Business View Caribbean | April 2019

26 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN APRIL 2019 enterprises (SMTE). In January, we had a world conference here in Jamaica focusing on the SMTE. We brought financial partners, and the ordinary artisans who provide us tourism services and think as academics, to meet and discuss how we rebalance that equation. How do we build capacity in small enterprises to have them become a larger shareholder and bigger beneficiary of the tourism pie? “The Founders Institute is initiating a program in Kingston for start-up businesses and entrepreneurs. Startups are very important – it’s part of the innovation drive where we’re adding value. Not just trying to create sameness but do something more with what we have. That’s where the innovation comes in and points of differentiation will be clear. It’s to train people, to think, to apply, to add value. And that’s at the heart of the start-up. “Everything we’ve discussed goes back to the passion points – the reasons why people travel. Remember, Jamaica is an option.” To all our readers of Business View Caribbean, we recommend Jamaica as more than an option… it’s high on the list!