Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has announced that the government will launch Jamaica’s first Gastronomy Academy next week, signalling a major step in the development of the country’s culinary tourism.
Bartlett noted that training has already begun with the first cohort of executive sous-chefs.
“Six hotels are participating in this programme, and 20 executive sous-chefs. Students are now in training for certification… so we are building human capital potential to drive gastronomy and doing it all because we choose to,” he said.
In outlining the broader vision for tourism growth, the minister also revealed that the government plans to establish four casinos in Jamaica within the next five years, emphasising that these developments will create new demand for elevated culinary experiences.
Consumption Patterns
Bartlett highlighted the opportunity for economic growth through increased food production, pointing to the higher consumption patterns of tourists compared to locals.
“The consumption pattern of the visitor is 3 to 5 times that of Jamaicans. If I eat one egg, it means tourists eat 3 or 5 eggs… so, if we want to produce for the tourists, there’s a great opportunity here, and I want to emphasise that it is the consumption pattern of visitors that we must tap into to secure the wealth and prosperity of tourism,” he added.
He stressed that Jamaica’s gastronomy sector offers wide-ranging opportunities for entrepreneurs at all levels.
“We provide an opportunity for just an idea to become a source of economic energy. Somebody has an idea that can be converted into a material good. It’s a value and a price, and there’s a tourist who’s attracted to it,” he said.
Bartlett shared a striking example of tourism’s power to transform lives, referencing a man in Montego Bay who earned a living through nightly crab races at a hotel.
“He could buy a house, and he bought a car, and he sent his children to school. That’s tourism for you. So, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist… You don’t have to be a great sous chef in order to be able to make money in food preparation in tourism. You just need to have a good idea. And you are able to put your thoughts properly together and blend the ingredients and create a product with value.”
Pivot to Luxury
The minister also disclosed that the government is shifting its focus toward luxury tourism, with plans to break ground on four major projects in the coming weeks.
“Paradise in the Westmoreland, New Palace Grand in Montego Bay… and we are seeing the explosion of luxury villas all across the [island]. Treasure Beach is emerging as a very interesting luxury destination. And so that’s the pivot, and with that pivot is a new demand for a new type of food arrangement,” Bartlett said.