IN 1998 when Jamaica contested the FIFA World Cup finals in France, one of the standout activities was the creation, by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), of a giant, inflatable football emblazoned with the name of the country and sporting the national colours.

Not surprisingly, the giant football, which was mounted at Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris, generated global interest in the island and press coverage, especially given Jamaica’s historic berth in that stage of the World Cup.

We recall the many criticisms levelled at the tourist board during that period by people who have no concept of marketing and promotion. They saw it as a waste of money.

The fact, though, is that the JTB saw the opportunity to promote the island’s tourism to a massive audience, grabbed it with both hands, and executed it well as just over 2.7 million people attended the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The upshot was that of that number, hundreds of thousands passed through Charles De Gaulle airport over the month-long tournament and, as such, most likely learnt about Jamaica and our tourism product.

Anyone versed in the art of marketing and promotion knows well that products benefit from large, properly executed promotions. That is one of the reasons for Jamaica’s global success in tourism.

That inflatable Jamaica football represents one of those moments when big thinking rose to the fore and set us apart from our competitors in the travel industry. The fact that the JTB leveraged the Reggae Boyz’s qualification for world football’s biggest tournament to promote the island was another acknowledgement of the immense benefit of sports to our tourism industry.

We have consistently argued that this country’s tourism industry can grow even more with greater promotion of sporting events here and deeper investment in sporting facilities. Add to that, our tropical climate makes Jamaica an ideal destination for teams that need to train during the winter months.

For years this point has been acknowledged by successive governments but very little has been done to capitalise on that market. It is against that background that we welcome word that the long-discussed upgrade of the National Stadium in the Jamaican capital is set to begin early next year.

We are told that the upgrade forms part of the first phase of the redevelopment of Independence Park, scheduled for completion by 2029.

The upgrade will include an increase in seating capacity from 29,000 to 37,500; additional roofing to cover 90 per cent of the stadium; modern anti-doping and media facilities; creation of a new national sports museum; installation of new lighting; and addition of premium suites and lounges.

Sport Minister Ms Olivia Grange also revealed last Wednesday that more access features for the disabled will be created, while elevators and escalators will be installed.

Additionally, Ms Grange said, there will be a 300 per cent increase in parking, with a new two-tier system.

The upgrade, we have been informed, will meet the standards of world football governing body FIFA, as well as World Athletics.

We expect no less, given that Ryder Architecture and CAA Icon, the companies that have oversight on the project, have previous experience with world renowned stadia, including Wembley in London, Arsenal FC’s Emirates Stadium, Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge, and San Siro in Italy.

Minister Grange correctly noted that the upgrade is essential if Jamaica is to continue hosting regional and global events sanctioned by international governing bodies.

That, we believe, is a crucial goal of this project, combined with her point that, “We are world leaders, in track and field especially” therefore we must “ensure that our facilities are in the best state for our athletes to train and perform”. Additionally, we cannot ignore the economic potential of a facility that meets international standards, as well as our sense of national pride which accompanied the opening of the stadium in 1962.

Obviously, the success of such a project demands bipartisan support and so we hope that it will not get mired down in our well known political gamesmanship in an election year.

We, like the rest of the country, await the completion with bated breath.