Jamaica

• Tourism in Jamaica:

  Economic Impact:

  • Major contributor to GDP - 4.1 million visitors, over $4 billion revenue in 2023

  Employment:

  • 1 in 4 Jamaicans work in tourism

  Infrastructure Development:

  • Tourism drives improvement through the multiplier effect

  Cultural Exchange:

  • Visitors experience heritage
• Attractions in Jamaica

  • Seven mile beach
  • Bob Marley museum
  • Blue mountains
• Challenges of tourism in Jamaica

  • Crime and safety concerns
  • Natural disasters
  • Economic dependence - Most tourist dependent areas in the world
  • Economic degradation - Damage to coral reefs
  • Competition from other Caribbean destinations
  • Sustainability issues
  • Seasonal
  • Locals don't get the money - people in shopping centres do selling similar items, or the big cruise ship companies do
• Where is Jamaica

  South East of Mexico

  In the Caribbean sea

  West of Haiti

  South of Cuba
• Benefits of tourism to Jamaica

  • Government invests in infrastructure - top down development
  • 1 million workers employed
  • Local market vendors (informal economy) - bottom up development
• Why does Jamaica need tourism?

  Jamaica is one of the largest islands in the West Indies, with a population of 2.7 million - just over a third the size of London. The economy is based of minerals, agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism. It is classed as an upper middle income country but has suffered from slow growth, debt, and high unemployment over a long period.
• How does tourism contribute to Jamaica's economy?

  • Non cruise ship visitors, of which there are 2.5 million, spend on average $120 per day
  • Income from tourism is $2 billion per year
  • Taxes paid to the government contribute further to the development of the country
  • The income and taxes help to reduce the development gap
  • The annual 1.1 million cruise passengers spend on average $76 per day
• How has tourism improved quality of life and the environment?

  • Mass tourism can create environmental problems such as footpath erosion, excessive waste, and harmful emissions.
  • It brings environmental benefits, such as conservation and landscaping projects, providing job opportunities to the locals and encouraging people to visit the islands.
  • The Negril Marine Nature Park attracts many tourists and brings direct and indirect income. Community tourism is also expanding with people running small scale guest houses.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of tourism as a strategy to reduce the global development gap (9 marks)

  1. Tourism provides both direct and indirect employment: 200,000 jobs both directly and indirectly, 1 in 4 Jamaicans work in Tourism, formal employment
  2. Taxes paid to the government through revenue can be used to drive development in Jamaica: Income from tourism over $4 billion annually
  3. BUT not all revenue from tourism benefits Jamaica and investments in infrastructure and development is unequal, concentrated only in coastal, tourist areas: 30 % of tourism spending leaks out of the economy