Winnifred Beach Town Hall March 20

The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) is inviting residents in Fairy Hill, Portland, to attend a town hall meeting on the grounds of the Winnifred Beach on Sunday, March 20, beginning at 2:00 p.m.

The town hall will provide an opportunity for residents to participate in discussions on the development of the beach facility.

Executive Director, TEF, Dr. Carey Wallace, told JIS News that the Winnifred Beach is among those being developed across Jamaica under the entity’s Beaches Development Programme.

He explained that a major part of the development process is to engage in consultation with the community before starting the design.

“So, this town hall meeting in the Fairy Hill area of Winnifred Beach is for that purpose – to get the community’s input,” said Dr. Wallace.

“It’s their beach and we are here, at the government agency, to develop that beach in such a way that the community is very pleased and happy, and all that they would like to see is taken into consideration. So, in the end, we have a ‘win win’ for the community and for Jamaica,” he added.

Dr. Wallace indicated that in developing the facility, the intended effect is for it to become a “catalyst for tourism entrepreneurship in the area”.

“Such a beautiful part of Jamaica that really a lot of income can be generated from tourism, whether it’s local tourists or overseas tourists. It has so much potential… that we believe it can create a lot of wealth for the community, and that’s the intention – to develop this fantastic beach in such a way that it creates a momentum that leads to that kind of success that we think they deserve,” he said.

Dr. Wallace informed that the town hall will be the second such in Portland, as the first was held in Port Antonio late last year, where it was discovered that meeting in the Fairy Hill area, where the beach is located, would see more persons participating in the discussion.
He indicated that an online survey was subsequently published that garnered close to 700 respondents, the majority of whom were from Portland.

Similar to how the TEF is returning to the parish, the survey will also be reopened for those who missed the chance to add their input.

“We want full buy-in. We trust that the persons of the community want what’s best for the area, Portland and for Jamaica in general, and so we really believe that collaborative approach will yield a magnificent project in the end,” said. Dr. Wallace.