Durrant Pate/ Contributor

The Ministry of Tourism is developing a luxury tourism plan for the burgeoning parish of St Thomas to diversify the country’s tourism product.

The plan involves community-based, high-end services, utilising the parish’s natural assets and culture. Under this plan, St Thomas, once considered the forgotten parish, will become an organised destination with less dense, environmentally friendly arrangements, focusing on luxury tourism.

The Tourism Development and Management Plan has already been prepared by the tourism ministry, in collaboration with International Institute of Tourism Studies at George Washington University and Interplan Planning Consultants. The plan includes improving road infrastructure, water distribution, Internet penetration, sewage, and waste management.

The tourism ministry targets the construction of 4,170 new rooms and attracting 230,000 overnight tourists by 2030. Private investment of US$508 million is expected to cover a total investment of US$746 million.

Other tourism projects

Other areas, such as St Andrew and St Elizabeth, are also being considered for tourism development. The Ministry of Tourism is considering expanding its Gastronomy Corridor in St Andrew, Jamaica.

The plan is to create a Gastronomy District, stretching from Half-Way Tree to Papine, connecting with Cross Roads. Knutsford Boulevard is also under consideration.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett aims to establish a gastronomy and entertainment hub at Lady Musgrave, which is showing potential with the emergence of various establishments. The Jamaica Tourist Board is exploring development opportunities in Treasure Beach, emphasising low-density, rustic-luxury products that engage with the environment and communities.

Plans to develop the tourism product of the eastern and southern parishes are still in the early stages and implementation of the plan will require policy positioning by Bartlett.