INTERNATIONAL Sport Karate and Kickboxing Association (ISKA) President Cory Schafer has predicted that Jamaica could host close to 4,000 visitors for nearly two weeks on the island for the September 13-15 Amateur Members Association World Championships set for the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

Schafer, whose organisation stages the annual United States Open World Martial Arts Championships in Orlando, Florida, was one of many visitors to Jamaica’s busy booth at the recent event, promoting Jamaica’s historic hosting of an ISKA World Championship.

“For martial arts tournaments, the majority of the competitors are children travelling with parents. In that regard, Montego Bay is a beautiful place to go to a tournament and spend the next week,” Schafer said, pointing out that the island received rave reviews in 2014 when it hosted its first martial arts world event, the International Taekwon-Do Federation World Cup.

“The competition, then sun, sea and beach afterwards, make the destination extremely attractive to children and parents alike,” Schafer added, while congratulating Jamaica’s Master Claude Chin for the island’s feat of winning 41 medals — 12 gold, nine silver and 20 bronze — at this year’s US Open.

Gavin Stewart, a member of the Jamaica 2018 organising committee, said his experience from 2014 was that late entries from Europe are the norm, whereas the United States, South Africans and Australians tend to register earlier.

“A lot of interest has been shown, especially from persons already registered and coming from the United States,” he explained.

“They are really interested in activities post-tournament and grabbing brochures about tours to Kingston and the different attractions in the Montego Bay area,” Stewart pointed out.

“South Africans, Australians, most have already registered booked flights and [are] enquiring about accommodation at the partner hotel, the Holiday Inn. There is Team Trinidad as well, plus England and Germany are in dialogue to finalise their participation,” he added.

Meanwhile, Jason McKay, the island’s ISKA representative and promoter of the event, said Jamaica’s booth was a huge boost not only for the World Championship, but also the island’s tourism product.

“It’s always huge; a perfect promotional vehicle for our tournament and to also promote Jamaica at the same time. It created exposure for the product and had a significant push to the ITF World Cup, primarily participation from Europe,” he said.