TOURISM Minister Edmund Bartlett announced his support of Kingston Night Market, and pledged to offer marketing support through the Jamaica Tourist Board to attract more visitors to the event.

Speaking Tuesday at the launch of the event at 8 Hillcrest Avenue, in Kingston, Minister Bartlett said, “I want Kingston Night Market to become a feature that we can market. One that we can bring people to experience every winter season, to engage in the activities of the event.”

This event, Bartlett said, marks the re-energising of a marketing arrangement that had been a feature of Jamaica over the years. “I remember when I was much younger that we used to have night markets across the island. We had all of these culminate in a grand market on King’s Street.”

The weekly event is organised by the Art Gallery Décor VIII with support from the Tourism Linkages Network — a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund. It features authentic Jamaican art, clothing, artefacts, handicrafts, food, music, and poetry.

The event is being marketed to tourists and visitors alike to experience authentic Jamaican culture and the minister commended the organisers for creating this platform for local artisans and other entrepreneurs to benefit directly from the economic gains of the industry.

“Kingston Night Market is an important addition to the cultural offerings of our wonderful city, I want to congratulate all of you who have participated. Dr Douglas McDonald, I want to commend you for the foresight and to tell you that the Ministry of Tourism is behind you in all regards. Our marketing arrangements will definitely reflect you in the next round,” said the minister.

“Visitors come to Jamaica to consume the cultural products of our people. It is that consumption that forms retention of the earnings from the industry. The real earnings of Jamaica is the cultural products we have for the visitors to consume — and I see all the elements here tonight… When visitors buy the things that we produce, the dollars stay in our pocket,” added Bartlett.

Kingston Night Market will be hosted every Tuesday, from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm.