TOURISM Minister Edmund Bartlett says plans are in the preliminary stages for a number of new attractions across the island as part of a major thrust to increase yearly stop-over arrivals to three million by 2009.

“Attractions are one of the main thrusts, because it is what brings people to the country,” the minister told the Observer on Tuesday.

“They are the traffic builders which is what brings heads to beds,” he added, pointing out that he had already begun meeting with potential investors.

But Bartlett declined to give names, only hinting that his list includes existing as well as new investors who had declared their intentions through the previous administration.

In the early dispensation, Bartlett said what prevailed was that the sector would have beds and then they would go for heads. He said what was needed now, was more attractions in order to get more visitors to fill all the rooms.

Some of these attractions, he said, would begin “to see the light of day” within the next year.

According to the tourism minister, while Jamaica has more attractions than most, if not all Caribbean islands, the country does not have large enough attractions, except for Dunn’s River Falls which accounts for more than 70 per cent of all cruise visitors.

“What we want are a few large man-made or built attractions because we want to glorify our environment and the geo-physical features… what I call the natural endowment of the land,” he told the Observer, hinting that there are plans to develop Fern Gully into a major attraction.

While it would not be a replica of Florida’s Busch Gardens, Bartlett said Fern Gully would be transformed into a thematic attraction blending in nature.

“We have to preserve the nearly 900 species of plants in Jamaica which has made us only second to that section between Colombia and Panama which is the only area in the western world with more variety of plant life than Jamaica,” he said, adding that Fern Gully’s development would be done in collaboration with several environmental agencies.

While he was unable to place a definite timeline for this development, the minister said it would be locked into the schedule of the new highway.

“When the new highway system happens, then Fern Gully will be ready for development,” he added.

Only three weeks into his new office, Bartlett said he has already met with Tavistock, the developers of Harmony Cove and is hoping to have the start date revised.

“We have started discussions with them and are excited about the prospects of having this top end development,” he said. “We are scheduled to have further discussions with them to look at the development programme and to see how together we can improve timeline for commencement.”

Ground is set to be broken sometime in 2009, however Bartlett said he hopes to see an earlier commencement date.

The minister also announced his intention to make Jamaica a viable destination for high-end hotels which he identified as another major investment thrust.

“The investment thrust is to focus heavily on high-end hotels, condominiums, high-end retirement villages as well as areas of wellness,” he said.

He also explained that sports tourism, especially golf, will play a vital role in building top-end type resorts.

As such, he said he is currently holding discussions with the local sporting fraternity to host major events which will establish Jamaica as a major golfing destination.