The Ministry of Tourism is looking to restore the glory days of the community of Bath in St Thomas.

This was stated by portfolio Minister, Edmund Bartlett, during a recent destination assurance tour of the parish.

Noting that Bath Fountain is one of the best natural spas in the western hemisphere, Bartlett said the facility and the Bath Botanical Gardens are “two important assets that can bring a lot more Jamaicans to come and visit as well as international visitors who will bring foreign exchange into the community”.

He advised that more details will be provided on July 14 when he returns to officially open the new roads leading to the Fountain, which were built recently, while hinting at the richness of the conversations that will be had.

“The discussions will be around how to enhance that facility and how to incorporate the community within that space while, at the same time, ensuring that we maximise the development of that critical asset, the value of which to Jamaica is [unquantifiable],” he said.

The destination assurance tour of the parish was intended to explore how to enhance the development of St Thomas to become “a strong tourism parish.

Bartlett informed that over a two-year period, a team of consultants have toured the entire parish to see its touristic and general assets.

“We’ve gone to see Rocky Point and the wonderful beaches that are there; we’ve gone to see Pera, which represents the next frontier for new hotel and touristic development with perhaps the longest stretch of virgin beach in this part of the island; we’ve looked at Roselle and White Horses; and we went to Reggae falls,” the minister recounted.

Bartlett reiterated that St Thomas is the next frontier for tourism development in Jamaica.

– JIS