The Youth Forum was organised as part of a series of activities to celebrate Tourism Awareness Week (TAW) 2022, which runs from September 25 – October 1. Delegations from some 17 Tourism Action Clubs from schools across the island gathered for the occasion, supported by a number of industry stakeholders for an interactive event in which they held sway in one of three panel discussions, voicing their thoughts on: “The Tourism We Want: Youth Response.”
He believes a forum of that nature served to unlock the ideas of the young people and give them greater insights into the numerous traditional and nontraditional opportunities in what has become the world’s leading industry and “can give them a good quality of life.”
Dr. Wallace said: “We believe that we need to have more tourism entrepreneurs coming out from among our
own people, as well as more tourism managers, team members, culinary experts as there are so many opportunities.” He felt that the average Jamaican still saw tourism opportunities as a bartender or housekeeper, “not knowing that there are so many more business opportunities that the industry generates.”
His views were supported by Mrs. McDonald-Riley who stressed the need for professionals who are benefitting directly from the tourism sector to share their success stories, so that young persons can be inspired to enter areas that are profitable.
Dr. Wallace added that for an industry generating US$4.2 billion in earnings, “surely there are opportunities or us Jamaicans to be benefitting from it” and the large portion which goes into making overseas purchases, “we believe can be substituted by local products, local services and local talent.” He underscored that TEF’s Linkages Network was working to build out local capacity in these areas “to form bridges between the productive sector and tourism.”
