St. Ann Cruise Ship Fair a Success

The cruise shipping trade fair, held in the Resort Town of Ocho Rios, St. Ann from February 7 to 11, proved a successful endeavour with hoteliers and operators of attractions marketing their products to some 11,000 visitors during the one-week event.
The event, staged by the Ocho Rios and Runaway Bay Chapter of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) in collaboration with the Port Authority of Jamaica was geared at sensitizing tourists about the various tourism products and attractions in the parish.
Ocho Rios Cruise Ship Terminal Manager, Dennis Richards told JIS News that the event was successful and that the visitors were fascinated by the offerings of the different properties involved in the fair.
“We will be working to achieve even greater success in our second staging of the event for the next quarter. For the next time around, we will be approaching the ships so that the passengers can become fully aware of what is happening,” he said.
Meanwhile, Area Marketing Chairman for the JHTA, Judie O’Sullivan said that over 15 properties participated in the event and that an estimated 800 brochures were handed out to passengers on a daily basis.
“Some of the properties that participated included Sandals Resort, Sea Palms Resort, Sea Crest Hotel, Crane Ridge Hotel, Sand Castles Resort, Wassi Arts and Pottery Works, Fisherman’s Point 2000, Shaw Park Beach Resort, Sun Flower Resort, Island Village Shopping Centre and Crazy Jim, among others,” she said.
She pointed out that the properties were able to showcase their products effectively and that the responses from the visitors were positive.
“I think that the whole idea went across very well and with the many brochures that left the island, we are hoping that a great percentage of tourists will come back,” she said.
Winsome Chambers, Sales Manager at Sand Castles Resort, said that the visitors showed a lot of interest in the property’s wedding package and she hoped that a number of them would decide to have their wedding at the resort. “We will certainly be participating again in April and we are looking forward to working with the JHTA in the event,” she stated.
Terminal Manager, Dennis Richards appealed to the members of the public to continue to welcome the visitors to the island.