MONTEGO BAY, St James – Despite significant investment in the Montego Bay port, the facility remains in the shadows of Ocho Rios and, more recently, the newer Port of Falmouth when it comes to attracting cruise ship passengers. One influential tourism player is convinced that making the terminal part of a tourism inclusive economic zone is the answer.

“Pound for pound, Montego Bay can do better if we look at what the fail points are and fix that.

And this is an opportunity to fix it with an inclusive approach for tourism,” said chairman of the Montego Bay Destination Assurance Committee (DAC) John Byles. Rolled out across resort areas starting in 2017, DACs are tasked with ensuring high-quality standards within the tourism sector.

Byles is also deputy chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and managing partner of Chukka Caribbean Adventures.

He told the Jamaica Observer that hurdles the Montego Bay terminal must overcome include the absence of an “experience” that can be enjoyed at the port and tourist harassment.

“Montego Bay has traditionally not attracted the number of ships as Ocho Rios. When Falmouth came in, it got even worse and Falmouth and Ocho Rios are getting the lion’s share of the business,” said Byles.

According to data he provided, the Montego Bay Port received 147,000 guests in 2022. In 2019, considered one of the best years ever for Jamaica’s tourism sector, the port received 388,000 guests.

In comparison, the Ocho Rios Pier in St Ann welcomed 322,000 guests in 2022 and 598,000 in 2019. Falmouth in Trelawny saw 342,000 cruise ship passengers in 2022 and 564,000 in 2019.

Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett believes the solution to the Montego Bay port’s less than impressive numbers rests with the Port Authority of Jamaica, the agency responsible for the regulation and development of the country’s port and shipping industry. The Port Authority falls under the Ministry of Transport and Mining.

“The discussion there would have to be with the Port Authority and to look at how to optimise its use,” Bartlett told Observer West.

The minister said this would include exploring “the whole building out of a tourism logistics centre, where goods can come in and be transferred from Jamaica to tourism destinations around the region. And also, where we could be a trans-shipment port for tourism facilities but also to enable tourism services to be accessed. Managers, accountants, sous chefs and all those layers of trained and skilled workers; we could train them here in Jamaica,”

However, Byles disagrees. According to him, the Port Authority has already played its part.

“The Port Authority is doing exactly what it is supposed to be doing. They have built the facility. They have spent the money and they have done what they need to increase the capacity of the port to take the new biggest ships that are coming and they are very supportive of all and any of these programmes that help with the destination assurance experience,” he said.

Montego Bay, Falmouth and Ocho Rios ports were all upgraded under a project that began in 2019. The work done made it possible for the western city to accommodate larger cruise vessels. There were also plans to build a new cargo terminal and convert the existing facility into a cruise terminal, which would see two ports of entry fully dedicated to cruise. The addition of a liquid natural gas (LNG) terminal also made the port more attractive to major cruise lines such as MSC and Carnival Corporation that use LNG-powered vessels.

In making a comparison to Falmouth, Byles argued that during the upgrade the lion’s share of money was spent on developing the Montego Bay Port. Now, he said, it is time to add the supporting infrastructure to make a “proper experience”. His suggestions include a boardwalk that has space for biking and pedestrians, more efficient transportation including “the infrastructure for a water taxi” to ferry cruise ship passengers from the terminal to the Jimmy Cliff Boulevard (hip strip).

He envisions financial input from the private sector.

“The opportunity is there without the Government having to spend,” said Byles.

In terms of harassment and the overall safety of visitors, he pointed out that progress has already been made through the public order push, Operation Restore Paradise.

“We have a machinery through our JCF [Jamaica Constabulary Force] here in Montego Bay right now that has done what we are talking about. And it is shame on us if we don’t use this opportunity like what we have seen to build this out for the greater good. Because they are not just talking the talk, they walk the walk. They have done it downtown Montego Bay and if they can do it there, why can’t we do it to drive business for everybody in this country,” argued Byles.

Bartlett agreed that public order is central and critical to the sustained success of the tourism sector.

“Building a destination that is safe, secure, seamless means managing your ordered spaces and managing them better. We’re looking at how to build the capacity to offer greater management and more order. That order is about discipline and a structured approach to the presentation and tourism assets. So, it doesn’t matter whether rich, poor, young, old, black, white, you have a responsibility to maintain discipline within the tourism space. We’re working with the Minister of [National] Security to secure that. And, that is very critical because harassment is an offshoot of disorder in our spaces,” he said.