Tourism Minister says Mobay City Run an Important Marketing Tool

With health and wellness tourism now a trillion-dollar business worldwide, events such as the MoBay City Run represent an important marketing tool for Jamaica, according to Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett.

Speaking to JIS News in a recent interview, Mr. Bartlett said that it is hardly a secret anymore that many travellers have been actively seeking out destinations that have quality health and wellness activities and where Jamaica stands to benefit.

“Events like the MoBay City Run, which, incidentally, is now an integral part of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) annual calendar of events, gives Jamaica an opportunity to make inroads into that growing market,” Mr. Bartlett said.

He added that the Global Wellness Institute, a non-profit organisation for the wellness industry, has identified the health and wellness industry as a $3.7-trillion market and with the expectancy that it will grow by another 43 per cent by 2020.

“With over 20 road races each year, including the MoBay City Run, it is clear that we have the capacity, the infrastructure and the professionals who can successfully execute a road race,” the Minister said.

“It is widely expected that the wellness economy will continue an upward growth trajectory. This simply means that the best is yet to come, and as the only event of its kind in Montego Bay, the Run is poised to benefit from the steady growth in the international health and wellness industry,” he argued.

Noting that every big city has a great marathon, Mr. Bartlett said it is now clear to the naked eye that the MoBay City Run will be the signature event for the city of Montego Bay.

“This will create visitor pull, added international exposure, stimulate economic gains and give Montego Bay the needed push to realise its potential as the tourism hub of the Caribbean,” the Minister added.

For her part, Montego Bay businesswoman and photographer, Ashley Anguin, a member of the organising committee, said that everything is in place to ensure that this year’s MoBay City Run will be the biggest yet.

“We are expecting to have in excess of 5,000 participants, and we have been getting a lot of positive responses from overseas and should actually be having a number of international journalists here to cover the event,” Ms. Anguin told JIS News.

“We also have some very good sponsors on board, and there is a great deal of enthusiasm in the communities across the western region,” she added.

The MoBay City Run, now in its sixth year, will be held on Sunday, May 5, with the starting point again being the Old Hospital Park on Gloucester Avenue, now the Jimmy Cliff Boulevard.