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Bartlett's plans for tourism
published: Sunday | October 21, 2007
Earl Moxam, Senior Gleaner Writer
Bartlett and Rhodd
At the turn of the 20th century, the Titchfield Hotel exemplified Port Antonio's pre-eminent position in Jamaica's emerging tourism industry.
Today, in the early years of the 21st century, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett wants a nearby piece of real estate to provide a catalyst for renewal in the town's fortunes and the country's international tourism image, just as that former hotel did.
To accomplish that, however, the minister has acknowledged the need for the Titchfield High School, which stands on the site of the town's old fort, to be relocated, thereby freeing up the space for a return to the hospitality industry.
benefits to all
It would benefit all concerned, he argued, because, on the one hand, "it would free up space for real high-value resort property development, to generate income and wealth for the country". On the other hand, he said, the move would provide an opportunity for the students to be relocated to another site where they can benefit from "a better opportunity for a good mix of recreation, sports and academics".
Dr. Donald Rhodd, Member of Parliament for Eastern Portland and a former president of the Titchfield Alumni Association, believes it is in the school's best long-term interest to relocate.
suitable site needed
He is reiterating, however, that a suitable site has to be acquired and properly developed before the move could be achieved. Initially, Folly was thought to have been an ideal location, but, according to Dr. Rhodd, that site is also being looked at for tourism development. Now, he says, Passley Gardens, where the College of Arts, Science and Agriculture (CAPE) (including the Passley Gardens College) is the "front-runner".
The high school's lofty perch overlooking the Port Antonio Harbour with its breathtaking view of nearby Navy Island has long been the envy of many potential investors looking at the Portland capital. Now, the new tourism minister, anxious to make his mark on the industry, wants it to figure prominently in the overall plans for the town.
Port Antonio, he told The Sunday Gleaner, is to be made "the boutique cruise-ship mecca of the Caribbean!" Under that plan, smaller ships carrying a smaller number of "high-end, big-spending" passengers are to begin calling at the port in 2008.
To complement that development, the minister said that a second marina needed to be built, plus a range of significant on-shore facilities, including high-end accommodations, such as condominiums, to meet the expectations of the luxury-yacht market.
"A man coming into harbour with a million-dollar yatch, wants to be close enough to the harbour so that the last thing he sees before he goes to sleep is his yatch, and the first thing he sees when he gets up is his yatch!" he quipped.
Plans for Port Antonio are only part of an overall thrust by Mr. Bartlett, the new tourism minister; a man in a hurry to increase Jamaica's visitor arrivals dramatically and the country's earnings from the industry.
exciting prospects
Among the more exciting prospects inherited from the last administration is the ongoing development of a new cruise-ship pier at historic Falmouth in Trelawny. That facility is projected to begin receiving weekly calls in 2009 from The Genesis, which, with 9,000 passengers and crew, will be the largest cruise ship in the world.
Ultimately, he said, Falmouth could increase its capacity to 30,000 cruise passengers on a weekly basis.
On the drawing board as well is a plan to expand the berthing space available in Ocho Rios to accommodate "four to five ships" on a daily basis.
The new Government is exploring the possibility of relocating shipment of aggregate, sugar, cement and other materials from the Reynolds pier in Ocho Rios to the bauxite port in Discovery Bay, thereby freeing up that facility for full development as a dedicated cruise-ship port, in addition to the existing cruise-ship pier.
more cruise ships
In the meantime, the minister said, work was continuing apace in expanding the Montego Bay port as well for more cruise ships to be accommodated in the Second City.
Even the capital city, Kingston, is not escaping the attention of Mr. Bartlett, as a potential cruise-shipping destination. He, like many ministers before him, contends that it holds rich potential for exploitation.
"No. It is no pipe dream!" he said in answer to the question as to whether Kingston could become a cruise destination anytime soon.
Launching into his best salesman's pitch, he painted a detailed picture: "With Cuba opening up soon, a Southern Caribbean route can be established, with Kingston, Havana, Haiti or Santo Domingo. That's a very strong route! You may even want to call it a Northern Caribbean route!"
In that scenario, he said, Kingston stands to benefit enormously because of the historic importance of Port Royal, Spanish Town and Kingston, "which still have the finest heritage products in the country".
Accordingly, he said, his office was reviewing the studies and proposals which had already been made for the redevelopment of Port Royal, in concert with related activities in Spanish Town, Kingston and the Blue Mountains.
additional attractions
Even as the new Government seeks to lure significantly more cruise-ship passengers and stop-over visitors to Jamaica, the Tourism Minister is, however, emphasising the importance of developing additional attractions.
It was important, he said, to look for investments in the attractions sector, arguing attractions were what would build the industry. "It is what brings heads to beds!"
With 30,000-40,000 rooms projected to be available by 2012, he said some operators of major attractions were now expressing genuine interest in establishing facilities in Jamaica.
"In the last few weeks, I got a call from one of them because they are seeing now the expansion patterns and the projections that we've made ... and so, now they are interested in looking at Jamaica to have their facility. And I think one of the things that inspired them most was the potential for Falmouth with that new port."
That particular investor needed at least 10,000 patrons passing through his (unnamed) facility per day for it to be a success, Mr. Bartlett said.
When asked whether this was a casino, the minister would only say that the new Government was not ruling out that option to grow the industry. "We have no difficulty exploring those possibilities for Jamaica. This is not to say it is going to happen overnight, but casino gaming represents one of the critical options."
Neither would he rule out the inclusion of casino gaming in the luxurious Harmony Cove development, slated for Duncans, Trelawny.
The contract to develop Harmony Cove, a multifaceted hotel and condominium-type resort, conceptualised by the previous administration, was awarded to the Tavistock Group of the United States.
The new Government has embraced the project, and, according to Mr. Bartlett, is anxious to fast-track it and bring forward its implementation date earlier than the 2009 start-up projected.
Ronnie Thwaites, Opposition MP for Central Kingston, tabled a question for the Government in parliament on Tuesday, October 2, querying the administration's position on the controversial issue of casino gaming. The answer to that question is pending.
Minister wants Titchfield school relocated; eyes casinos
published: Sunday | October 21, 2007
Earl Moxam, Senior Gleaner Writer
Bartlett and Rhodd
At the turn of the 20th century, the Titchfield Hotel exemplified Port Antonio's pre-eminent position in Jamaica's emerging tourism industry.
Today, in the early years of the 21st century, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett wants a nearby piece of real estate to provide a catalyst for renewal in the town's fortunes and the country's international tourism image, just as that former hotel did.
To accomplish that, however, the minister has acknowledged the need for the Titchfield High School, which stands on the site of the town's old fort, to be relocated, thereby freeing up the space for a return to the hospitality industry.
benefits to all
It would benefit all concerned, he argued, because, on the one hand, "it would free up space for real high-value resort property development, to generate income and wealth for the country". On the other hand, he said, the move would provide an opportunity for the students to be relocated to another site where they can benefit from "a better opportunity for a good mix of recreation, sports and academics".
Dr. Donald Rhodd, Member of Parliament for Eastern Portland and a former president of the Titchfield Alumni Association, believes it is in the school's best long-term interest to relocate.
suitable site needed
He is reiterating, however, that a suitable site has to be acquired and properly developed before the move could be achieved. Initially, Folly was thought to have been an ideal location, but, according to Dr. Rhodd, that site is also being looked at for tourism development. Now, he says, Passley Gardens, where the College of Arts, Science and Agriculture (CAPE) (including the Passley Gardens College) is the "front-runner".
The high school's lofty perch overlooking the Port Antonio Harbour with its breathtaking view of nearby Navy Island has long been the envy of many potential investors looking at the Portland capital. Now, the new tourism minister, anxious to make his mark on the industry, wants it to figure prominently in the overall plans for the town.
Port Antonio, he told The Sunday Gleaner, is to be made "the boutique cruise-ship mecca of the Caribbean!" Under that plan, smaller ships carrying a smaller number of "high-end, big-spending" passengers are to begin calling at the port in 2008.
To complement that development, the minister said that a second marina needed to be built, plus a range of significant on-shore facilities, including high-end accommodations, such as condominiums, to meet the expectations of the luxury-yacht market.
"A man coming into harbour with a million-dollar yatch, wants to be close enough to the harbour so that the last thing he sees before he goes to sleep is his yatch, and the first thing he sees when he gets up is his yatch!" he quipped.
Plans for Port Antonio are only part of an overall thrust by Mr. Bartlett, the new tourism minister; a man in a hurry to increase Jamaica's visitor arrivals dramatically and the country's earnings from the industry.
exciting prospects
Among the more exciting prospects inherited from the last administration is the ongoing development of a new cruise-ship pier at historic Falmouth in Trelawny. That facility is projected to begin receiving weekly calls in 2009 from The Genesis, which, with 9,000 passengers and crew, will be the largest cruise ship in the world.
Ultimately, he said, Falmouth could increase its capacity to 30,000 cruise passengers on a weekly basis.
On the drawing board as well is a plan to expand the berthing space available in Ocho Rios to accommodate "four to five ships" on a daily basis.
The new Government is exploring the possibility of relocating shipment of aggregate, sugar, cement and other materials from the Reynolds pier in Ocho Rios to the bauxite port in Discovery Bay, thereby freeing up that facility for full development as a dedicated cruise-ship port, in addition to the existing cruise-ship pier.
more cruise ships
In the meantime, the minister said, work was continuing apace in expanding the Montego Bay port as well for more cruise ships to be accommodated in the Second City.
Even the capital city, Kingston, is not escaping the attention of Mr. Bartlett, as a potential cruise-shipping destination. He, like many ministers before him, contends that it holds rich potential for exploitation.
"No. It is no pipe dream!" he said in answer to the question as to whether Kingston could become a cruise destination anytime soon.
Launching into his best salesman's pitch, he painted a detailed picture: "With Cuba opening up soon, a Southern Caribbean route can be established, with Kingston, Havana, Haiti or Santo Domingo. That's a very strong route! You may even want to call it a Northern Caribbean route!"
In that scenario, he said, Kingston stands to benefit enormously because of the historic importance of Port Royal, Spanish Town and Kingston, "which still have the finest heritage products in the country".
Accordingly, he said, his office was reviewing the studies and proposals which had already been made for the redevelopment of Port Royal, in concert with related activities in Spanish Town, Kingston and the Blue Mountains.
additional attractions
Even as the new Government seeks to lure significantly more cruise-ship passengers and stop-over visitors to Jamaica, the Tourism Minister is, however, emphasising the importance of developing additional attractions.
It was important, he said, to look for investments in the attractions sector, arguing attractions were what would build the industry. "It is what brings heads to beds!"
With 30,000-40,000 rooms projected to be available by 2012, he said some operators of major attractions were now expressing genuine interest in establishing facilities in Jamaica.
"In the last few weeks, I got a call from one of them because they are seeing now the expansion patterns and the projections that we've made ... and so, now they are interested in looking at Jamaica to have their facility. And I think one of the things that inspired them most was the potential for Falmouth with that new port."
That particular investor needed at least 10,000 patrons passing through his (unnamed) facility per day for it to be a success, Mr. Bartlett said.
When asked whether this was a casino, the minister would only say that the new Government was not ruling out that option to grow the industry. "We have no difficulty exploring those possibilities for Jamaica. This is not to say it is going to happen overnight, but casino gaming represents one of the critical options."
Neither would he rule out the inclusion of casino gaming in the luxurious Harmony Cove development, slated for Duncans, Trelawny.
The contract to develop Harmony Cove, a multifaceted hotel and condominium-type resort, conceptualised by the previous administration, was awarded to the Tavistock Group of the United States.
The new Government has embraced the project, and, according to Mr. Bartlett, is anxious to fast-track it and bring forward its implementation date earlier than the 2009 start-up projected.
Ronnie Thwaites, Opposition MP for Central Kingston, tabled a question for the Government in parliament on Tuesday, October 2, querying the administration's position on the controversial issue of casino gaming. The answer to that question is pending.
Minister wants Titchfield school relocated; eyes casinos