Tap Into Multibillion-Dollar Health And Wellness Tourism

[Jangle]

Originally Posted by Jangle

When I said that tourism is and can be the main driver of the Jamaican economy, some people rant and rave about STEM. This is because they have such a narrow view of the industry and its potential. The two are intricately tied to each other. However, developing and building out on the existing tourism industry is the faster and the most logical way towards achieving the goal of a more modern and sustainable economy. Getting the poor youths of the ghettos into jobs now, albeit low-skilled, has more far-reaching long-term benefits than trying to change Jamaica's economy into a STEM-driven one.

Dominica Republic, Brazil, Mexico and other Latin countries are already benefiting from Health Tourism. If the government spend some money towards developing this sector, it will inevitably improve Jamaica's health system and go a long way towards retaining medical personnel.

Gillian Hyde, general manager, JN Small Business Loans (JNSBL), is urging Jamaica to tap into the US$700-billion wellness tourism industry in order to maximise its potential in the sector, especially, as the country looks to recover from the current recession.

Hyde affirmed that health and wellness tourism presents the perfect opportunity for Jamaica to expand its tourism offerings, while showcasing the country’s capacity to offer holistic services.

“The value of the wellness tourism industry is about US$700 billion. This is within the context of a global tourism industry valued at US$4.5 trillion,” revealed Hyde. “A Jamaica fully in the midst of the US$700-billion sector can capitalise and position itself to earn substantially and become a major player, while maximising our potential.”

“Wellness tourism presents a huge opportunity to continue to diversify our tourism product, while building resilience and maximising on the linkages that exist within the sector,” she added.

Hyde was speaking during a panel discussion on ‘Financing and Enhancing Capital Returns on the Health and Wellness Tourism Product’ at the Health and Wellness Tourism Conference on November 19. The virtual conference was held under the theme ‘Re-imagine, Reset, Restore’.

The JNSBL general manager said that wellness tourism is a diverse subsector which can benefit a wide cross section of Jamaicans.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/n...sm-sector-hyde