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file -The world's largest cruise ship, Freedom of the Seas, as it docks in the Ocho Rios, Jamaica's cruise-port capital.Ocho Rios eclipses the tourism capital, MoBay Claudia Gardner, Hospitality Jamaica Writer
With the resort town of Ocho Rios having eclipsed the tourism capital, Montego Bay, in terms of visitor arrivals last year, Director of Tourism Basil Smith has said the trend is likely to continue because of the impending development in the resort area.
"Ocho Rios has to be looked at in a broader context. The new hotels and attractions are contributing factors to Ocho Rios being in the lead. It is likely to continue as the developments continue to move eastwards," Smith said.
According to the December 2007 edition of the Jamaica Tourist Board's Monthly Statistical Report, of the 1,700,785 stopover visitors who visited Jamaica for the 12 months last year, Ocho Rios accounted for 442,083 or 26 per cent of visitors to the island, surpassing Montego Bay by 20,420.
The tourism capital accounted for 421,663 or 24.8 per cent of the visitors. The resort town of Negril was third with 342,423 or 20.1 per cent of the visitors; Kingston received 228,504 or 13.4 per cent, while the remaining 15.6 per cent stayed in Mandeville, Port Antonio and other areas.
But Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, is of the view that there will be an about-turn for 'The Friendly City' and the town that claimed that coveted spot for years.
new facilities
"Ocho Rios, only very narrowly, went ahead of Montego Bay," Minister Bartlett said. "I think the new rooms that came into operation, including RIU and Bahía Princípé, contributed to the figures escalating. Montego Bay will see new rooms coming into play in 2008, such as the RIU Montego Bay and the Palmyra, so the city will definitely regain its number-one position. The numbers so far for this year show that Montego Bay is way ahead," he added.
Wayne Cummings, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, shares the sentiments of the minister.
"The outstripping is just a numbers game," Cummings said. "It is just that they (Ocho Rios) have more rooms, the new mega-resorts have helped in tipping the scale. In addition, there was also the reopening of Sunset Jamaica Grande, but this will level off with the opening of RIU Montego Bay in September."
The JHTA president said that he didn't have the total dollar figures that the resort town gained, however, he noted that the average spend per stopover visitor is approximately $100 daily and if most of those guests go shopping, it would have a significant effect on the attractions and shopping centres in the cruise ship capital.
In 2006, Jamaica recorded 1,678,905 stopover visitors. At that time, Montego Bay accounted for 448,913 or 26.7 per cent of the total figure, which was 54,920 more than Ocho Rios, which recorded 393,993 or 23.5 per cent.
At the western end, Negril accounted for 353,032 or 21 per cent, while Kingston accounted for 223,102 or 13.33 per cent, while Mandeville and the South Coast garnered 105,846. Port Antonio recorded the least number of visitors with 18,811 or 1.1 per cent and other areas accounted for 135,208 or 8.1 per cent
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With the resort town of Ocho Rios having eclipsed the tourism capital, Montego Bay, in terms of visitor arrivals last year, Director of Tourism Basil Smith has said the trend is likely to continue because of the impending development in the resort area.
"Ocho Rios has to be looked at in a broader context. The new hotels and attractions are contributing factors to Ocho Rios being in the lead. It is likely to continue as the developments continue to move eastwards," Smith said.
According to the December 2007 edition of the Jamaica Tourist Board's Monthly Statistical Report, of the 1,700,785 stopover visitors who visited Jamaica for the 12 months last year, Ocho Rios accounted for 442,083 or 26 per cent of visitors to the island, surpassing Montego Bay by 20,420.
The tourism capital accounted for 421,663 or 24.8 per cent of the visitors. The resort town of Negril was third with 342,423 or 20.1 per cent of the visitors; Kingston received 228,504 or 13.4 per cent, while the remaining 15.6 per cent stayed in Mandeville, Port Antonio and other areas.
But Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, is of the view that there will be an about-turn for 'The Friendly City' and the town that claimed that coveted spot for years.
new facilities
"Ocho Rios, only very narrowly, went ahead of Montego Bay," Minister Bartlett said. "I think the new rooms that came into operation, including RIU and Bahía Princípé, contributed to the figures escalating. Montego Bay will see new rooms coming into play in 2008, such as the RIU Montego Bay and the Palmyra, so the city will definitely regain its number-one position. The numbers so far for this year show that Montego Bay is way ahead," he added.
Wayne Cummings, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, shares the sentiments of the minister.
"The outstripping is just a numbers game," Cummings said. "It is just that they (Ocho Rios) have more rooms, the new mega-resorts have helped in tipping the scale. In addition, there was also the reopening of Sunset Jamaica Grande, but this will level off with the opening of RIU Montego Bay in September."
The JHTA president said that he didn't have the total dollar figures that the resort town gained, however, he noted that the average spend per stopover visitor is approximately $100 daily and if most of those guests go shopping, it would have a significant effect on the attractions and shopping centres in the cruise ship capital.
In 2006, Jamaica recorded 1,678,905 stopover visitors. At that time, Montego Bay accounted for 448,913 or 26.7 per cent of the total figure, which was 54,920 more than Ocho Rios, which recorded 393,993 or 23.5 per cent.
At the western end, Negril accounted for 353,032 or 21 per cent, while Kingston accounted for 223,102 or 13.33 per cent, while Mandeville and the South Coast garnered 105,846. Port Antonio recorded the least number of visitors with 18,811 or 1.1 per cent and other areas accounted for 135,208 or 8.1 per cent