Stakeholders in the tourism sector have expressed that the recovery of the industry is being driven by the unity among tourism partners, which has been further concretized following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many emphasize that the sector has never been more united.
- In Jamaica, over 70 licensed attraction operators and more than 5,000 ground transport operators have been impacted negatively by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Attractions were now tracking at about 45 percent of 2019 levels.
- Airports, ground transportation, hotels, attractions, shops, and more have been working together to restore tourism.
“I believe that the way that we have been pivoting is due to the fact that the sector has never been as united,” said Managing Partner, Chukka Caribbean Adventure Tours, John Byles. He adds that all subsectors, inclusive of the airports, ground transportation, hotels, attractions, shops, to name a few, “have never communicated at the level that we’ve communicated” to restore the industry.
His view was endorsed by Anup Chandiram, Chairman of the Shopping Network of the Tourism Linkages Network (TLN); Brian Thelwell, President of the Jamaica Co-operative Automobile and Limousine Tours (JCAL) and Vernon Douglas, Chief Financial Officer of the Jamaica Public Service (JPS). They were featured presenters in a virtual forum, held recently, on: “How Tourism has Impacted Other Sectors.” The moderator was Lisa Bell, Managing Director of the Exim Bank. The session is the latest in a five-part online forum series, spearheaded by the TLN’s Knowledge Network.
It was revealed that over 70 licensed attraction operators and more than 5,000 ground transport operators have been impacted negatively by the COVID-19 pandemic. In shopping, many once thriving retail establishments have gone out of business.
