Jamaica Breaks Ground For New Convention Centre in Montego Bay

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. February 20, 2009

FEBRUARY 20, 2009 - Ground broke on Saturday, February 14 in Rose Hall, St. James to begin construction of the Montego Bay Convention Centre. The highly anticipated facility will be built on 35 acres of land opposite the Shoppes at Rose Hall (between the Half Moon Golf Course and Rose Hall Great House) and is aimed at strengthening Jamaica's participation in the growing groups and convention market.

The project is financed through a 350 million Yuan (RMB) or US$51 million loan agreement between the Government of Jamaica and the China Import and Export Bank. Construction is expected to be completed in 20 months.

Speaking at the official groundbreaking, Prime Minister Bruce Golding noted that Montego Bay added over 2,000 rooms in the last few years, bringing its capacity to just over 11,000. Of that number 3,760 are located along the Rose Hall corridor. "This financing of the convention centre signals the continuation of the growing economic co-operation between both countries and of China's willingness to help Jamaica expand, grow and develop," said Prime Minister Golding.

According to the Prime Minister the facility when completed will stand as a lasting monument of the close bond of friendship between Jamaica and China.

Jamaica's Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett in bringing greetings noted that already several organizations have been lining up to take advantage of the facility. "The Convention Centre will be part of the critical infrastructure necessary to facilitate the repositioning of Jamaica as an events destination in the global tourism market," stated Bartlett.

The Montego Bay Convention Centre is intended to provide space for meetings and conventions, to enhance the tourist industry, to increase foreign exchange earnings and to provide additional employment for persons in the western region of Jamaica.

The Centre is being designed as a modern state of the art facility, capable of hosting large and small meetings, conferences, exhibitions, banquets, weddings and other events. The Centre will provide over 50,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space, over 20,000 sq. ft. of banquet facility and over 11,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

About the Jamaica Tourist Board

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica's national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. The JTB was declared the Caribbean's Leading Tourist and Convention Bureau by the World Travel Awards (WTA) from 2006 to 2008, while Jamaica earned the WTA's vote as the World's Leading Cruise Destination, the Caribbean's Leading Destination and the Caribbean's Leading Cruise Destination

JTB offices are located in Kingston, Montego Bay, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are located in D"usseldorf, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam and Tokyo.

For details on upcoming special events, attractions and accommodations in Jamaica go to the Jamaica Tourist Board's Web site at www.visitjamaica.com, or call the Jamaica Tourist Board at 1-800-JAMAICA (1-800-526-2422).