'Jamaica Spice' to lure tourists

JAMAICA'S BEACHES, mountains, scenic spots, internationally renowned hotels, music and people are not the only attractions for visitors to the nation's shores. Enticing food, like the island's specialty for jerked meats, is being considered an important calling card and income generator.

According to Francis Yeo, general manager of events and special projects at the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), the interest in, and popularity of Jamaican cuisine internationally has been enhanced by the addition of a national food festival, "Jamaica Spice", to the calendar of events.

"Our cooking is distinctive, it is getting out there on the world market, people are interested in our cooking and cuisine and that is one aspect that we look to promote," she told The Sunday Gleaner last week.

Miss Yeo said the JTB hopes "Jamaica Spice", scheduled for next month, will encourage culinary specialists from around the world to visit the country.

"In terms of what the festival can do in another two to three years we want to have people coming in for a full week of activities, we want to get to the stage where we actually target people overseas to come to this food festival," she said.

There were no figures to indicate the monetary returns from the promotion of this aspect of Jamaica's culture but prospects, according to Director of Tourism, Fay Pickersgill, look good.

Combination

"Food alone as an export product is profitable but when you put food together with the best performing industry in the economy, tourism, the potential contribution to economic growth is greatly enhanced," she said.

She noted that a study conducted in 1997 showed that hotels spend $2.5 billion on food, of which $1.7 billion was local with even more added from the spin offs from tourism for food exports. Also, with the growing demand for Jamaica's "special culinary touch" food, Mrs. Pickersgill said, can become one of Jamaica's major attractions.

The festival is held in collaboration with the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), and this was part of the JTB's aim to promote Jamaica as being more than just a beach vacation and was part of the special calendar events marketed overseas, Miss Yeo said.

"Jamaica Spice" was started last year. The second annual festival is scheduled to begin on July 14, culminating on July 17 at the Jamaica Grande Hotel in Ocho Rios. According to Delroy Gordon, acting executive director of the JCDC, the festival will be held alongside the JCDC's culinary arts exposition which is being held July 17-18.

"What we hope to achieve from it is that it will provide more exposure particularly to our indigenous food," Mr. Gordon said.

The highlights of the festival will be an exhibition of traditional gourmet, processed foods which originate and are produced in Jamaica; cooking demonstrations, food sales and sampling. Local restaurants and interests in the food business seem excited about the venture.

By Janice Ansine

Source: Sunday Gleaner 28/06/1999