DESPITE its reputation as the unofficial red-light district of Portmore, business owners and operators on Port Henderson Road — more popularly known as Back Road — are backing the proposal by St Catherine South Eastern Member of Parliament Robert Miller that, with proper investment, the stretch can position the Sunshine City location as Jamaica’s next tourism hip strip.

Shanique Hewitt, a waitress at Jewels Resort, told the Jamaica Observer that the area is already somewhat of a tourist attraction as several international visitors make Jewels their go-to vacation spot.

“We have customers who Jewels is their home. We had this lady from Russia who said she always stays here and she doesn’t go anywhere else. We even have a next customer from America who always packs his bag and comes to Jewels, Back Road; you have people who come and just want to come back because they love the scenery,” said Hewitt.

Anyce Higgins, the resort’s receptionist, corroborated Hewitt’s claims, stating that she has checked in many visitors from the United States. She said people also rent the resort’s entertainment space to host birthday parties, banquets, and church events.

“We have a good view and it is a quiet place. Other than the stigma around here, the place is very quiet. Most tourists, when they visit, enjoy staying and they love the environment,” she said, adding that with proper investment the numbers can grow.

“It would be nice to have more international customers otherwise from our Jamaican people coming in,” she added.

Back Road is known for its illicit night-time activities. At twilight, the ladies of the night take up their posts on either side of the street, waiting for customers seeking to have a good time. Bars, go-go clubs, and motels also line the strip, illuminating the night sky and pumping music as they offer something for everyone.

But MP Miller wants to rebrand the stretch of land. After reiterating his plan in Parliament recently, he told the Sunday Observer that it could become the next Las Vegas, attracting tourists and boosting revenue for Portmore.

Miller first put forward the idea in 2021, claiming that with proper investment and planning, the space can become a place where visitors can come to relax and enjoy good food and music.

Providing an update on the plans, the MP said he has been in discussions with the Urban Development Corporation, private organisations, and other government institutions to bring structure to fishing villages in the area and create a cultural and artistic ambiance.

Miller said the initiative would include training sex workers and empowering them with skills to pursue other forms of employment.

The idea is widely welcomed by business owners in the area, who have sung praises about the location’s many offerings.

“It’s not just one thing about Back Road,” declared Andre Bennett, owner of Andre’s Seafood Restaurant, Gaming and Sports Bar.

“Good food is around here, and nice restaurants with a nice ambiance are around here. We have a lot to offer,” he told the Sunday Observer.

Bennett said that, for more than five years, he has served seafood to customers who stop by frequently to indulge in some of his delicious meals. He said that over the years business has been good, but with proper investment it can be even better.

“We’ll have more customers come in, and from tourists start come then we gonna have more security and stuff, so in many ways it will be good. As a business owner, it would make me feel more safe operating in the area,” said the restaurant owner.

“After a period of time, the reputation would fade and people would start to grow past it because they come and see that Back Road is not all about one thing,” he reasoned.

Bennett further noted that the Sunshine City does not have a tourist hot spot and the strip could put Portmore on the map as a prime tourist destination.

Fishmonger Doreen Benjamin said she has waited for years for plans to elevate the area to be brought to fruition and welcomed private investors. In a call to action, she urged the Member of Parliament to move full speed ahead.

“It’s a fishing village, and so we need the Government to improve Back Road so it can turn into a tourist resort place. They can fix up the sheds, some can sell fish, some can do hair and them something there,” said Benjamin.

“Port Royal nuh big like we, and them a get tourists…We can put the boat them one place and make a beach. You have Hellshire where the boats are on one side and people still swim but is like they just want to take Port Henderson to be a place where fishermen just go to sea and come back and that’s it. We can do other things,” she told the Sunday Observer.

“Elevate the place nuh man! They say that they want Portmore to be a parish and to be a parish it has to be a tourist resort,” Benjamin declared.

Fisherman Clive Gordon said that he knows the move would impact some people who squat on the land illegally, but “it’s for the betterment”.

“Throughout the years, as fishermen around here, we have longed to see that development. We have heard about it for so many years and we really looking forward to it happening,” said Gordon, who has been in the area for more than five years.

Meanwhile, owner of popular seafood restaurant Prendy’s, Donette Prendergast, encouraged private entities to invest in the strip.

“This strip can bring serious revenue to Portmore, no two ways about that. It would be an A1 move,” she declared.

“We are on the coastline, so for you to be dining with the water [in sight], that alone is an experience by itself — the waves rushing in and the moon at night are just awesome. People need to come by and just relax and then you understand what the area offers. It’s really different,” said Prendergast.

Reflecting on the discouraging opinions she received when she opened her restaurant, Prendergast said that she has no regrets.

“I went there and I brought change. It’s the same thing now for Back Road; I plan to bring some change,” she declared, encouraging others to do the same.