Tourism a chapter of prominence
THE PIPE dream that has blossomed into a brand, renowned the world over, pre-dates Jamaican independence by some 70 years.
Through sheer persistence, native Jamaican A.C. Sinclair persuaded Governor Henry Blake to lend support to his cause of staging an international exhibition to attract foreigners to the island for the first time.
Popular but not immediately profitable, ‘The Great Exhibition of 1891’ (January 27May 2, 1891) saw five hotels being built along with improvements to bridges and railways.
Four months resulted in some 302,831 visitors witnessing Jamaican produce such as coffee, rum, sugar, a fine-arts gallery, flower show, and music.
This genesis laid the foundation for an increased, consistent flow of tourists to the island.
The following century, 1955, brought the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), the government agency tasked with marketing Jamaica as the preferred tourist destination.
As a consequence, two months shy of 55 years, the colony that became the brightest jewel in the British crown stands head and shoulders above the region in the area of tourism.
JTB’s origin saw John Pringle, forefather of the local tourism sector and first director of tourism (1963-1967), ushering in an era where vigorous advertising strategies were utilised to strengthen Jamaica’s international presence.
Capitalising on the natural greenery and scenery of the land, Pringle’s leadership prompted several international investments in the sector.
The first shopping mall in Jamaica dedicated to tourists, Pineapple Place; Tryall, and Rose Hall are just a few of his many achievements at the helm of the board.
The turn of the 21st century has seen record numbers, which speaks volumes to the tourism product, which has been hand woven and packaged by the Tourism Product Development Company, the central agency mandated by the Government to facilitate the development and enhancement of the tourism product.
The leap from 86,793 total stopovers in 1955 to 2,123,042 in 2015 is a jawdropping feat for a developing country spanning only 4,244 square miles.
In pushing the envelope, tourism earnings for the recent 2016-17 winter season hit a record US$1 billion mark as the 2016 Christmas season registered a historic 60,886 tourist arrivals between December 22 and 28, an 11.2 per cent increase over the corresponding period for 2015.
While the handsome figures continue to appease the economy, the tourist board hasn’t fallen victim to complacency.
As Jamaica continues to skip the pages of its rich history, tourism, undoubtedly, is a chapter of prominence.
“It no longer feels like I’m visiting. It’s as if I’m at my second home,” declared a beaming 35-year-old from Manchester, England, who brandishes the alias ‘Island Princess’.