They talked about developing a framework for collaboration to make tourism a significant engine of economic growth for both nations.
"Jamaica embraces the possibility of cooperation, especially in the tourism industry. Because this sector has the potential to transform society and the economy, we want to use tourism to the fullest extent possible for the advantage of each of our home nations.
We have several ideas and best practices to share as Jamaica and South Africa are both pioneers in sustainable tourism, said Minister Bartlett.
On the sidelines of the African Tourism Investment Summit, which is taking place in Cape Town, South Africa, and has its title as "Revitalizing Investment in Sustainable Tourism on the African Continent," the tourism ministers met.
In addition, Mr. Bartlett took part in a ministerial roundtable with officials from government ministries in South Africa, Botswana, Spain, and Sierra Leone. The two countries also decided to work together more closely in training and developing human capital and creating business opportunities for South African investors to consider Jamaican product development.
Minister Bartlett stated that Opportunities abound for investment in Jamaica's tourism industry, so they welcome this interest from South Africa." The tourism ministers discussed the possibility of starting new flight services between the two countries regarding aviation connectivity.
The continent of Africa is the focus of South African Airlines, the continent's largest airline. The airline does plan to reenter the US and UK markets after COVID, though.
According to Minister Bartlett, both airlines can codeshare to ease traffic movement from South Africa to Kingston and Montego Bay via Atlanta because our airline partner, Delta, flies directly into Cape Town.
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I'm eager to establish relationships with South African tour companies and travel agencies to increase tourism. The 1.3 billion-strong African continent is being considered Jamaica's next primary source market for tourists as the sector looks to expand beyond its usual markets in North America and Europe.
Another point of discussion between Ministers Bartlett and de Lille was the establishment of a secondary Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre within the University of Johannesburg.
The GTRCMC's headquarters, the University of the West Indies, Mona, and the University of Johannesburg, according to Mr. Bartlett, "have already forged an academic partnership, so this will be an excellent fit.
Thanks to this, the two institutions will collaborate to develop policy and conduct pertinent research on destination preparation, management, and recovery. The center will serve Southwest Africa.
