Hotel employees demonstrate to guests how to do popular dance moves. - FILETourism growth plan
1. Increase Jamaica's advertising and marketing budget over the short term by up to 50% and put the budget on a three-year rolling plan. This will provide certainty in advertising to attract additional visitors and increase occupancy levels from 55% to 70% to occupy idle rooms and put idle hands to work.
2. Increase the capital budget for tourism to upgrade the infrastructure in tourism areas by dedicating a fixed percentage of tourism tax revenues for infrastructure upgrading projects.
3. Launch a major programme with international tour operators and air charter companies to provide incentives to increase the airlift of visitors into Jamaica.
4. Promote construction of new hotels by the private sector with 10,000 new rooms over the next seven years.
5. Develop and upgrade national heritage projects in joint venture partnerships as tourist attractions in cultural heritage parks in Kingston, Spanish Town, Seville, Port Antonio and the South Coast.
6. Promote eco-tourism projects in tourism as hotel and attraction sites.
7. Promote development of resorts for older age groups to take advantage of the ballooning growth of the older population.
8. Actively promote the development of spas and other health care resorts.
9. Promote development of stand-alone state-of-the-art convention centres accommodating 2000-3000 participants and hotels to accommodate participants in one location in similar grade rooms.
10. Expand cruise shipping facilities and open new ports of call in strategic locations, particularly the South Coast.
11. Strictly enforce anti-harassment programmes.
12. Establish joint public-private civic councils (e.g. Gloucester Avenue association) including private sector, police, parish council and other representatives to address tourist harassment, garbage collection, and critical local concerns.
13. Establish an islandwide programme to improve craft markets and other facilities in tourist towns.
14. Build a by-pass road around Fern Gully and develop Fern Gully into an international botanical attraction (with heliconias, gingers, and other botanical varieties) with stops at local boutique restaurants and craft shops. The area would be spectacularly lit at night.
