Tag: Tourism

Sangster to get $3-billion immigration hall

Photo by Janet Silvera
From left: Audley Deidrick, president and CEO of the Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ); Mark Hart, AAJ chairman; Transport Minister Daryl Vaz; Senator Janice Allen, opposition spokesperson on tourism; National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang; Richard Vernon, deputy mayor of Montego Bay; David Pratt, principal, PRT Group Inc; Shane Munroe, CEO – MBJ Airports Limited; and Odette Dyer, Jamaica Tourist Board regional director, break ground for the new immigration and security halls at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.

WESTERN BUREAU:

Ground has officially been broken for the expansion of a new immigration hall at Sangster International Airport (SIA) in Montego Bay, St James, valued at US$18 million (J$2.88 billion).

The project is part of the final phase of the overall US$300 million expansion efforts undertaken this year. The previous stages involved lengthening the runway, realigning the entrance and exit for departing and arriving passengers, and the creation of a new shopping concourse.

National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang underscored the urgency of this expansion during the 20th anniversary celebration of MBJ in Montego Bay.

The existing facilities face challenges coping with the influx of visitors and workers, particularly during peak periods. With some 30 flights arriving daily between noon and 3 p.m., the immigration hall’s capacity is stretched, processing 5,000 to 6,000 people within a limited space.

Chang emphasised the imperative of ensuring a seamless experience for visitors to Jamaica, urging contractors to prioritise efficiency.

Acknowledging travellers’ frustrations during peak hours, he explained the cyclic nature of tourism, where numerous flights converge during specific time frames.

The expansion aims not only to alleviate congestion, but also to enhance processing speed with the installation of six-seater gates and electronic gates.

Chang stressed that creating a more spacious arrival area is crucial for efficient crowd management.

Since MBJ assumed management of Sangster, the Government has invested $500 million to bring the airport up to international standards. The immigration and outgoing security expansion represent the concluding phase, with Chang expressing gratitude to immigration and customs officers and the MBJ team. He affirmed the commitment to creating a better working environment for them.

New master plan

Looking ahead, plans include increasing the number of desks, seater gates, and eGates for Jamaican nationals returning home. Anticipating the growth in tourism and airport traffic, a new master plan is in development, extending Sangster’s capabilities beyond 2033, as shared by Audley Deidrick, CEO and president of the Airports Authority of Jamaica.

Deidrick emphasised the successful partnership between MBJ and the Government, noting improvements in service levels and operational efficiencies recognised by the Airports Council International. Sangster International Airport currently serves more than 45 direct destinations globally, playing a pivotal role as a tourism hub.

Shane Munroe, CEO of MBJ Airports Limited, reflected on the airport’s history, citing milestones such as the installation of boarding bridges, expansion of the terminal, and ongoing construction of retail areas. The retail programme, comprising food and beverage locations and duty-free shops, continues to evolve, enhancing the overall passenger experience at SIA.

Source: Jamaica Gleaner – https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20231216/sangster-get-3-billion-immigration-hall

Bluefields Bay Villas expands

Finance minister, Dr Nigel Clarke (left); CEO of Bluefields Villas, Debbie Moncure (centre) and Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett cut the ribbon to officially mark the opening of four new suites at the villas. (Photos: Kimberley Peddie).

BLUEFIELDS, Westmoreland — Bluefields Bay Villas has raised the bar in luxury accommodations, adding four new suites to the property, a move the tourism minister says will take marketing to another dimension.

The all-inclusive collection of six villas nestled on Jamaica’s south coast has now grown to 27 suites. The new one-bedroom suites each have a private veranda and access to a shared infinity edge pool that overlooks the ocean.

The target is the higher end of the market.

“We have been pushing an up-market, high-dollar tourism in Jamaica and we’re continuing to do so. We are hoping that this first expansion is just one of the many phases in what we are hoping to do here in Bluefields,” said Managing Director Houston Moncure.

He was speaking with the Jamaica Observer at the official opening of the suites on Sunday. Guests included minister of finance, Dr Nigel Clarke; Minster of tourism, Edmund Bartlett; US ambassador to Jamaica, Nick Perry; Jamaica’s ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks; and senior strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright.

Bluefields Bay Villas CEO Debbie Moncure and her husband Braxton said their son Houston was the conceptualiser of the suites.

“Houston came up with [the] concept and so he went to the architect — otherwise known as me — and we developed the suites,” she said with a chuckle.

Debbie, who was born in New York and holds a BA in Art History from Tufts University and a Masters of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, moved to Washington, DC, immediately upon finishing her graduate studies. She met her husband Braxton in DC and they began coming to Jamaica together in the late 1970s. They were married in Bluefields in 1983. The couple celebrated their 40-year anniversary during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new suites.

Speaking at the ceremony, the tourism minister lauded the Moncures for their contribution to the industry.

“Tourists have come and they have really become a part of Bluefields. When you come to this area people talk about it and I get messages, I get calls — some are wonderful calls Houston, and some are about the development and the joy it brings,” Bartlett said.

“The addition of this innovation is going to mean a lot more to us than you. No other country has the hosting capacity that we have. For all the pain and suffering that tourism offers to this country, we are the only industry that has grown every quarter for the last 35 years,” he boasted.

Bartlett added that growth has spiralled over the years.

“In the last nine quarters the growth has been spectacular, absolutely phenomenal but that growth has happened now because of people like Houston who have come up with ideas and have brought innovations and have enabled more people to come to us. What you are doing is going to enable me to take marketing to another dimension,” the minister said.

Houston stressed that the Villa supports the local community.

“We believe our model of tourism is really good for Jamaica,” he said.

Minister of Finance Dr Nigel Clarke (left); Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett (second left), and senior strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright (third left) tour the newly opened suites at Bluefields Bay Villas. They are joined by villa operators, Braxton (third right), Debbie (second right) and Houston Moncure.
Bluefields Bay Villas CEO Braxton Moncure walks to one of the newly added suites.
A bathtub on the private veranda overlooking the ocean is one of the features of the new suites at Bluefields Bay Villas.

Source: Jamaica Observer https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/bluefields-bay-villas-expands/