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Basil Smith

From the Desk of the Director
Agro-tourism - the vital link

Basil Smith, Contributor

Spreading and deepening the benefits from tourism development through improved linkages between the industry and our local farming communities has long been a key national issue. Today, in Jamaica and elsewhere, determining mechanisms for achieving this objective has taken greater urgency in the face of increased global food prices, the cost of production and fear of global food shortages.

As much as 10 years ago, it was estimated that total value of food purchased by the hotel sub-sector of the tourist industry was in excess of $2.3 billion. Of this, the Ministry of Agriculture reported 75-80 per cent being spent on the purchase of local foods. With hotel-room stock increasing by 18.6 per cent over this period, and total visitor arrivals at almost three million last year, the potential for boosting food supplies for visitors is clear.

strong support

Ongoing programmes by both public and private sector stakeholders in the agricultural and tourist industries have shown strong support for improved production and marketing systems facilitating use of locally produced food in the tourism sector. There is also valuable input from such agencies as the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). There is recognition at every level of the role that tourism must play in poverty alleviation and rural development.

Apart from supplying food kind to hotels and guesthouses, the concept of 'agro-tourism' extends to cultural, heritage and community tourism. Development of our natural and built attractions increases linkages and added value from output of nearby rural agricultural communities. Attractions and activities that focus on the culture, heritage and lifestyle of the Jamaican people have been brought increasingly to centre stage in development plans for the industry. These developments deliberately seek to create linkages with Jamaican foods, agriculture in our history and new directions in satisfying the global interest in 'ethnic' cuisine and lifestyles.

health tourism

Health tourism is not excluded. Recently, at an IICA Caribbean Summit in Washington, DC, mention was made of Jamaica's creation of health and wellness centres using indigenous healing treatments and products.

The Jamaica Tourist Board's encouragement of the staging of various food festivals over the years has paid dividends. These have highlighted the role of communities in shaping our unique Jamaican experience and sharing this experience, both with their fellow Jamaicans and visitors to the island.

response to promotion

There has been tremendous response by the travel media and international food publications to promotional efforts in respect of the island's local cuisine and community festivals. In recent months, articles on Jamaican food, its origins and preparation have appeared in publications such as: Travel + Leisure, Islands, US Airways, Frommers.com, Organic Spa, Estylo, MSNBC.com, Forbes Traveler, Jamaican Eats, Vegetarian Today, Westchester Magazine and many others.

There are opportunities to capitalise on the growing passion for food and the influence of the culinary travel market in showcasing what we, as a destination, have to offer. Certainly, Jamaican chefs have cemented their place as ambassadors in Jamaica's tourism.

The door is wide open to further focus the attention of the international market on Jamaican food. This will ensure increased benefits flowing to the communities which are the bedrock of the culture that differentiates us as a destination and is critical to the economic base of our country.