100 MoBay to boost Jamaica’s tourism product
LOCALLY OWNED gaming and entertainment franchise 100 officially opened the doors to their Montego Bay location recently.
This first-ever expansion of the brand by the Sizzling Slots group, according to CEO Gassan Azan, “not only represents an investment in Jamaica’s tourism product, but also an investment in Jamaican people through employment”.
“The expansion, for us, was a unanimous decision. Montego Bay is the entertainment mecca of the west, and we knew that investing in a new location right here would not only bring economic gains through the employment of individuals, but that it would also add value to our evolving and growing tourism product,” Azan explained in his address to guests at the launch event.
He highlighted in his address that while the new venue is to be enjoyed by all, it is vital that all visitors know that the city has a lot to offer in terms of is nightlife. He shared that the facility will introduce themed nights, similar to its Kingston counterpart – a tactic that both he and his team hope will not only bring out Montegonians, but will be introduced to visitors by key players in the hotel industry.
“We need to get our tourists out of the hotels and have them know that Montego Bay is safe and that we have a wealth of cultural experiences to be enjoyed. We at 100 look forward to working with the Ministry of tourism and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) to ensure that this is done,” Azan added.
The importance of businesses in the entertainment industry focusing on inclusivity was also highlighted by Jamaica’s director of tourism, Donovan White. In his address, he shared that there needs to be more movement towards getting visitors to Montego Bay exploring what the city truly has to offer in the near future. He expressed the need for there to be a higher level of service offering that will ensure that entities like 100 capitalise on the boom in the tourism industry.
“Establishments like 100 will have the great opportunity to tap into the fact that this year, the international tourism sector and the entire Caribbean and world tourism market will travel to the city for three days. They will then come back for Caribbean Marketplace later in the year. I hope that 100 will [take] the opportunity to ensure that when these global travel-industry heavy hitters come, we ensure they come, enjoy, and take back the experience for more to come back,” White shared.