WESTERN BUREAU – The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association and the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry have thrown their support behind the government’s $72-billion Harmony Cove development in Trelawny.

The project, which was unveiled by Prime Minister PJ Patterson last month, is to be undertaken on 1,400 acres of prime north coast lands between Silver Sands and Braco in the parish. The multi-billion dollar development, which took over a year to plan, will feature four five-star hotels, including a 1,000-room edifice, 11 exclusive manor homes on five-acre lots (going for an estimated US$10 million each), 88 villas, 60 condominiums, three golf courses, shops, a magnificent waterfall descending into a town square, and a private international airport.

“It is good to know that we are expecting additional five-star hotels to keep on attracting the top end of tourism in Jamaica,” JHTA head, told the Observer.

Added Dyer: “The more rooms we have to offer, the better it is going to be here, especially if these five-star hotels are international names of recognition. The numbers are growing and the more people (that are) in the market, the more people (will) advertise the country, so the more people you will be able to attract.”

Meanwhile, Winston Dear, president for the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce, has hardly been able to contain his excitement about the project. According to him, he has long dreamt of such a development.

“It is a major development,” said Dear, himself a developer.

“It is very positive. It is something that I have been lobbying for, to have the whole of the coast from Ocho Rios to Negril be considered as one prime development tourism area… Everything should be targeted towards spending our energies and resources in that area.”

He added: “We have to pick our winners and concentrate on the areas that are going to do well. We know that tourism is a winner. That is something we have to encourage and make sure it develops properly… We must not promote bits and little pieces of Jamaica; we must promote Jamaica as a prime destination.”