The Opposition Spokesperson on Tourism and Linkages recently berated on what she believes is the lack of investment in Jamaica’s tourism towns, a situation she says the People’s National Party (PNP) will fix when it returns to power.
Senator Janice Allen made the comments on Friday during her contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate. “There has to be real investment in what is supposed to be our tourist towns – Ocho Rios, Negril, Port Antonio, Montego Bay,” she said.
“The reason the PNP administration of 2004 designed and implemented the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) was to reinvest the earnings of tourism into our towns and communities so that the people can see and feel the impact of tourism. It was also to ensure there is sustainable development of tourism by the investment in new products so that more Jamaicans can benefit from the industry.”
She went on: “That is what I said in 2023 – to date, I have not seen any real investment of TEF funds in Montego Bay for example, other than the sign at the airport. There has been no new attraction created no investment in the craft markets, no work done on the cruise ship port —nothing!
“For there to be real rewards and benefits from tourism, we must resist the urge for disjointed projects such as a few signs here and a few corridors there. We must now design a truly comprehensive restoration of all our tourist towns. Montego Bay does not look like the centre of tourism, nor does it feel like it.”
She said Montego Bay was littered with broken sidewalks, the streets are dirty, and chaos reigns. “And there is still no functioning public hospital that the people can rely on for care”.
Allen said that Jimmy Cliff Boulevard (Hip Strip) has not carried the weight befitting of our icon Jimmy Cliff, who hails from Somerton in St James. This so-called Hip Strip is in a bad state and the promises made in the past nine years by this Government to revitalise it and make it attractive have not resulted in anything.
“Under the next PNP administration, our tourism development plan will make Jimmy Cliff Boulevard truly worthy of our icon’s name because right now it’s neither hip nor strip, I don’t know what it is,” Allen remarked. She told her colleagues in the Upper House: “We cannot afford to settle for half-measures or hollow promises when it comes to our tourism sector – a cornerstone of our economy and a source of national pride.
“Yet, the realities on the ground paint a troubling picture. Our tourist towns, once vibrant symbols of our potential, now stand in stark contrast to the glossy image this government tries to project”.
Turning to Negril which she noted is renowned globally for its iconic seven miles of pristine beaches and a haven for tourists, the Opposition senator pointed out that locals grapple daily with persistent water shortages, a glaring contradiction in a town that thrives on offering a world-class experience.
