Houses for tourism workers go on sale January 2021
MONTEGO BAY, St James — As of next month, workers in the tourism industry in Montego Bay will be able to begin applying for home ownership in a new development currently under way in the Rhyne Park community of St James.
This has been made possible through the $1-billion Resort Squatter Settlements Upgrade Programme, which is being undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism.
Edmund Bartlett, minister of tourism, made the disclosure while addressing workers at Sangster and Norman Manley international airports during their annual appreciation breakfast recently.
This year the event was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was organised by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB).
“As the industry grows it has been a priority of mine to ensure that tourism workers benefit fully from the value chain. It is engulfed in my three-pronged Worker Welfare Programme, which comprises a pension scheme, housing, and training,” Bartlett told the workers.
He said that with the housing conditions of tourism workers being of concern to him, his ministry has embarked on the Resort Squatter Settlements
Upgrade Programme under which 535 households are to be regularised in the Grange Pen community of St James through land titling and infrastructure upgrades.
“Additionally, the Government is currently undertaking the construction of 754 affordable housing units in Rhyne Park, St James, for tourism workers.
More than 50 of the units have been completed, and sales will commence in January 2021,” Bartlett confirmed.
In expressing his gratitude to the workers at the airports, who represent various Government agencies, Bartlett noted: “Moments like these always give me great pleasure as I get to pay homage to the dedicated airport workers who provide our visitors and residents with a seamless travel experience daily.”
He applauded the workers for being “fellow service ambassadors, being the first to welcome our visitors and the last to bid them farewell”.
Bartlett also noted that tourism is one of Jamaica’s leading industries and substantially contributes to employment and foreign exchange intake, earning US$3.7 billion while welcoming 4.3 million visitors last year. He added that 170,000 jobs were created directly during that period.
“Despite the challenges of the better part of 2020, we are seeing some buoyancy returning to the sector. Preliminary figures from the JTB indicate that between June 15 and December 10, approximately 302,464 passengers arrived in the island, while we earned about US$450 million.”
Bartlett reiterated that he was confident Jamaica’s tourism sector would rebound, as it has done before following other crises.
“It is challenging, but the outlook is positive,” he stated.
Against this background, Bartlett has called for all hands on deck to assist with the recovery of the sector. These efforts, he said, include the continued commitment of all tourism workers.