Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett, engaged in discussions with the leadership of the Pinero Group, owners of the Spanish hotel chain Bahia Principe, in Madrid, Spain, to review the progress of their expansive resort development in St Ann.

The Pinero Group, renowned for owning Jamaica’s largest hotel, the Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica, featuring 1,350 rooms, presented their development plans formally to the Prime Minister Andrew Holness, and other officials at the Office of the Prime Minister last year. The project is poised to become one of the Caribbean and Latin America’s most substantial resort and real estate ventures.

Minister Bartlett was koined by Encarna Pinero, CEO of the Pinero Group, and senior tourism officials including John Lynch, Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board, Delano Seiveright, Senior Advisor and Strategist, and Fiona Fennell, Public Relations and Communications Manager of the Jamaica Tourist Board.

The development will see a significant expansion of the existing Bahia Principe product in St. Ann, encompassing new hotels, villas, a PGA certified 18-hole golf course, a state-of-the-art fisherman’s village, farms, modern employee residences, educational facilities, and other amenities.

“This is a mega-development that will increase Jamaica’s tourism offerings to attract more visitors to the island. It will be a great mixture of hotel rooms and Villas that will create over 14,000 short-term and long-term jobs which will mean more economic and social benefits for the country and at the community level,” said Bartlett.

“The expansion will be a game changer for Jamaica’s tourism and help us be prepared for the influx of visitors expected to the island. It also shows the confidence that our hotel partners have in the destination,” he added.

Minister Bartlett is currently leading a small delegation of tourism officials at FITUR 2024 in Madrid, Spain, a major tourism fair with 8,000 exhibitors, representatives from 130 countries, and an expected attendance of over 300,000. FITUR is one of the largest gatherings of tourism professionals globally and stands as the leading fair for Latin America’s receptive and issuing markets.