British government to lift Jamaica travel advisory

Thursday, November 13, 2003

LONDON, England: The travel warning issued by the British Foreign Office, following the recent demonstrations in Montego Bay is to be withdrawn.

Jamaican Industry and Tourism Minister, Mrs Aloun Ndombet-Assamba, was informed of this decision over the weekend by the Jamaican High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Maxine Roberts.

"The British Government instituted a travel advisory against Jamaica last week, and I'm very happy to say that the High Commissioner has advised me that they are to remove it," Mrs. Assamba said.

The Minister said this was an example of the challenges that faced tourism development in Jamaica.

She reiterated that the Jamaican Government had started to implement the Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism Development, and was focusing on a number of issues, which included enhancing visitor experience, promoting environmental sustainability, encouraging community-based development, and ensuring that the benefits from tourism were spread far and wide.

"We hope to see tourism not just as the major contributor to the Gross Domestic Product, but also as a very powerful vehicle for providing economic and social opportunities for our people," she said.

The Minister said Government had played its part by aggressively promoting the island overseas, thus establishing a strong market. It has also sought to give tourism a focused and broad perspective, enabling the sector to attract two million visitors to the island each year.

Minister Assamba said the sector required significant investment if the island is to maintain its ability to compete in today's market. 

"One of the things that our experience in tourism has taught us, is that the industry requires constant and significant investment and the forging of vital partnerships, if we are to continue to maintain our competitive edge. This refers not just to the development of basic infrastructure like roads, water supply and developing the ports of entry, but also relates to the improvement of physical plants and developing closer relationships with the local productive sector," she said.

The Minister said Government was seeking to promote investment in developing the island's room capacity, pointing out that there were 17,000 hotel rooms on the island. 

She said the administration has provided a range of incentives to support further investment in this area, including income tax and stamp duty release under the Hotel and Resort Cottage Incentive Act. The Minister also noted that there were other incentives for those who did not qualify under this Act, and also for the development of approved attractions.

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