Dolphin Cove to build marine park at Point Estate
Claudia Gardner , Hospitality Jamaica Writer
POINT ESTATE, Hanover:
Dolphin Cove last Thursday broke ground for what is expected to be the largest marine park in the western hemisphere at Point Estate in Lucea, Hanover.
The facility will be sited on 20 acres of land and will be constructed to the tune of J$500 million. Upon completion, it is expected to provide employment for approximately 200 people. The first phase is expected to be completed and ready to accommodate guests by May 2010.
The attraction's preliminary master plan which was on show at the ceremony, outlined that a hotel, casino, wrecked ship with zipline crows' nest and underwater viewing windows, among other areas, would also be built.
forward-thinking government
In his address, Dolphin Cove's Managing Director, Stafford Burrowes, said the new facility had also been designed to facilitate Dolphin human therapy. He said it would have all the amenities as of its sister attraction in Ocho Rios, plus a lazy river, an ecological mangrove tour, crocodiles as well as camel riding.
Singing the praises of the Bruce Golding-led Government, he said the Government was forward-thinking and was constantly looking out for the interests of the tourism sector, thus enabling it to survive the global economic meltdown.
recession has bottomed out
"We have been blessed with a Government that sees the future of tourism as having the potential to take Jamaica out of its economic woes and has the ability to raise the standard of living of our people," Burrowes said.
"We have a most enthusiastic minister of tourism, a hard-working visionary, who never stops for a second as he continually promotes the destination and is always available to discuss our problems and assist in guiding us and fighting for us in all our needs," he said.
Burrowes added that the support of the Government had given him the courage to press ahead with the construction of the attraction, despite the global economic situation.
"The world is presently in a recession, which appears to have bottomed out, and will now slowly recover. Thanks to the efforts of our Government, we have so far been able to survive. In fact we as a destination fared better than most," he said.
"It is the way in which the Government planned and executed its strategies to offset the effects of the recession that gives me the confidence to proceed with the first phase for this development. There was an instant rally to the cry for assistance to the sector, which is making it possible for us to be moving forward today," he said.
Claudia Gardner , Hospitality Jamaica Writer
POINT ESTATE, Hanover:
Dolphin Cove last Thursday broke ground for what is expected to be the largest marine park in the western hemisphere at Point Estate in Lucea, Hanover.
The facility will be sited on 20 acres of land and will be constructed to the tune of J$500 million. Upon completion, it is expected to provide employment for approximately 200 people. The first phase is expected to be completed and ready to accommodate guests by May 2010.
The attraction's preliminary master plan which was on show at the ceremony, outlined that a hotel, casino, wrecked ship with zipline crows' nest and underwater viewing windows, among other areas, would also be built.
forward-thinking government
In his address, Dolphin Cove's Managing Director, Stafford Burrowes, said the new facility had also been designed to facilitate Dolphin human therapy. He said it would have all the amenities as of its sister attraction in Ocho Rios, plus a lazy river, an ecological mangrove tour, crocodiles as well as camel riding.
Singing the praises of the Bruce Golding-led Government, he said the Government was forward-thinking and was constantly looking out for the interests of the tourism sector, thus enabling it to survive the global economic meltdown.
recession has bottomed out
"We have been blessed with a Government that sees the future of tourism as having the potential to take Jamaica out of its economic woes and has the ability to raise the standard of living of our people," Burrowes said.
"We have a most enthusiastic minister of tourism, a hard-working visionary, who never stops for a second as he continually promotes the destination and is always available to discuss our problems and assist in guiding us and fighting for us in all our needs," he said.
Burrowes added that the support of the Government had given him the courage to press ahead with the construction of the attraction, despite the global economic situation.
"The world is presently in a recession, which appears to have bottomed out, and will now slowly recover. Thanks to the efforts of our Government, we have so far been able to survive. In fact we as a destination fared better than most," he said.
"It is the way in which the Government planned and executed its strategies to offset the effects of the recession that gives me the confidence to proceed with the first phase for this development. There was an instant rally to the cry for assistance to the sector, which is making it possible for us to be moving forward today," he said.
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