Jamaica’s tourism ministry touts boost from Bob Marley biopic
The demand for Jamaica’s tourism product has increased drastically following the recent release of the Bob Marley: One Love film in key foreign markets.
That’s according to Senior Advisor and Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright.
He stated that the Jamaica Tourist Board, some of Jamaica’s foreign missions and tourism sector partners collaborated on the film’s premieres last month in several cities including London, United Kingdom; Paris, France; Zurich, Switzerland; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Rome, Italy; Brussels, Belgium; Berlin, Germany and Pretoria, South Africa.
A release on Thursday also highlighted that several all-expense paid vacations were given to lucky viewers in coordination with hotel partners including S Hotel; Jamaica Inn; Half Moon; Bahia Principe; Swiss airline, Edelweiss, among others.
Hundreds of travel industry stakeholders including travel agents, media partners, hotel and airline representatives, tour operators participated in the many premieres, the release said.
Seiveright also stated that media value for Jamaica generated by the film is significant and continues to support already “well structured and managed” tourism promotion arrangements.
He urged even more Jamaicans to directly engage in the tourism sector through accommodations, building out more attractions and real experiences and supplying food, drinks, entertainment and other services.
Seiveright was speaking from ITB Berlin in Germany, an annual B2B travel trade event for which Jamaica is among 5,500 exhibitors spanning 170 countries and territories.
Bob Marley: One Love is a 2024 biographical drama musical film based on the life of reggae singer and songwriter Bob Marley, played by Kingsley Ben-Adir, from his rise to fame in the mid-1970s up until his death in 1981.
Bob Marley: One Love premiered at the Carib 5 in Kingston, Jamaica on January 23, 2024, and was released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on February 14, 2024.
As at March 4, Bob Marley: One Love has made a whopping US$146 million, according to Box Office Mojo and is now ranked as one of the top-earning musical biopics in United States history, the release said.
