Camille Needham speaks at the Gleaner Editors' Forum on 'Tourism and Art', held at The Gleaner offices, North Street, Kingston on Thursday. - Winston Sill / Freelance Photographer

Jamaica's culture for a long time has radiated through the bands of international fame. With proper light being shed on the link between arts and tourism, Executive Director of the JHTA Camille Needham, reiterated the need for a more concerted effort between major players to ensure proper functioning and success of the two industries and their coexistence.

At the recent Gleaner Editors' Forum on Arts and Tourism: The Vital link, held on Thursday, Needham was one of twelve participating speakers who shared from their field, and on their role in brandishing the link.

The forum was held to facilitate dialogue between the major players, so as to ensure a better understanding of their role, more interaction between all parties in achieving a better combined tourism product from which higher benefits especially financial can result.

The forum also revealed the value of the unmined treasure of art in the tourism industry. Jamaica's artistic expression through the arts is one key promotion of Jamaica's culture in the tourism industry, locally and internationally.

potential

Needham in her succint summary of discussed points, emphasised that "there is potential for all forms of art in the industry", and "the market for prints and the replicas", adding also the need to instutionalise the contact between the players.

In her take, Needham identified to the participants that "We need the JHTA, private sector, Ministry of Culture, organisations that represent the various artists- a concerted effort on the part of all three 'tripartite relationship'.

However, she noted that a better job needed to be done at educating those within the tourism industry on the arts, in particular on what's available.

The Ministry of Culture is one route, perhaps the most critical in the scheme of progress for the nation through the promotion of the link between arts, craft and tourism.

pricing

This as the need for due consideration to pricing (value added), training of artists and educating the consumers were put high on the priority list of necessary to ensure demand for quality of the product and sustainability of the linkage. In the opinion of Needham, consumers should be made better aware of the product so as to "create a high demand" for the same as with other industries.

Also attending the forum were two of Jamaica's most experienced and established artists, Alexander Cooper and Barrington Watson, Jamaica Art Guild President, Sharon Fox-Mould and representatives of the National and Mutual Gallery also participated. Ambassador Jesús Silva, of the Spanish Embassy and chairman of the Couples Resorts and airline representative Marjorie Robinson were also present.

In the end the words of Needham "It's the question of the will" is the guideline to be followed as on behalf of the JHTA she said "We want to play our part ... Everybody ... not just one group of people to make it work."

- Anthea McGibbon