Tourism Disbursements Surpass Billion Dollar Mark  

• Transactions on the Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) platform have generated $1 billion in sales by small farmers.
• Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says tourism loan disbursements through the National Export-Import Bank have also surpassed $1 billion for 2023. 
• Over $2 billion has now been disbursed to small and medium tourism enterprises across Jamaica benefitting four hundred and thirty-nine small companies. He underscored the increased impact of the tourism value chain on Jamaican small businesses as a significant outcome.
• The ALEX platform is a collaborative initiative between the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority which has revolutionised the interaction between hoteliers and farmers. According to the tourism ministry, the platform has considerably boosted small farmers' access to procurement arrangements at hotels and restaurants around Jamaica, consequently improving the local agricultural landscape.

(Source: RJR News)