J'can culture can sell tourism - Simpson Miller

MINISTER OF Tourism and Sport, Portia Simpson Miller, says she will be promoting Jamaica as a tourist vacation spot for Jamaicans, as well as foreigners.

She was speaking at a "State of the Nation" breakfast meeting put on by the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) at the Hilton Kingston Hotel, on Friday.

She said that tourism offered the greatest avenue of hope for the country, because it is currently the brightest spot in the economy.

The Minister underlined that she was taking it on as a personal challenge to take tourism beyond the level of a modest growth every year. She envisaged a time where Jamaica could take its place as one of the top earners from tourism.

Jamaican culture as a unique selling point in tourism did not escape her attention. She said it was all well and good having beautiful beaches and fair weather, but they are not necessarily the main attractions of the country:

"Increasingly, our visitors are looking towards sharing in the cultural life of society. They value a plain and green environment and policies of environmental care. Jamaicans must both meet and face the new challenges facing the tourism industry as a whole and we have to be competitive. Tourism should be everyone's concern in Jamaica, not just the business investors," said the Minister.

The image of Jamaicans at home and abroad is vital to the tourism industry and efforts to change the prevailing one is necessary, she said:

"The negative concepts about us and how we behave must be addressed. The challenge facing us is simply this - we must send new positive signals internally and internationally about Jamaica."

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