This project, funded by TUI Care Foundation, successfully increased the number of tourists exploring and spending money outside their hotels, increasing opportunities for local businesses to benefit economically from tourism.
Tourism is one of the main engines of growth for the Jamaican economy, but as many tourists stay within the comfort of their hotels, local people do not get the opportunity to benefit directly. By spending money with small local businesses, for example on gifts, activities and food, tourists can help spread the economic benefits of tourism.
Our initiatives focused on improving information for tourists on what there is to see and do in the area and improving the products on offer. Crucial to the success of the project was building the capacity of the government’s tourism development agency, TPDCo, to support small local businesses.
- Our ‘warm welcome’ campaign focused on improving tourist communications. This included a new pocket map and guide to the local area and training for hotel staff and tourist police to become ‘Resort Ambassadors’, enabling them to promote what’s on offer in the local area.
- Our ‘crafting livelihoods’ project helped to support craft market traders at the Harbour Street Craft market to improve the customer experience, increase visitor numbers and sales. This included training and marketing support for 250 craft traders, as well as six local government tourism trainers in how to deliver our training programme so that they can continue to support craft traders here and in other markets around the country.