TRELAWNY, Jamaica — The town of Falmouth, once the epicentre for economic activities in Jamaica, is experiencing a renaissance, with port and hotel developments and attractions, and is being touted as a major location for tourism and other businesses.

With world-class attractions such as Chukka Good Hope and Martha Brae Rafting, the town, famous for its Georgian-style architecture and historic buildings, has been transformed into a tourism powerhouse, where it is now competing with the traditional resort areas of Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Negril.

“Falmouth has been slowly emerging from the shadows of its more celebrated neighbours to where it’s now making a huge splash for itself in tourism,” Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett told JIS News.

“Not only does it have world-class attractions but it now also has a major high-end hotel in Excellence Oyster Bay and, certainly, the biggest and most attractive port in the Caribbean in the Falmouth Pier,” he noted.

“Recently, we saw the opening of phase one of the Oyster Bay resort development, representing an investment of US$110 million and which saw some 1,500 persons gainfully employed,” he added.

Bartlett said that things will only get better for the parish, noting that in the pipeline are some 6,000 hotel rooms along the tourism corridor from Rio Bueno to Falmouth.

Mayor of Falmouth, His Worship Colin Gager, told JIS News that not only is Falmouth once again poised to “reclaim her economic and social importance” but is also uniquely positioned to become the tourism Mecca of the region.

He said that Falmouth’s role in Jamaica’s economic development is something that has been well documented, adding that it is only fitting that the town is now getting the kind of attention “it so richly deserves”.

The mayor noted that in the early 18

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century, Falmouth was “widely considered as the economic capital of the western world”, having one of the busiest ports and accommodating up to a total of 30 ships on any given day.

“The town of Falmouth and the parish of Trelawny have always played a pivotal role in nation-building and is a major catalyst for the stimulation of growth for sustainable development,” he said.

“The economic impact and contribution of this parish is rightly recorded in history, as it was the royal parish when sugar was king and the wealthiest town and parish during that period. Falmouth boasted in excess of 12 sugar factories and was the leading exporter of sugar, rum and molasses,” he noted.

Mayor Gager says that while there has been a reversal of fortunes where sugar is concerned, the town is again “alive and kicking”.

“The Falmouth pier is the biggest of its kind in the Caribbean and is ranked among the leading cruise-shipping ports in the world. It is the home of the world’s largest cruise shipping vessels and has been repeatedly voted as the favourite destination port by passengers and crew members,” he says.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, for his part, said Falmouth “has a kind of economic and historic value that not too many places in the region have”.

He added that the transformation from a parish that was once dominated by agriculture to what is now a very vibrant tourism sector is nothing short of remarkable.

“What is also unique about this town is that it is nestled neatly between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, and which also makes it ripe for housing development,” he said.

“It also has a great municipality and is poised for further greatness. I can safely say I like almost everything I am seeing here in Falmouth and, by extension, the parish of Trelawny,” he added.

For Watersports operator Garfield Dussard, not only should “the smart money” be placed on Falmouth by way of investment, but “it is also an opportunity for some of the smaller players” to get more involved “based on all that has been happening”.

“It’s an opportunity to be very proactive. With so many new hotel rooms coming on stream, there is bound to be trickled-down benefits for everyone. It sure feels good being here in Falmouth,” he told JIS News.