Hundreds Attend Expo in Mo-Bay
By: October 14, 2013 ,The Key Point:
The Facts
- Delivering the keynote address, Mayor of Atlanta in the United States, Kasim Reed, congratulated leaders of Montego Bay for making tremendous strides over the past 50 years
- “The city of Atlanta and the city of Montego Bay have a great deal in common. You are really the jewel of the Caribbean in terms of tourism.."
The Full Story
Hundreds of persons from across western Jamaica converged on the Montego Bay Convention Centre in Rose Hall, St. James, on October 11, for the official opening of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Expo 2013.
The many patrons attended the event to see the wide array of goods in the display booths, and to take part in the seminar and panel discussion which were included in the offerings.
Delivering the keynote address, Mayor of Atlanta in the United States, Kasim Reed, congratulated leaders of Montego Bay for making tremendous strides over the past 50 years, adding that both cities could learn from, and assist each other in achieving great things in the next 50 years.
“The city of Atlanta and the city of Montego Bay have a great deal in common. You are really the jewel of the Caribbean in terms of tourism and the city of Atlanta is one of the leading tourism destinations in the United States of America, hosting some 42 million people last year. We are in a constant relationship where we can improve each other,” the Mayor said.
He indicated that he would be meeting with the main leaders of Atlanta’s sports groups to encourage them to promote links with Jamaica.
“I think that there is a great deal that you all can share with us in making us a stronger tourism destination. I think that we have a large population of Jamaicans who live in the metropolitan Atlanta area, so there is really no reason why the next 50 years should not be incredible for both Montego Bay and the city of Atlanta,” Mr. Reed said.
The Mayor pointed out that Atlanta has moved from being a “sleepy southern town” to having the ninth largest metropolitan area in the USA.
“I think that Jamaica is on a similar trajectory. We both have an obligation to make a decision to invest in our future, so when your Mayor calls on you to invest in infrastructure like the kind I see all around to improve your roads, your bridges and your airports, support your Mayor and stick with him,” Mr. Reed urged.
He was assisted by the Mayor of Montego Bay, Hon. Glendon Harris, to cut the ribbon to signal the official opening of the Expo.