Jamaica’s culture is its advantage in tourism, says Tortuga Resorts boss

WESTERN BUREAU:

Leo Schlesinger, chief executive officer of Mexico City-based Tortuga Resorts, says Jamaica has a unique culture that no other country in the world can replicate, which could be its most powerful asset as a tourism destination while also boosting its economic strength.

Addressing the 30th annual East Central St James Tertiary Awards Function at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in Rose Hall, St James, last Thursday, Schlesinger said the better educated a country’s people are, the greater that country’s gross domestic product (GDP) will be.

“Education is strongly linked to a longer and healthier life, and the benefit spreads, not only to the student, but also to the community. One additional year of education is associated with nine per cent more GDP and four per cent more productivity in a country. The research is consistent, as more years of quality education means higher lifetime earnings, and better health, in a more productive economy,” said Schlesinger.

“Why does this matter? Because tourism is key to Jamaica, as it represents one third of the local economy. Nobody can copy Jamaican culture, and that is Jamaica’s true competitive advantage,” Schlesinger continued. “Culture is not just one’s heritage, but it is also a tool for the future. In Jamaica’s case, we should also think of culture as something we use to create the future.”

According to Schlesinger, while Jamaica is famous for its beaches and nearly consistent tropical climate, tourists are primarily drawn to the authenticity of its culture, which cannot be replicated by other nations.

“Why do tourists come to Jamaica? Yes, they come for the beaches and the good weather, because Jamaica is close to the United States and is an English-speaking country; but beaches can be duplicated and good weather can be found elsewhere. However, research has consistently found something much harder to copy… it is the warmth, the energy, the music, the reggae, the food, the humour, the authenticity, [and] they never forget how Jamaica makes them feel,” said Schlesinger.

“Culture is the operating system of a society; it shapes what we value, how we behave, how we work together, and most importantly, it shapes what we believe is possible. Belief drives decisions, decisions drive actions, actions repeated over time become habits, and habits become culture,” Schlesinger added.

Jamaica’s tourism and education sectors were both significantly shaken by the destructive passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28 last year, with several hotels and schools in western Jamaica suffering catastrophic damage from the Category 5 hurricane.

In March this year, the Ministry of Tourism reported that all hotels were expected to fully reopen by December. However, recent reports indicate that approximately 14 hotels remain closed as post-Melissa reconstruction continues, with some 5,648 hotel rooms — representing 28 per cent of the room stock affected by the hurricane — yet to return to service.

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Dr Edmund Bartlett told last Thursday’s function that the 60 tertiary students from East Central St James who have been awarded through the programme this year will play a crucial role in Jamaica’s post-Melissa development.

“Because you are post-Melissa scholars, it puts a burden on you to develop resilience, to be innovative, to be creative, to be nimble, and to be adaptive. After Melissa’s devastation, we had to be there, to be responsive, and we had to pull ourselves together and recognise that what happened to us is not the end of us and must not define us,” said Bartlett. “What we want to do today is to lay on you that responsibility, to take Jamaica’s future to the next level.”

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com