TPDCO and Red Stripe Sign MOU for New Tourism Product in Port Royal
By: , August 26, 2025
Photo: Adrian Walker
Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo) Executive Director, Wade Mars (second row, right), shares lens with trainee bartenders who will benefit from the Port Royal Saloon Waters Tour following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between TPDCo and Red Stripe on Monday (August 25). The MOU represents an agreement between the two entities to collaborate on the development of the Port Royal Saloon Waters Tour. They are joined by Brand Manager of Red Stripe and Dragon Stout, Amoye Phillpotts-Brown (front row, right); TPDCo Destination Manager for Kingston, Mikisha Silvera (front row, second right); and TPDCo Director of Product Development and Community Tourism, Kerry-Ann Lowe (front row, left). The signing of the MOU took place at Red Stripe’s Spanish Town Road headquarters in Kingston.
Photo: Adrian Walker
Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo) Executive Director, Wade Mars (second right), is joined by Brand Manager of Red Stripe and Dragon Stout, Amoye Phillpotts-Brown (right); Head of Commerce at Red Stripe, Sean Wallace (second left) and TPDCo Director of Product Development and Community Tourism, Kerry-Ann Lowe (left), at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the tourism agency and Red Stripe. The MOU signals an agreement between the two entities to collaborate on the development of the Port Royal Saloon Waters Tour. The signing ceremony was held at Red Stripe’s Spanish Town Road headquarters in Kingston.The Full Story
The Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo) and Red Stripe officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday (August 25) to collaborate on the development of the Port Royal Saloon Waters Tour.
The initiative is a cultural tourism product which will be carried out in Port Royal, Jamaica’s second site on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage list.
According to TPDCo Executive Director, Wade Mars, creating this product will connect the history of the place once known for piracy and as a “wicked city” to modern enterprise.
“This initiative will open new doors for community development, foster entrepreneurial opportunities, and invite visitors to experience Port Royal in a way that is authentic, educational, and sustainable,” Mr. Mars said.
He was speaking at the signing of the MoU held at Red Stripe’s Spanish Town Road headquarters in Kingston.
Mr. Mars went on to express gratitude to Red Stripe which has invested $9 million into the development of the initiative.
The sum covers training of bartenders, improving bars, developing signature beer cocktails that depict Port Royal’s history, and uniforms for staff so quality standards are maintained.
“We are deeply grateful to Red Stripe. They have joined us on this transformative mission. Their reputation for creativity and commitment to responsible growth make them an ideal partner in showcasing Port Royal’s story to the world. This partnership reflects the very best of public-private collaboration, purposeful, impactful, and forward-looking,” Mr. Mars noted.
The Port Royal Saloon Waters Tour is designed to bring Port Royal’s rich history to life through a curated heritage-based bar-hopping walking experience.
It is a model for sustainable heritage tourism where the history of the city will be preserved through the educating and entertaining of visitors and residents alike.
The tour will feature themed guides, period-inspired storytelling, while visitors sip on signature cocktails that evoke the history of Port Royal’s maritime trade and exploits of pirates.
Brand Manager of Red Stripe and Dragon Stout, Amoye Phillpotts-Brown, also believes the tour will create opportunities for the wider Port Royal community.
“While this is about the cocktails and the bars, it’s also about the people of Port Royal. It’s about the bartenders who will sharpen their craft, the small businesses that will see new customers, and the wider Port Royal community that will benefit from this sustainable activity. Visitors will carry home unforgettable memories, while residents carry forward new opportunities,” Ms. Phillpotts-Brown said.
She added that it will also bring a unique experience to Jamaica where walking tours – which allows visitors to interact with and experience the culture of a place and its people – are not prevalent.
“Each stop tells a story. Each bartender shares Jamaica’s spirit, literally and figuratively, through signature cocktails designed with our support. It’s history meeting hospitality with a little bit of mischief thrown in for fun,” she said.
The initiative took effect on Monday, following the signing of the MoU, and will remain in effect for one year.