TEF Invests $2M in Caribbean Squash Championships

The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has invested $2 million in sponsorship towards the 37th staging of the Senior Caribbean Squash Championships scheduled to take place at the Liguanea Club in Kingston, August 21 to 27.

The Championships will feature 150 participants representing eight countries in the region – Jamaica, Barbados, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Executive Director, TEF, Dr. Carey Wallace, spoke to the value of sports and tourism at the Championships launch, held at the Liguanea Club in Kingston on Tuesday (August 16), noting that the sponsorship is not just a “one-off” support.

“We have recognised the value of sports tourism so much that our Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has ensured that sports and entertainment are… in our Tourism Linkages Network,” Dr. Wallace said.

Dr. Wallace pointed out that with sports tourism, there are “multiple wins” for destination Jamaica, as the success of the country’s athletes on the global stage has boosted the popularity of the destination, resulting in increased visitor arrivals.

“Because of the brand recognition of Jamaica and the association with a people with a fighting spirit… energy [and], dancing on the tracks and courts, it makes them (visitors) want to be associated with us, and when it comes down to booking that holiday, we end up benefiting here in tourism,” said Dr. Wallace.

The tournament, which is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Sunday, August 21, is open to the public for free.