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The Travel Foundation’s destinations programme manager, Katie James, outlines how the charity is enticing tourists to venture further in Jamaica’s Montego Bay and how your customers can make a difference
The Travel Foundation is working in Jamaica’s Montego Bay to encourage holidaymakers to explore beyond their hotels. Our aim is to persuade them to experience what’s on offer in downtown Montego Bay and the surrounding area – and have an even better holiday. Ultimately, we hope to spread the economic benefits of tourism to more local communities.
We found that the main reason guests cite for staying put in their hotel is, “it had all I needed”. Montego Bay has many high-quality, all-inclusive resorts, so the challenge is to make what’s on offer outside the hotel more enticing still, so we are working with tour operators, hotels, the Jamaica Tourist Board and local enterprises to do just that.
Creating a new excursion: The Rastafari Indigenous Village
The charity worked with the existing Rastafari Indigenous Village, a short drive out of Montego Bay, to improve the tour experience and meet the standards required for international tour operators. As part of a programme of training for the community enterprise, Tui provided business and customer insights and the village has since been incorporated into its “City and Culture” tour. Other tour operators have also included the village on their itineraries since the improvements were made.
First Man, a founding member and resident of the village, says: “The Travel Foundation opened our eyes to the business of tourism. We thought we knew what we were doing until we got into partnership with them. They showed us how to price our business and provided training, financial and other support for us to sign a contract for the first time with a major tour operator.”
Creating a better attraction: Harbour Street Craft Market
A declining number of visitors to Harbour Street Craft Market meant falling sales, which threatened the livelihoods of the 256 local market traders and exacerbated an issue of feeling “hassled to buy”, which some tourists said they experienced.
To address this, the Travel Foundation has worked with a local agency to provide training and support to 93 traders so far. They’ve had guidance on the types of products tourists are looking for, how to approach tourists more effectively and improve sales techniques, as well as tips for running a profitable business. It is now working on encouraging more tourists to visit the market.
Melody Haughton, Harbour Street Craft Association president and market trader, says: “It has been excellent. The programme touched the very sensitive areas which will improve our business and put Harbour Street Craft Market back into earning.”
Tourism is a mainstay of the Jamaican economy, so there needs to be plenty of opportunities for local people to benefit from it. If tourists don’t leave their hotels, it reduces the prospects for local businesses and community enterprises such as restaurants, bars, taxi drivers, excursions providers and tourist attractions to make money and create jobs.
The Travel Foundation’s research into all-inclusives shows that the amount of money spent outside the hotel varies widely by resort, but if what’s on offer outside the hotel is compelling enough, customers will gladly venture out and spend money locally.
The Travel Foundation will continue its work in Jamaica until at least the end of 2018, with funding from the Tui Care Foundation.
Help them to feel confident and excited about experiencing a part of real Jamaica. If you need to brush up on your destination knowledge, you can take the Travel Foundation’s free 30-minute online training and discover Montego Bay through the eyes of locals: travelfoundationtraining.com/montego-bay-local-lowdown
Then arm your customers with the Travel Foundation’s free Insider Guide: thetravelfoundation.org.uk/InsiderGuideMoBay and suggest they visit the Harbour Street market along with other local attractions, such as the Cultural Centre in nearby Sam Sharpe Square.
You can also book customers on a trip to the Rastafari Indigenous Village through Nexus tours.
