“Peter Rousseau was one of the few Jamaicans who had an unshakeable belief in his country, and the value of tourism to national development.”
These were the words of Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, as he paid tribute to Mr. Rousseau who had been ailing and died yesterday (April 26) at his home. Minister Bartlett noted that he made a tremendous contribution to the tourism industry and said that Mr Rousseau did so to the extent of putting himself in debt to build the former Ciboney Hotel, now the luxurious Sandals Ochi Beach Resort, when local investment in the sector was not popular and regarded as a big gamble.
He also managed one of Kingston’s landmark hotels, the Terra Nova and more recently was part of a family-run restaurant. Mr. Bartlett expressed further in his tribute:
“Peter Rousseau also served the tourism sector as President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) during the difficult period of the late 1980s in addition to serving his country as a director of the Jamaica Tourist Board and a number of other boards and performed creditably.”
As he offered sincere condolences to Mr Rousseau’s family Minister Bartlett said: “With his passing, the country and the tourism industry in particular, have lost a Jamaican who was patriotic, helped to hold the tourism industry together through hard times, and he will be remembered for a very long time.”
About Jamaica Ministry of Tourism
The Jamaica Ministry of Tourism and its agencies are on a mission to enhance and transform Jamaica’s tourism product, while ensuring that the benefits which flow from the tourism sector are increased for all Jamaicans. To this end it has implemented policies and strategies that will provide further momentum for tourism as the engine of growth for the Jamaican economy. The Ministry remains committed to ensuring that the tourism sector makes the fullest contribution possible to Jamaica’s economic development given its tremendous earning potential.
