Jamaica Urged To Tap Into Heritage Tourism

Jamaica’s ambassador to the USA, Pamela Bridgewater, has urged the stakeholders of the tourist industry on the island to tap into the culturally rich heritage tourism market.

Addressing journalists from Jamaica at the US Consular Agency in Montego Bay she said that the island has a rich history and this is a message that the country should focus upon while marketing the island abroad. Stating from her own example she said that when she went to another country, she first wanted to sample its history.

The Jamaican Coat of Arms

She further emphasized that while the Jamaican beaches were undoubtedly magnificent, these were something people could find in many places in the Caribbean so there was a need to go beyond the obvious and focus on the differentiating factors. One such factor that could set the island apart was its rich cultural heritage.

The year 2011 would start with the celebration of the 'Year of the African Descendant' activities and the United States Embassy would introduce a number of programmes focusing on the linkages between that continent and the Americas. Bridgewater was confident that the African-American tourists would be interested in travelling to Jamaica to reconnect with their past.

She also said that the Jamaican motto, 'Out of Many, One People', would serve as an important drawing card to attract the diasporas to the island.

Meanwhile Jamaica is riding high on the 16 accolades it picked up during the World Travel Market held at London in November. The third quarter of this year, saw visitor numbers rise by 7.7 percent. The various stakeholders of tourism on the island, including the private Jamaican rental community are optimistic that the awards and marketing efforts of the Jamaican Tourism Board would bear fruit and the High Season would see more visitors flocking to the island.