WESTERN BUREAU – Chairman of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s cruise shipping committee, David Lindo, says the lack of a major tourist attraction in the western region is posing a major challenge to the further expansion of the city’s cruise-shipping sector.

“What we need in the Montego Bay area is a signature attraction – that’s our biggest drawback at the moment,” Lindo said.

The cruise ship official argued that although the region has many small attractions, a major tourist attraction would encourage many more cruise liners to make calls at Montego Bay’s cruise ship pier.

“Attractions are very important to the cruise liners. it’s a big money-maker for them,” Lindo noted.

He was speaking to the Observer, Wednesday, aboard the 3,500-passenger capacity Carnival Conquest which was docked in Montego Bay.

Since the start of the year, the city has welcomed more than 300,000 cruise ship passengers who have contributed in excess of US$26 million to the local economy.

Lindo said it is likely that the resort town will receive similar arrivals next year, but argued that major attractions would further propel the sector.

He noted that the town of Ocho Rios has been receiving more cruise ship passengers over the years because of its famous Dunn’s River Falls.

“What makes Ocho Rios so popular is Dunn’s River Falls, the cruise lines have told me. nothing else,” Lindo said.

Ocho Rios is the island’s major cruise shipping port which has welcomed more than 700,000 passengers since the start of the year.

The cruse ship official explained that at about 30 per cent of the cruise ship passengers that visit Montego Bay travel to Ocho Rios just to climb the falls.

President of the Association of Jamaica Attractions Limited (AJAL), Johnny Gourzong, agreed that the addition of major attractions in the western region would help the sector expand further.

He maintained however that the Montego Bay area has some of the best attractions for cruise ship passengers in the Caribbean region.