Golding: More tourism dollars must stay in Ja

WESTERN BUREAU:

Opposition Leader Mark Golding says western Jamaica must get a bigger share of the wealth generated by tourism, with more of the industry’s benefits remaining in local communities.

But before he could deliver that message on Sunday evening, Golding had to make his way through a sea of orange.

The PNP president arrived at Independence Park in Savanna-la-Mar to a reception fit for political royalty, as thousands of supporters packed the venue and spilled into adjoining streets, cheering, waving flags, and reaching towards him as he made his way through the crowd.

Heavy showers earlier in the afternoon had done little to thin the gathering.

It was a striking reception for Golding at the party’s 88th Annual Conference – the first public session of the annual gathering to be staged outside Kingston since the National Arena became its traditional home in the 1960s.

And from the stage in the heart of western Jamaica, Golding tailored a significant part of his economic message to the region.

“Western Jamaica can be a powerful engine of that growth,” he declared.

Golding pledged that a PNP government would deepen the linkages among tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, and community enterprises to retain more tourism earnings in the local economy.

“The benefits of tourism must be deliberately integrated into the local economy and local communities. The west should supply more of the food served in the hotels. It must have more Jamaican-owned attractions, and offer more community tourism experiences,” he said.

“The expansion of tourism must also bring better roads, water, training, housing and business opportunities to the communities that support the sector,” Golding said.

Modernising agriculture

He also pledged to modernise agriculture and expand agro-processing, saying farmers should be able to earn more from their produce.

Golding did not provide specific targets for increasing agricultural supplies to hotels or indicate what incentives a PNP administration would introduce to encourage greater local purchasing by the hospitality sector.

However, his emphasis on strengthening tourism linkages comes as the industry continues to play a central role in the economic life of western Jamaica, providing employment directly through hotels, attractions and other businesses; and indirectly through transportation, entertainment, agriculture and other services.

Golding also placed emphasis on ownership, arguing that greater participation by Jamaicans in attractions and tourism experiences should form part of the sector’s future growth.

His call for more community tourism experiences would potentially open additional opportunities for communities outside the traditional hotel enclaves to earn directly from visitors.

The PNP leader did not spell out how his administration would increase Jamaican ownership in the sector, but elsewhere in his address, he promised greater access to financing and government procurement for small businesses.

He said his party would also seek to eliminate inefficient bureaucracy and make it easier to do business in Jamaica.

Golding linked his tourism proposals to his broader promise of building what he described as a strong economy that creates wealth for Jamaicans.

He also pledged continued investment in renewable energy, including solar and wind, in an effort to reduce electricity costs for households and businesses, and said Jamaica should further develop its potential as a global logistics hub.

At the same time, Golding sought to assure the business community that the social and economic programmes outlined during Sunday’s conference would not come at the expense of fiscal discipline.

He committed a future PNP administration to maintaining what he described as Jamaica’s “hard-earned macroeconomic stability”, along with responsible fiscal policy and debt management.

“Our programmes will be costed, prioritised and appropriately phased,” he said.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com