Photos by Janet Silvera
LEFT: Thousands came out on Friday night to see Lionel Richie at the JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival in Montego Bay. The annual three-day festival is a major income-earner for both large and small players in the hospitality and entertainment industry.
RIGHT: Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett.
Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival is estimated to have stimulated economic activity within the tourism capital to the tune of US$10.2 million (J$1 billion) over the last three days, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has announced.
The figure is in line with the estimate made last year by stakeholders in the tourist industry.
Festival cost
Rebranded and adopted as one of the marketing tools for a tourist industry under threat from a global depression, cutting-edge technology and inflation pushed the cost to stage the jazz festival way in excess of US$2 million (J$169 million) this year, the event's executive producer, Walter Elmore, told The Sunday Gleaner.
But Bartlett argued that this cost was a drop in the bucket when compared with the benefits.
"The accommodation and transportation industry, our restaurants, taxi and attraction operators and subsectors can all attest to the returns to be had from this event," he stated, singling out airport taxes, which amount to US$200,000 for the period.
Bartlett was addressing journalists at the JAMAICA Jazz and Blues press conference at the new multimillion-dollar Black Pearl entertainment complex at Blue Diamond, Ironshore, in Montego Bay, on Friday.
Bartlett has faced harsh criticism since he announced that the Government would provide sponsorship of US$500,000 (J$40 million) for the staging of the festival.
But he has repeatedly brushed off the critics, arguing that "as Jamaica's premier jazz festival, it would be remiss not to lend our support to such an important event".
"As title sponsor, the Jamaica Tourist Board's role cannot be overstated, given its involvement and support for the festival throughout the years, which has kept 'Brand Jamaica' visible in the marketplace," said Bartlett.
Convinced that recreating Jamaica as an events destination was the way forward, Bartlett said research had shown that travellers were driven by "passion points", and music was one of those passions.
janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com
The smooth operator, Randy Crawford, was a hit with lovers of blues at the JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival on Friday.