3.2.2 Section B: The Changing Economic World - Jamaica Tourism Reducing the Development Gap Case Study Flashcards
Location of Jamaica:
- Northern Hemisphere
- lies just South of the Tropic of cancer
- island is part of the Caribbean islands
- North America
- South of Cuba and the Bahamas
- West of Haiti
- South of Jamaica is the South Caribbean Sea and to the North is the North Atlantic Sea
What has Jamaica’s economy suffered from?
suffered from slow growth, debt and high unemployment for long period of time
How big is Jamaica?
one of the largest islands in the Caribbean
Population of Jamaica:
2.9mn
What is Jamaica’s economy based upon?
- partly based upon a range of minerals (e.g. bauxite and oil), agricultural products (sugar and rum) and some manufacturing
- economy is mainly based on tourism
What is Jamaica classed as?
- classed as upper middle class country largely due tot tourism industry
- but has suffered from slow growth, debt and high unemployment over a long period
In 2018 ,2019, 2020 and 2021 how much did tourism contribute to Jamaica’s GDP?
- 2018 - tourism contributed to 35% of Jamaica’s GDP
- 2019 - tourism contributed to 35% of Jamaica’s GDP
- 2020 - tourism contributed to 14% of Jamaica’s GDP
- 2021 - tourism contributed to 18.6% of Jamaica’s GDP
How much is tourism expected to contribute to Jamaica’s GDP in 2024?
32%
Why is tourism important to Jamaica?
- important to Jamaican economy, generating taxes’ employment and income
- over last few decades it has helped raise the level of development in Jamaica and reduce the development gap
- has one of the highest proportions of tourism contributing to its GDP in the world
Why is Jamaica a popular tourist destination?
- offers beautiful beaches
- warm, sunny limate
- rich cultural heritage
What is the income from tourism in Jamaica?
US$2bn each year and taxes paid to government contribute further to development of economy - multiplier effect
How many jobs does tourism in Jamaica create?
- tourism employs 2nd largest number of Jamaicans
- 200,000+ tourism related jobs either directly in hotels, transport and tourist attractions or indirectly in shops or banking
- tourism generates employment + income, which generates more taxes for the government (multiplier effect)
- provides income for people so that the local economy can improve further
How does employment caused by tourism in Jamaica help reduce the development gap?
- employment in tourism provides income which helps to further boost the local economy as people spend money ins hops and ons services and recreation
- those in employment often learn new skills which can improve their prospects of better-paid jobs in the future
- the QoL of many people has improved
- multiplier effect
What does the Negril Marine Nature Park in Jamaica do?
attracts many tourists and brings direct and indirect income as well as conserving the environment
How much does tourism contribute to Jamaica’s foreign exchange earnings?
50%+ (approx US$26)
How does tourism in Jamaica benefit local farmers?
- benefits local farmers through sale of produce to hotels
- e.g. Jamaica’s Sandals Resort Farmers Program grew from 10 farmers in 1996 supplying 2 hotels to 80 farmers in 2004, supplying hotels island wide
In 2018 what did the hotel chain in Jamaica provide to farmers?
- provided more than US$25mn in assistance, starting with the up-front perchance and distribution of $3.5mn worth of Irish potato seeds to 5 farmers in Manchester, Jamaica
- under the partnership the 5 farmers will be the sole providers of Irish potatoes to the entire Sandals group, which comprises of 11 resorts in Jamaica
- purpose is to enable the hotel chain to purchase potatoes locally rather than rely on imports
How is tourism in Jamaica becoming more eco-friendly?
community den co-tourism is expanding in more isolated regions with people running small-scale guest houses or acting as guides
How has tourism helped the environment in Jamaica?
- landscaping and a new water treatment plant on the north coast has reduced pollution from hotels
- conservation and landscaping projects provide job opportunities and encourage people to visit the island as well as improve the environment
- landscaping projects and introduction of nature parks helped improve the environment
How has Montego Bay in Jamaica been improved due to tourism?
Montego Bay on the north coast has been improved by landscaping, and a new water treatment plant at Logwood has reduced pollution rom hotels
How has standard of living improved due to tourism in Jamaica?
in northern tourist areas, wealthy Jamaicans live in high quality housing with a high standard of living - these areas have benefitted from tourism
How has tourism improved transport links in Jamaica?
- new port and cruise lines facilities have been built at Trelawney together with new hotel accommodation
- port facilities have been expanded as have airports and road infrastructure
How has tourism improved infrastructure in Jamaica?
- there have been considerable investments in infrastructure to accommodate tourists
How has the increase in tourism from cruise ships negatively affected Jamaica economically?
- the annual 1.5mn (2019) cruise passengers only spend on average US$70 per day
- this compares with an average US$120 spent by the 2.4mn other visitors
How can tourism cause environmental problems in Jamaica?
tourism has caused environmental problems such as path erosion, excessive waste and harmful emissions
How has tourism negatively impacted people’s QoL in Jamaica?
- large numbers of people live in poor housing with limited food supply and inadequate supply of fresh water, healthcare and education
- poverty still exists
How has infrastructure been negatively impacted by tourism?
- roads and airports have been slower to develop meaning that some parts of the island are isolated
- development of roads has followed much later as catering for cruise ships has been prioritised - some hotel owners have not been happy with this
