by Brian Major
Last updated: 6:22 PM ET, Tue July 12, 2022
Jamaica's government will create a "new zone" for "high-end tourism" located along the island's northern coast, stretching from Oracabessa near the Ocho Rios resort district to Port Antonio, the capital of Portland parish.
The "Revere Zone" will include the coastal towns of Oracabessa, Port Maria, St. Ann's Bay, Runaway Bay and Discovery Bay and feature "only low-density development," said Jamaica Ministry of Tourism officials in a statement.
Travelers arriving in Jamaica through Ocho Rios' Ian Fleming International Airport will provide "easier access" to the new zone, officials said, "once planned new highways are constructed." Additionally, "redevelopment projects are also underway in Port Antonio to increase the area's appeal for high-end travelers," the officials added.
"This new zone will be supported by additional nonstop air service flying directly into Ocho Rios, providing easier and more direct access to this beautiful region of our island," said Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica's minister of tourism.
The tourism zone's establishment will "encourage more travelers to explore areas beyond the primary tourist towns of Montego Bay and Negril," officials said, spreading tourism proceeds "to more people and businesses throughout the island."
Jamaica's post-outbreak visitor numbers have rebounded strongly, leading major airlines to expand their flights to the island. Delta Airlines recently relaunched daily Jamaica flights from Detroit and Minneapolis for 2022 and 2023 for the first time since the pandemic, said Ministry officials.
Earlier this month, JetBlue told Jamaica government and tourism officials the country will offer 40 percent more seats between the United States and Montego Bay by July of 2022 than the carrier offered during the same month in July 2019, prior to the pandemic's outbreak.
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