Government of Jamaica
(JIS) Several activities will be held to mark Tourism Awareness Week (TAW), which will be observed from September 24 to 30, under the theme ‘Sustainable Tourism – a Tool for Development’.
This year’s observance will incorporate World Tourism Day, slated for September 27.
Activities include a church service at St. John’s Methodist Church in Montego Bay, St. James, on September 24; and, on September 27, an outside broadcast by Television Jamaica (TVJ) from the Montego Bay Cultural Centre in Sam Sharpe Square, and a World Tourism Day Forum hosted by the Tourism Action Club at the Montego Bay Convention Centre from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
In addition, the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) will be making presentations on the theme and the importance of the tourism sector, at the Montego Bay High School, the Western Hospitality Institute, the Montego Bay Community College, and Spot Valley High School. The JHTA will also present school supplies to the Montego Bay Learning Centre.
The major highlight of the week is the 27th staging of the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) at the Montego Bay Convention Centre from September 24 to 26.
Staged annually, the three-day trade show provides the ideal forum for leading suppliers in Jamaica’s tourism industry to negotiate, network and meet with tour operators, travel wholesalers and other tourism partners from across the globe.
Highlighting the theme, Deputy Director of Tourism – Marketing and Events, Marcia McLaughlin, noted that ‘Sustainable Tourism – a Tool for Development’ is consistent with the theme selected by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for World Tourism Day globally, and the UNWTO, Government of Jamaica and World Bank Group Conference to be held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, November 27 to 29.
The conference will identify successful models and future initiatives of public-private partnerships that will contribute to sustainable tourism development globally.
“Activities for the week and beyond will address and highlight the work that is being done to expand the benefits and the reach of tourism, including community tourism efforts and other initiatives by the Tourism Linkages Network, our hotel and attraction partners,” the Deputy Director noted.
The purpose of World Tourism Day is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.
The commemoration seeks to address global challenges outlined by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to highlight the contribution the tourism sector can make in reaching these goals.