Dunn reinforces on airbnb’s potential for job creation, growth
Published:Saturday | May 4, 2024 | 12:10 AMAinsworth Morris/Staff Reporter
With the country recording 29 per cent of all visitors who came to Jamaica in 2023 staying at airbnbs, Norman Dunn, state minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, believes there is room for much improvement with job creation this year.
He was speaking at the launch of the Courts’ 65th Anniversary Celebrations at the multimillion-dollar furniture and appliance store’s head office along Oxford Road, and reinforced information presented during the 2024-25 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday by Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.
Data indicated that last year airbnbs in Jamaica generated an estimated $31.8 billion in gross earnings from 1.3 million guest nights.
“It is a new dynamic business model that is revolutionising the accommodation subsector and is generating income and resources to the ordinary people across the length and breadth of Jamaica,” Bartett said on Tuesday.
The way forward
Dunn said airbnb is the way forward for Jamaica to create more jobs and income through tourism, and stores, such as Courts, which were launching their list of anniversary events in recognition of 65 years in Jamaica. Courts, it was pointed out, has benefited tremendously from furniture and appliance sales for airbnb locations islandwide.
“I want persons to understand that the Jamaica we’re building is the Jamaica for all – it’s inclusive Jamaica and the growth is an inclusive growth. You would have seen all of the physical infrastructural work going on across the country, whether we’re building highways, bridges, etc. It’s happening right before your eyes, and 65 years ago, I’m not sure what happened, and you have persons 65 years ago saying it was the best time of their lives, I know for me, [now] it’s the best time of my life, because I’m seeing all these things happening right before my own eyes, including the birth of airbnb, which is now a significant part of what you do,” Dunn said.
“So if we didn’t have a strong and growing economy, developers would not see the benefit of investing, and Courts would not see the benefits of selling items to these developers, homeowners, etc,” he said.
Errol Le Blanc, vice president, Uniomer Caribbean – owners of Courts – who was a tourist himself visiting Jamaica for the launch event on Wednesday, said the company would be reopening its St Ann’s Bay store in Drax Hall, a north coast area where airbnbs are known to be booming in Jamaica.
“This new store is very strategically located to serve a very vibrant tourism zone on the north coast, catering to customers who have homes, villas and the new kid in town, the airbnbs to be furnished,” Le Blanc said.
“This expansion into Drax Hall represents our commitment to innovation and growth, as we aim to meet the evolving needs of our customers and provide them with a seamless and convenient shopping experience,” he said.
On May 15, Courts will celebrate their 65th anniversary of operations and sales in Jamaica after starting operations at their Cross Roads branch. The celebratory activities will start with service on Sunday at various churches islandwide.
As part of the celebration on Friday, Courts Ready Cash, one of their brands which offers loans to Jamaicans to improve themselves and their businesses, gave Santana Williston a brand new Hyundai Creta 2024 SUV, which she won in the Courts Ready Cash Big Money Move Competition.