jangle View Post

. Bear in mind that tourism is jamaica’s biggest foreign exchange earner, contributing 30% of the country’s GDP and employs up to 25% of the labor force.

Thanks for pointing out one of Jamaica's key problems

**Don1** · January 18, 2020, 12:34 PM

Originally posted by Don1 View Post

Many of the jobs currently being created in the Jamaican economy are comparable to the same low value-added ones produced two decades ago, according to the governor of the Bank of Jamaica, the BOJ.

“Thank goodness for them because they are jobs, and the people getting them didn’t have any before,” said Richard Byles. “But they are the same jobs that we produced 20 years ago, whether it is in the hotel sector (or) the BPO business. It’s the same kind of low value-added.”

**Don1** · January 18, 2020, 04:49 PM

Sum Ting Really Wong