FROM the perspective of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Caribbean Cup, which begins in Montego Bay tomorrow, is of crucial importance.

It is the top football tournament in the Caribbean with the winner earning a place in the Centennial Cup in the USA in 2016 and at the CONCACAF Gold Cup next year.

Prize monies and bragging rights apart, participation in those tournaments will provide priceless prep as countries set out on their qualification campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Pure self-interest dictates that the JFF will want the national team, the Reggae Boyz, to win the Caribbean Cup. Hence its endeavours to bring home top professionals from North America and Europe to represent the country at considerable expense.

Additionally, the JFF is intent on hosting a first-class tournament – an achievement which would redound to its reputation in the regional and international football fraternity and, by extension, to the greater good of Jamaica.

All of which explains the disappointment expressed by head of the JFF, Captain Horace Burrell, regarding what he perceives as inadequate support thus far from corporate Jamaica and more especially hotels in St James.

Captain Burrell tells us that in the powerful hotel sector only a few have positively responded.

More disappointingly perhaps, Captain Burrell says the State-run Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), which has as its core mandate the promotion and development of the nation’s tourism product, is yet to come forward.

This newspaper feels it is necessary to make the point that we have not heard the story from all sides. There have been past cases, for example, of potential sponsors not having enough time to consider applications such as would have come from the JFF.

That said, there has long been a feeling that the tourist and hotel sectors are not as supportive of sports or indeed as appreciative of its value to the visitor industry as they should be. We make bold to say sports tourism is not seen as a priority on Jamaica’s exotic north coast where sand, sea, sun, and related attractions remain dominant drawing cards.

That reality, we suspect, partially explains the failure by the north coast tourism sector to properly embrace the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium, built originally to facilitate Jamaica’s hosting of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2007 but also with an eye to the business side of sports and entertainment.

It seems to us that there is real need for influential sporting organisations such as the JFF to vigorously work hand in hand with others — not least the Ministry of Sports and connected agencies — in selling sports as a tool for tourism.

Of course, those involved in other potential niches such as environment and heritage should also be proactively seeking to attract the interest of visitors.

Ultimately, multi-dimensions will only make Jamaica’s tourism product stronger.