Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

"For Jamaica, it is a significant development, for stakeholders in the tourism industry, it is a dream come true," said Prime Minister Bruce Golding before breaking ground for the Chinese-funded multimillion-dollar convention centre in Montego Bay yesterday. He was assisted by Vice-President of China Xi Jinping and a host of government officials.

The prime minister described the long-overdue project as a strategic addition to the island's tourism product and tourism infrastructure. The US$45.2-million facility will provide latitude for the country to properly tap into the US$150-billion meetings and incentives market, which for years, has not realised its true potential because of lack of space for groups of over 2,000 people.

Long needed

Golding remarked in his opening statement that this was "long needed and long hoped for". He added that the island depended heavily on tourism as a major pillar of the economy.

The centre comes at a time when the tourism capital boasts a capacity of some 15,000 rooms - 5,000 of which are located in the Rose Hall corridor. "The benefits that it will bring will be a large part of the debt that we in Jamaica owe to the People's Republic of China," stated the prime minister. He said that the project is yet another outcome of the growing economic cooperation that exists between China and Jamaica.

In his remarks, Vice-President Xi Jinping said that the convention centre would add a new milestone to the partnership between the two countries.

"I am convinced that with this partnership, (we) will register further in-depth growth."

Over the last 36 years, Jamaica has had bilateral ties with China. In 2005, former prime minister, P.J. Patterson, brokered a deal with the Chinese Government to fund the convention centre.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com