PORTLAND, Jamaica — With several calls scheduled, including three for next month, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said the recent and continued efforts to attract cruise ships to Port Antonio is bearing fruit.

Bartlett was speaking yesterday at a plaque exchange event on the MS Insignia at the Ken Wright Pier in the Noel Flynn Marina in Port Antonio, Portland.

According to a release from the Ministry of Tourism this morning, the ship arrived yesterday at around 7:00 am and departed at 6:00 pm with approximately 650 passengers.

Bartlett, who was in the company of the Mayor of Port Antonio Paul Thompson, and tourism officials and stakeholders, pointed out that, “the Boutique-like, rustic, off-the-beaten path eco-tourism friendly nature of Portland gives it a unique advantage”.

“We are tightening coordination with the Tourism Ministry’s JamVac (Jamaica Vacations), TPDCo (Tourism Product Development Company), TEF (Tourism Enhancement Fund), JTB (Jamaica Tourist Board), the newly formed Destination Assurance Council and, of course, the Port Authority of Jamaica, the Parish Council and other stakeholder interests to better accentuate the look and feel of the Portland and drive more tourist traffic. Some work is already being done but we have a lot more to do,” he sid

Ship captain Maroje Brajcic thanked Bartlett and stakeholders for their hospitality and noted that Port Antonio is one of the “most beautiful places in the world” and further noted that the ship is to call again in the town next month.

Meanwhile, senior advisor and strategist Delano Seiveright noted that the ship’s call is in line with a lot of work culminating at the largest cruise industry gathering, the Seatrade Global Cruise convention in Fort Lauderdale in March of this year.