Bartlett highlights huge gap in local supplies to tourism sector

Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett says the agricultural sector must find ways of reducing the country's import bill by studying more closely, the demand for local agricultural supplies to the tourism sector.

Referencing the tourism demand study released in February this year, the tourism minister notes that there is a significant gap between what is imported by the tourism sector and what is supplied by the local agricultural industry. According to the study, estimated demand for produce in the tourism sector is J$19.4 billion, however, the agricultural sector supplies only J$4.9 billion.

Bartlett says the country must develop the capacity in agriculture, manufacturing and services to meet the demands of the tourism sector. He says if the country is able to satisfy these demands then it will assist with retaining earnings from tourism.