14,000 More Hotel Rooms

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, says there will be a roll-out of approximately 14,000 hotel rooms over the next three to four years, representing a significant investment for Jamaica.

Speaking to JIS News following the grand opening of the Blue Mountain Renewables (BMR) wind farm in Potsdam, St. Elizabeth, on August 11, Mr. Shaw said the tourism sector has been rightly tapped as the engine of growth for the economy, and that Jamaicans should capitalise on the opportunities that will be available.

“What we are looking at with these rooms is a 30 per cent addition to the tourism plant which by any standard of measurement is a significant growth,” the Minister noted.

Mr. Shaw said the Ministry of Tourism, under the leadership of the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has been doing a fantastic job in creating opportunities through the many economic linkages offered “by the vibrant tourism sector”.

“If strong linkages with the domestic economy are developed, tourism can be a means of accelerating economic growth and development and a means of providing employment for the people of Jamaica,” he argued.

Meanwhile, Mr. Shaw said for the Jamaican consumer, renewable projects like the BMR wind farm mean price stability, and reduced vulnerability to the sometimes erratic movement of the price of oil on the world market.

The Minister said it is good to see Jamaica taking advantage of the God-given gifts of the sun and the wind, and carving out for itself a future of clean, affordable and sustainable energy.

He commended the BMR team for its vision, noting that he was particularly pleased with the community involvement, including the neighbouring schools of Munro College and Hampton High.

“It is a testament to their love of community that some 700 Jamaicans were employed throughout the construction phase of this project. I was also heartened to see how well the farmers were treated and all the amicable negotiations that took place during the course of the project. I have no doubt that this will be a very successful operation that will be run by very professional people… who are also good corporate citizens,” he said.