Jamaica– Overview:
The island of Jamaica is located in the Caribbean Sea, around 150 kilometres to the south of Cuba and nearly 670 kilometres north west of Honduras in Central America. After the discovery of the island by Christopher Columbus, Jamaica was under Spanish rule from 1494 to 1655, from which point the island was ruled by Great Britain until independence in 1962. Despite independence, Jamaica has chosen to remain a constitutional monarchy with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Sovereign, and it remains part of the Commonwealth of Nations. The modern island is divided into three counties containing a total of 14 parishes; the counties are Surrey, where Jamaica’s capital Kingston can be found, Cornwall and Middlesex.

Economy
Since the introduction of sugar cane by the Spanish in 1520, the production of sugar has been a part of Jamaica’s economy and at times the primary source of income for the island. The introduction of bananas in the early 1800s provided a second crop, which provided financial income for Jamaica, and in the mid 1900s the mining of bauxite was considered viable.

Today, tourism and the services are the most important sectors of the economy; according to the CIA World Factbook the composition by sector of Jamaica’s GDP is agriculture 5.2%, industry 27.3% and services 67.5% (2006 est.). Also according to the Factbook, ‘the country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances (from Jamaicans working overseas) and bauxite/alumina’.

Infrastructure
Jamaica benefits from having two international airports and four domestic airports. Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) is located close to the capital, Kingston, and Sir Donald Sangster International Airport (SIA) is a short distance north of Montego Bay. Figures published by the Airports Authority of Jamaica show that in 2006 NMIA dealt with 1,715,078 passenger movements and SIA 3,389,245, totalling 5,104,323, which was an increase of 603,974 since 2002. The airports connect Jamaica to most major destinations in continental North America, Europe and the Caribbean.

The island also is in a beneficial position regarding cargo transhipment by sea, as it is around 550 nautical miles north of the Panama Canal, which offers easy access to the Pacific Ocean. Jamaica has five main ports trading internationally.

The ICT infrastructure of Jamaica is still a growing entity. According to the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD), by 2005 close to two thirds of Jamaicans had access to mobile phones, and between 2000 and 2005 Internet access had tripled. IICD went on further to say ‘Despite the backlog and barriers, Jamaica is closer to implementing an ICT-enabling legal and policy environment than some European countries’.

Workforce
Figures published by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica show the population as of July 2006 stood at 2,667,000, with a workforce of 1,251,600 and unemployment standing at 8.9%. The figures also show that since July 2004 unemployment has dropped, albeit with fluctuations, from 13%.

The education system is overseen by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture and is structured according to the UK system. The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, which also has campuses in Barbados and Trinidad, provides a wide variety of higher education courses, as do a number of other higher education institutions. The high quality education available in Jamaica has allowed many Jamaicans over the years to reach the required levels to enter many of the UK’s top universities, thus increasing their knowledge and experience, ensuring they are sought after by employers on their return home.

Standard of living
Jamaica, even before air travel, has enjoyed a reputation as a tourist destination, and over the years Jamaica has been a haven to many famous non-Jamaicans, most notably the movie actor Errol Flynn and the author Ian Fleming. In modern times travel to the island has become more affordable to more people, leading to an upsurge of visitors; however, one of the country’s biggest concerns is violent crime. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office states, ‘The murder rate remains among the highest in the world (about 59 per 100,000)’. The vast majority of tourists and visitors do not directly experience the problem as most stay in secure resorts and only travel to other areas on excursions. Providing travellers take sensible precautions, most visits to Jamaica pass without incident.

Once on the island, Jamaica has much to offer the business traveller or tourist. Almost all water- or land-based activities are catered for, although for such things as hiking, caving and scuba diving, the use of local guides is highly recommended to get the best from your adventures. The island is also a good location for lovers of history and culture, with museums dedicated to Jamaica’s long and often fraught past and unique culture, including a museum dedicated to the island’s most famous son, Bob Marley.

In Jamaica a variety of international cuisines available, usually of high quality even from the cheapest eateries, but Jamaican food is almost in a class of its own. Jamaican food has evolved from a number of influences of immigrants from locations around the world, and most Jamaicans like their food spicy - the extremely hot pepper, scotch bonnet, is used in many dishes. Most food on the island is locally produced.

For business, Jamaica is a popular destination for conferences, seminars and incentives with a number of top quality facilities, services and locations around the island.