Ministry of Tourism, Entertainment & Culture

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Tourism, Entertainment and Culture Minister, Aloun Ndombet Assamba yesterday (June 28), emphasised that the Tourism Enhancement Fund is not intended to duplicate the efforts of any other sources available to the tourism sector, whether they are private or public.

Making her 2006/07 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House, Minister Assamba stressed that the Fund was not meant to take on the responsibilities of any other Ministry or agency.

"As such, the Fund will concern itself primarily with incremental work to add value to the tourism product and tackle some special challenges on a one-off basis," she explained.

She pointed out that the recent clean-up work in Montego Bay to welcome the Freedom of the Seas, the world's largest sea vessel, on June 8, was representative of the one-off projects under the Fund.

"Whereas public cleansing and road repairs normally fall under other government agencies, the occasion was considered to be of such importance and the scope of work so significant as to warrant funding," the Minister pointed out.

She added that the intervention in Montego Bay, which cost some $15 million, ensured that the country was well prepared ahead of the ship's arrival. The ship's ensuing call was deemed a resounding success from the perspective of the cruise operators, who have since committed to weekly stops at the port of Montego Bay.

Other projects that have been granted funding under the Tourism Enhancement Fund include $20 million being earmarked towards the renovation of Devon House, which will play a key role in hosting the Caribbean Business Club during the staging of Cricket World Cup 2007 in the Caribbean.

In Ocho Rios, some $3.5 million has been allocated for landscaping and beautification works along Main Street in the resort town, while a further $4 million has been targeted towards the construction of a roundabout near Mineral Heights in Clarendon to facilitate traffic flow along the island's southern corridor.

The Tourism Enhancement Fund was established last year to provide a pool of dedicated funds for the express purpose of improving the tourism product. The broad areas of interest include resort development, as well as product development and beautification.

Specific projects targeted for funding are required to satisfy such criteria as having the capacity to be self-sustaining; boosting economic prosperity; increasing competitiveness of the tourism product; promoting resort development; and focusing on heritage and culture.

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