THE partying and accommodation of triple Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt, and related promotion has cost taxpayers at least $2.4 million this year, recently released data have revealed.

It shows the untold side of government’s deal with Bolt to sell tourism.

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), however, explains that it was part sponsorship in lieu of the super-sprinter waiving his appearance fee in a tourism advertising campaign.

The government spent $1.6 million on accommodation for the JTB/Usain Bolt promotion in Berlin, Germany and $861,500 to sponsor the Usain Bolt Super Party. Both contracts were awarded in August according to the Office of Contractor General contract listings released this month.

“This was part of the overall sponsorship arrangement with the Bolt management team,” stated the JTB in response to Splash queries sent through Kingsley Roberts, head of communication.

The JTB told Splash that the country benefited by receiving global exposure and special pricing promotions from tour operators to drive sales.

“Likewise, another benefit was the significant public relations exposure that was achieved from Jamaica’s activities in Berlin, leveraging the sporting activities, Bolt and his successes to promote Jamaica,” the JTB added.

Government sponsorship is usually granted to sporting bodies and associations rather than individual athletes. And it may be argued that Bolt however, isn’t a typical athlete, but one of the world’s most known which increases his marketability.

The JTB said that its sponsorship activities in Germany focused around sporting activities and targeted key tour operators in that market.

“This was to leverage the sport event to communicate and excite the travel trade about Jamaica,” the JTB noted.

Last December, tourism minister Ed Bartlett announced that Bolt released all rights to using his imagery and gave his talent free of cost for a series of commercials that began airing on several major international networks in February 2010.

The cost to produce the commercials was not released at the time of the launch, but Bartlett lauded Bolt for waiving his fee.

“We could not afford what he gave in terms of that talent and skill and the reach that is going to be across Canada, the UK, United States and Europe and elsewhere,” Bartlett said at the time.

Bartlett explained that the photo shoot for the commercial was done two-and-a-half weeks ago at various locations across the island. A rough cut, he said, would be seen this Saturday followed by a launch in New York in January.