Jamaica: Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, has reported that in 2022, approximately 29% of the 2.6 million stopover tourists who visited Jamaica had the opportunity to experience the country’s sharing economy, particularly the Airbnb accommodation sector. The sharing economy is a socio-economic system in which consumers participate in the creation, production, distribution, trade, and consumption of goods and services.
According to the Minister, this statistic from last year shows that more Jamaicans who own homes, apartments, and villas are contributing to the local tourism industry, which is expanding the range of participants and providing opportunities for a larger number of Jamaican people to benefit from the industry.
On Saturday, March 18th, Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, spoke at the official opening of Bengal Cove Villas in Discovery Bay, St. Ann. He expressed that as more Jamaicans participate in the sharing economy, the country’s tourism industry will continue to grow.
He reassured new and existing stakeholders that they need not worry about benefits, as the “tourism pie” is expanding and providing opportunities for all. Bartlett encouraged local investment in the sharing economy, as it is a new dimension for the industry.
According to Bartlett, Jamaica is leading the way in providing new and exciting villa experiences for tourists in the region. He plans to encourage more Jamaicans to participate in this subsector of the industry.
Additionally, Bartlett stated that Jamaica had entered an important phase of development in terms of foreign direct investment, as evidenced by the planned construction of approximately 20,000 new hotel rooms over the next five to 10 years.
Bengal Cove Villas is a luxury mixed-unit development consisting of 15 units, with a total cost of $1.3 billion. The units are being offered as investment opportunities for Jamaicans at home and abroad.
