Minister of Industry and Tourism, Aloun Ndombet-Assamba, will tour the island’s south coast between tomorrow and Friday where she will have discussions with industry stakeholders, such as hoteliers and tour operators about the vision for the area.

The minister has forecast, over the next 10 years, growth of between 3.5 and seven per cent for the area which spans Hellshire Hills west of Kingston to the eastern boundary of Negril and covers the five parishes of Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon and St Catherine.

The sustainable development on the island’s south coast is one of the main areas of focus in the government’s 10-year master plan for the tourism industry.

“Based on the performance of other nature-based destinations in the Caribbean that have doubled their tourist numbers in five years, we see a south coast target of doubling its share of Jamaican tourism over the next 10 years from 3.5 per cent to 7 per cent as achievable,” the minister told members of the Diplomatic Corps, recently at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston.

“With the growing demand for nature-based tourism, the south coast is poised for growth in attracting niche groups such as bird watchers, wildlife photographers, and those seeking a working holiday or edifying experience based on archaeology or conservation work,” Assamba added.

She cited the vast potential for development that resided in the south coast, while noting the importance of careful management to allow persons to enjoy the economic benefits of the natural resources, while preserving those resources for future generations.

The Inter-American Development Bank financed a 1999 study of the physical and socio-economic characteristics of the south coast. Dubbed the South Coast Sustainable Development Programme, the second phase involved the design of a project comprising tourism development, protected areas management, fisheries improvement, as well as capacity building and institutional development.

According to Assamba, the tourism development component offers promising investment opportunities.

“For example, the town of Black River is strategically important to the south coast and will form the hub for heritage trails going throughout that region,” the minister told diplomats.

She touted the St Elizabeth capital as providing a physical link between the centres of Negril and Montego Bay, from where access to central and eastern parts of the south coast was not possible in a single day. The planned investments in Black River are aimed at enhancing the town’s reputation as a vibrant community in which to live and work, she added.