Prime Minister Says Jamaica Must Become Destination of Choice for Talent, Investment and Tourism
Prime Minister Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness says Jamaica is strengthening the conditions necessary to become a destination of choice for talent, investment, and tourism by positioning the country to compete and succeed in a world where nations are increasingly competing for people, businesses and investors.
Speaking yesterday at the RIU Hotels & Resorts 25th Anniversary Gala in Montego Bay, Prime Minister Holness said that the countries that succeed in today’s global economy are those that create the environments that attract visitors, inspire investor confidence, retain talent, and offer opportunities for future growth.
Dr. Holness said Jamaica must reject any notion that small nations cannot compete globally and instead embrace a mindset that sees the country as an active participant on the world stage.
“Countries are competing for visitors. They are competing for investments. They are competing for businesses. But you know what else they are competing for? They are competing for talent. That, in fact, is the biggest competition. Because no matter what investment, capital, business, rare earth elements, or lithium you have, you need talent,” the Prime Minister said.
He underscored that Jamaica must evolve beyond being primarily an exporter of talent and position itself to attract skilled people from around the world as the economy continues to expand.
“Jamaica must position itself not only as a net exporter of talent, which we have been for almost 200 years, but we need to now position ourselves to be receivers of talent into our economy if our economy is to grow and expand,” Dr. Holness stated.
The Prime Minister noted that decisions made by tourists, investors, businesses, skilled workers, and families are increasingly influenced by the same factors, including safety, good governance, efficiency, connectivity, opportunity, and confidence in a country’s future.
He said these realities are shaping the Government’s broader development agenda and underscored why investments in infrastructure, public safety, housing, public service modernization, and human capital development remain national priorities.
“The countries that succeed are those countries that become a destination of choice. Whatever we do, Jamaica must become and continue to be a destination of choice,” he added.
Prime Minister Holness pointed to RIU’s 25-year presence in Jamaica as a powerful example of the confidence international investors have placed in the country, and that this reinforces the country’s ambition to become a preferred destination for visitors, investors, skilled professionals and members of the diaspora seeking to return home.
“These are not separate initiatives. They are all part of a single national mission to make Jamaica a place of choice: a place where people want to visit, a place where businesses want to invest, a place where talented people want to work, a place where families want to live and a place where future generations can thrive,” he said.