The Tourism Ministry will be partnering with the Education Ministry and several international entities to build out a full programme of training and certification in language skills.

Speaking with IRIE FM News, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says developing such a programme is essential to the government’s plan to future-proof the industry.

With a recent increase in Latin American flights and efforts to attract more visitors from more countries, including from the East, the need for improving citizens’ language skills has become more urgent.

This is especially important for persons who work in the Jamaican tourism sector.

Noting that Spanish and French are primarily taught in educational institutions, Mr. Bartlett says more languages should be added to the curriculum.

He emphasizes that as more countries become economically significant, Jamaica’s language skills must align with this development.