JTB, TPDCo Montego Bay Offices Being Relocated
By: , July 21, 2014The Key Point:
The Facts
- Tourism and Entertainment Minister, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, says space to build the offices for both entities, which fall under his portfolio, was identified on the Montego Bay Convention Centre’s premises, at Rose Hall, St. James.
- He indicated that JTB and TPDCo personnel will, among other things, have access to facilities which are not available at their current office locations.
The Full Story
Work has commenced to build new offices for the relocation of Jamaica Tourist Board’s (JTB) and Tourism Product Development Company Limited’s (TPDCo) Montego Bay operations.
Tourism and Entertainment Minister, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, says space to build the offices for both entities, which fall under his portfolio, was identified on the Montego Bay Convention Centre’s premises, at Rose Hall, St. James.
He informs that the preparatory work, for which a contract was signed earlier this will month, will be undertaken at a cost of $75 million, and is slated for completion in 12 weeks. Financing is being provided by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).
The Minister made the announcement while speaking at the July 18 contract signing ceremony for the $248.4 million ‘Elegant Corridor’ lighting project in Montego Bay, at the convention centre.
In welcoming the planned relocation, Dr. McNeill described it as an “excellent and significant move which will yield several benefits, including greater efficiencies.”
He indicated that JTB and TPDCo personnel will, among other things, have access to facilities which are not available at their current office locations.
The Minister also advised that the new building will become the Ministry’s Tourism Centre in Montego Bay, while pointing to the “possibilities that exist”, as a result of this.
“Whenever we have…our press conferences (or) familiarization trips, all these things will be done here (at the convention centre). It means that the persons who come, (such as our) tourism partners, will…get to see (and use) the facilities,” he stated
The ‘Elegant Corridor’ lighting project, which is also being financed by the TEF, will entail the installation of energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) lamps along the area the north coast highway, between the Sangster International Airport, and Iberostar Hotel at Rose Hall.
The eight-month project is being implemented by the Ministry of Transport Works, and Housing, through the National Works Agency (NWA), with the engineering firm, Y.P. Seaton and Associates, as the contractor.