Ocean Eden Bay resort set to pump billions into the economy – Bartlett
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE 440 additional rooms unveiled by H10 Hotels in Trelawny last week is forecast to pump close to half a billion US dollars of earnings into the Jamaican economy, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett said.
The initial increase, he stated, will generate 800 new jobs and the possibility for some 1,000 more guests. Jamaica could benefit from some US$500,000 in earnings, as a result of the expansion.
However, when taking into account the fact that the tourism industry impacts so many other industries, the direct and indirect value of the 440 additional rooms will amount to pretty close to half a billion US dollars of earnings to the economy overall, the tourism minister said during an interview with The Gleaner.
H10 opened a second resort in Coral Spring, Trelawny, for adults only, tagged Ocean Eden Bay. The final touches are being placed on the property, which will be unveiled officially by Prime Minister Andrew Holness on December 9.
“When you look at the direct visitor spend, transportation cost, and the other consumption patterns in terms of fuel, transfers of the visitor all around, other consumption patterns in relation to attractions and restaurants, the impact is far greater than meets the eyes,” Bartlett explained.
The hotel is located in a parish being touted as the next big centre for tourism development on the north coast, which is poised to rival the tourism capital, Montego Bay, within a few years.
And although Montego Bay is earmarked for two major resort projects, including the 1,800-room Hard Rock, and while talks are ongoing to site a worldrenowned brand in Rose Hall, by the time Blue Diamond constructs another Royalton next door its current resorts, and Harmony Cove and Braco get their act together, Trelawny will be that new oyster in tourism.
“Trelawny is well poised to be the next critical growth centre. Harmony Cove is now set to take off. Finally, I think it is being put together and it will be taking off. Braco is also being looked at in terms of future development and expansion,” Bartlett said.
In addition, villas are among the latest investments in the Duncans Bay area, and these will complement developer Keith Russell’s ambitious projects which were announced just before COVID-19 derailed several products, stopping them temporarily from breaking ground.
In the meantime, Ocean Coral Spring’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Tanesha Clarke, said the 444 junior suites, inclusive of swim-up and rooftop suites, were constructed throughout the pandemic, sending a huge signal to the market that they were prepared for the growth of the industry.
Groundbreaking was done in February 2019, prior to the pandemic, but was stalled when the country closed its borders. It reopened for completion late last year.
And although the majority of their visitors are from the traditional markets of North America, they also have visitors coming from Latin American countries like Chile and Brazil.
They also come “from many places in Europe. We love our Jamaicans. They, too, have been supporting us all the way through,” said Clarke.
The resort’s forecast for the upcoming winter season is also promising, stated Clarke, noting that with all the additional flights to the destination, as well as the lifting of restrictions, they are seeing a travel rebound.