Beverly Williams, Senior Vice President, Port Authority of Jamaica (seated, left), and Garry Johnson, President and CEO, Paradise Express Ferry, shake hands, following the signing of MoU on May 6, to facilitate a ferry service on the north coast.
There will be a new dimension to travel along Jamaica's north coast in less than a year, with an agreement signed on Tuesday for the establishment of a ferry service by February 2015.
The US$30 million investment is being made by the principals of Paradise Express Ferry, LLC, from the United States, who signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ). This took place at the Business Auditorium of Jamaica's investment promotion agency, JAMPRO, in Kingston,
Three stops, initially
The service will initially operate along a stretch of coastline from Ocho Rios, to Montego Bay and to Negril, the three major resort towns on the north coast, and is being touted as a major boost to the country's tourism product.
The MoU allows for the private development of Government owned lots 15 and 22 on the Montego Bay waterfront by way of a long term lease agreement to be negotiated with the Urban Development Corporation (UDC).
Anthony Hylton, Minister of Industry, Investment & Commerce, welcomed the planned investment which he said, will be a "super attraction and exciting excursion" that will enhance Jamaica’s world class tourism product.
New terminal
Paradise Ferry plans to use the small craft jetty and terminal building at the Cruise Ship Terminal for embarkation and disembarkation initially. The company will however, construct its own terminal and permanent pier facilities, which will also be its Caribbean headquarters. This is scheduled to be completed by February 2015.
“The big winners arising from this investment will be Jamaica’s tourism industry, with a brand new attraction; the resort towns of Ocho Rios and Negril and the city of Montego Bay, which will benefit from the commercial and aesthetic revitalization of the Montego Bay waterfront, and of course the people of Jamaica, who can look forward to another vacation option, jobs and the new skills to be created from this venture,” Mr. Hylton said.
Garry Johnson, founder, President and CEO of Paradise Ferry, LLC, said the team was looking to commence detailed negotiations with the UDC towards acquiring the property in Montego Bay to build the 30 ft. terminal. He disclosed that the venture will generate 170 jobs in Jamaica.
“We are not a cruise ship coming in to drop people off and depart. We are here. We are buying our resources, we are buying our fuel, we are catering, providing security, IT, accounting, and legal help, all from Jamaica. So, this is a complement to the first class tourism product that is here in Jamaica,” he said.
The terminal itself will be an attraction, according to Mr. Johnson, adding that the journey by ferry will add a new dimension to the visitor experience.
"You can take the ferry from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios or from Montego Bay to Negril and back, and see the island in a way you would never have seen it before and for that you are going to have to be transported to and from the terminal by existing ground transportation providers,” he added.
The CEO, who was born in Hanover and moved to the US as a child, gave his commitment to the venture. “We know that we will be an attractive force in Montego Bay anchoring the revitalization of Montego Bay, as the UDC has planned, and we are committed to this process,” Mr. Johnson said.
Beverly Williamson, Senior Vice President, Business Management and Special Projects at the Port Authority of Jamaica, said the MoU was the culmination of many months of discussions, which first began in 2012. She asserted that the project, as conceived, is an excellent one with the added benefit of job creation.
SOURCE: JIS
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