Jamaica to seek deeper collaboration on tourism with Philippines
Published:Friday | November 29, 2024 | 9:27 AM
Jamaica is to seek to build deeper ties with The Philippines with talks to be had on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on collaborating on tourism.
Tourism Minister Edmond Bartlett says the collaboration will focus on key tourism outcomes such as human capital development, training and certification in customer service excellence, craft development, resilience and sustainability and community tourism.
“The importance of human capital development is a key pillar of the potential agreement, especially given the Philippines' remarkable success in training over 170,000 tourism workers annually,” Bartlett told The Gleaner.
He was speaking against the background of being recognised on Wednesday by the Gusi Peace Prize Foundation as one of its 2024 awardees.
The accolade celebrates Bartlett's visionary leadership and ground-breaking contributions to the global tourism industry.
He is the first tourism minister to receive the award.
The Gusi Peace Prize International Awards, which was held in Manila, Philippines, is a prestigious global event that honours individuals and organisations for significant contributions to peace, human rights, and global progress.
The event began on November 25 and concluded with a farewell dinner on November 28.
Bartlett was previously recognised by the foundation in 2020.
He described this year's award as a humbling and deeply inspiring honour.
“This recognition belongs not just to me but to the people of Jamaica, whose innovation, resilience, and cultural richness are at the heart of all I do. It highlights how tourism, when approached thoughtfully, can transform communities and inspire unity worldwide,” he said.
“Fiftieth wedding anniversary, honourary doctorate, Order of Jamaica, Laureate-Gusi Peace Prize International - which is regarded as the Nobel Peace Prize of Asia/Pacific - Lifetime Achievement Award for Tourism Resilience and Sustainability from the International Tourism Investment Conference, two books published, and a third in print,” Bartlett shared as he reflected on his achievements.
Speaking on the potential collaboration with The Philippines, he emphasised that this could significantly strengthen Jamaica's tourism workforce, enhancing service excellence across the island.
“The Department of Tourism in the Philippines has done exceptional work in training and certifying tourism workers in service excellence. We look forward to partnering with them to elevate service standards in Jamaica, which is at the core of the visitor experience,” he said.
Bartlett also highlighted the potential for both countries to share expertise in utilising indigenous materials to create value-added craft products.
He expressed particular enthusiasm about the opportunity for Jamaican artisans to learn from their Filipino counterparts, who have successfully transformed local resources such as pineapple and banana fibres into garments and other high-quality items.
“Our artisans can benefit immensely from learning how to transform waste and widely available materials, such as coffee and bananas, into premium products. The Philippines has achieved outstanding results in this area, and we are excited to collaborate and explore new ways to unlock the value of Jamaica's rich natural resources,” he said.
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