JAMAICA | Tourism Minister Targets Diaspora for ‘Brand Jamaica’ Investments

WASHINGTON DC, January 28, 2022 - Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett has challenged the tourism industry to begin to look more seriously at ‘diasporic tourism’ as a means of accelerating investments in the country’s tourism product. 

 Addressing the online town hall meeting “Let's Connect with Ambassador Marks” on Thursday evening, the tourism minister said “Jamaica’s sizable and nostalgic Diaspora has the potential to be a key driver of growth and diversification of tourism.”

 Minister Bartlett said “Unlocking the potential of diasporic tourism will crucially require that we identify creative and innovative strategies to mobilize and leverage the economic power of a group with strong and deep connections to the country.

 He said “Diasporic capital markets, in particular, hold significant potential to contribute to national development by mobilizing savings and personal wealth for investment locally.

 “As the Diaspora population grows, the acquisition of substantial financial assets creates opportunities for them to return and make investments in the domestic economy as both business tourists and returning residents,” Bartlett pointed out.

 “It is truly the Diaspora that takes Jamaica to the world and the world to Jamaica. Typically, emigrants contribute to their home countries through the “five T” channels: transportation, telecommunications, trade, remittance transfers, and tourism. The potential of Jamaicans living abroad to contribute to sustainable development locally should not be underestimated.

 The tourism minister pointed out that “Jamaica’s Diaspora is among the largest in the world and is estimated to be in excess of three million persons. The United States is home to more than half of our Diaspora with approximately 1.8 million Jamaicans.”

 He outlined that  “Jamaican expatriates are largest in the North East United States (an estimated 1.1 Million) such as Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. The next largest concentration is in the Southern United States (an estimated 450,000) mainly in areas such as Miami Metro, Atlanta, Orlando and Tampa, and the least concentration is in other areas including West and Midwest (an estimated 150,000) with most persons living in Los Angeles.”

Bartlett observed that “the Diaspora is best positioned to market Brand Jamaica to the four corners of the World. It is recognized that the existence of a large Diaspora population in global markets, with a ready appetite and affinity for Jamaican culture, products and services offers a ready market for Jamaican businesses and entrepreneurs including those in the tourism sector.”

“The Diaspora is a major component of our market, and are also major marketers, because foreigners are more driven to visit Jamaica by the “word of mouth” and lived experiences of the Jamaicans who they meet than they are by what is advertised on the television or on digital or social media platforms such as YouTube,” he said.

The tourism minister outlined that “our Diaspora is also a reliable source of foreign revenue as many immigrants travel to their home countries seasonally as tourists.  Diaspora tourists already have a significant impact on the economy of Jamaica.” 

 “These travelers constitute a substantial portion of total tourist arrivals. Diaspora visitors are responsible for 11-15% of Jamaica’s total annual arrivals.  Diasporic tourism can also spur growth in the country’s export economy. The Diaspora also represents a reliable market for the export of Jamaican products,” he explained.

 “To unlock the power of the Diaspora, we need to move beyond the tendency to assume that Diaspora tourists will always come, that we don’t have to market to them, that we don’t have to entice them, and that we don’t have to plan for them. 

 “This is a taken for granted assumption, as members of the Diaspora operate in market spaces that are very competitive. Our advantage, however, is that they have identity links to Jamaica. 

 “We need to use this to our advantage and develop appropriate programmes and marketing strategies. I am committed to a deeper integration of the Diaspora into our tourism growth strategies,” he concluded. 

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