MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says Mandeville, of
ten regarded as a university town, is one of four areas of focus for education tourism amid its layout of academic institutions.

“We are looking at Mandeville in a broader way as a tourism destination, focusing on edu-tourism…We are looking at [a] number of townships like Mandeville, Malvern in St Elizabeth, Brown’s Town in St Ann, Papine in the [Corporate Area],” he said last Thursday while visiting Garden Hotel, formerly Mandeville Hotel.

He said Mandeville is unique for education tourism, with tertiary institutions Northern Caribbean University and Church Teachers’ College in the locale, unlike places like Montego Bay.

“Montego Bay is multi-talented in that regard, because it is a resort [town], it is business and it also has potential for edu tourism and health tourism…” he explained.

Bartlett lauded the management of Garden Hotel, which opened its doors last December, for offering a diverse facility to the tourism market.

“Mandeville is being repositioned in relation to a type of tourism that is different from what we get on the coast. Here you are going to be seeing a city hotel with mix-use facilities so that [visitors] with an extended stay, if you wish, suites that are going to be available for you for longer stay and then there will be provisions for children, proper arrangement for families who want to be in the space and then for honeymooners and lovers, arrangements for weddings.

“The business will see not just meeting and convention rooms, but it will see facilities to move away for very intimate discussions, private discussions,” Bartlett said.

He also pointed to the hotel receiving support from locals and was pleased with plans for a children’s park at the location.

“It is providing facilities for ordinary Jamaicans and that is another dimension to tourism that we want to promote — staycation. This is where locals can come in and enjoy their vacation with their children and go back home,” said Bartlett.

The hotels’ Chief Executive Officer Garfield Virgin told Bartlett that its room capacity is expected to increase later this year.

“We have 31 rooms that are up and running. We should have 68 rooms by the end of December, with other facilities to include a kid’s park… People can come to the pool to relax, so we are creating a full kiddies’ area where families can come to enjoy their stay,” he said.

“It’s funny you should speak of education, the original Mandeville Hotel is maybe one of the oldest hotels in this hemisphere, so we have rebranded it and what we are doing is kind of rebranding Jamaica from the centre,” added Virgin.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett (left) and chief executive officer of Garden Hotel Garfield Virgin discuss the expansion of room capacity at the hotel in Mandeville, Manchester.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett (right) engages in a conversation with British visitor Doreen Graham at the Garden Hotel in Mandeville last Thursday.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett enjoys one of the suites at the rebranded Garden Hotel in Mandeville.