[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 72 (Thursday, May 26, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1122]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 26, 2005

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the anniversary of an 
entity which has proven very important to the long standing US/Jamaican 
relationship. The Jamaica Tourist Association recently celebrated its 
50th anniversary. In such time it has gone about making Jamaica one of 
the top tourist destinations in the world. The JTA will be celebrating 
their anniversary throughout the year with a series of events and 
initiatives, and I am happy to acknowledge their accomplishments here 
today.
  The mission of the Jamaican Tourist Board is to effectively market 
Jamaica's tourism sector, in an increasingly competitive global tourism 
industry. To date, they have succeeded not only in making Jamaica a 
global tourism powerhouse, but also strengthening ties between the 
United States and Jamaica.
  The United States is the largest source of tourists to the island of 
Jamaica. Of the record 2.5 million international tourists to Jamaica in 
2004, over one million came from the U.S. With tourism the primary 
foreign exchange earner for Jamaica, it is a cornerstone of the 
country's economic strength. That strength has translated into real 
benefits for the United States.
  In 2004, Jamaica was the second largest destination for American 
exports in the Caribbean, totaling over $1.4 billion. This is no doubt 
related to the purchasing power that the tourism sector affords 
Jamaica. As such, the work of the Jamaican Tourist Board has broad 
implications for both our nations.
  The JTB continues to face many obstacles in developing the tourism 
sector. Last year's Caribbean hurricanes caused Jamaica hundreds of 
millions of dollars in damage. The tourism sector was not spared from 
the hurricanes' wrath, and is only now beginning to recover.
  With that said, we in the United States must do all we can to ensure 
that we do not hinder the recovery, not only for Jamaica, but for the 
entire Caribbean. One such hindrance is the Bush Administration's 
proposed Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
  I am opposed to aspects of the Initiative, due to inequities in the 
Initiative's implementation. As currently proposed, the initiative will 
require all travelers to and from the Americas, the Caribbean, and 
Bermuda to have a passport to enter or re-enter the United States. It 
is argued that the stricter policy will strengthen border security.
  However, the Initiative is to be implemented in region specific 
phases, with travel to the Caribbean, Bermuda, and Central and South 
America being affected by the end of 2005, while travel to Canada and 
Mexico will not be affected until the end of 2006. I believe the early 
implementation date for the Caribbean is unfair.
  With more than 50% of U.S. visitors to Jamaica not utilizing a 
passport when they travel, and considering that passport processing 
times can range up to 2 months, it can be expected that the new 
requirements will have an extremely negative impact on Jamaican 
tourism, as many U.S. tourists may choose vacation options that entail 
less hassle. As such, implementing new travel requirements on the 
Caribbean before other regions clearly warrants reconsideration.
  With that said, I wish the Jamaican Tourist Board continued success, 
as its work will continue to be extremely important to both our 
nations. If the ever-increasing bond between our countries is any 
indication; the future success of Jamaican tourism is extremely bright.

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