MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (JIS) — Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, says his ministry is looking to establish Jamaica as a major destination for entertainment.

Speaking during Reggae Sumfest’s ‘Reggae Night’ at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Centre in Montego Bay on Saturday, Bartlett said the aim is to promote the island as the premier location for guaranteed quality entertainment year-round.

He noted that visitors will be able to purchase a vacation to Jamaica two years in advance knowing that entertainment is guaranteed.

Bartlett pointed out that destinations such as Cuba offer scheduled entertainment events.

“What we want to do is to establish the reggae music experience that will bring visitors from all over the world.  Instead of looking at single events, we will be looking now on a product that we can package and… market and it offers some kind of certitude as to the quality and high standards and also it gives a timeline and… a venue,” he explained.

Bartlett noted that the 24-year-old Reggae Sumfest has been instrumental in bringing visitors to Jamaica.

He said that he will be meeting with industry stakeholders shortly in preparation for the festival’s silver anniversary in 2017.

“We are going to be having a meeting with all the main providers of international offerings in music and to see how we can pull it all together to produce that product so that the 25th will be exciting and different and will hopefully bring more of the international Jamaican artistes,” said the tourism minister.