TPDConnect December 2018 | Page 6

M BLOCK LAYING CEREMONY inister of Tourism Honourable Edmund Bartlett, Ministry officials and Montego Bay city leaders officially laid blocks today to symbolize the commencement of a project to create a new welcome sign at the round a bout in the vicinity of the Sangster International airport. The previous sign destroyed through a motor vehicle accident, necessitates a replacement. Minster Bartlett in his remarks said, “It is not only timely but also essential. Essential as it will speak to the emotions we want to conjure up in our locals and the thousands of visitors that must traverse this area. It will be the first monument they see when entering from the MBJ Sangster Airport and the last when leaving. We want all our visitors to have that warm welcome and for us to continue to work even harder that they will feel this welcome through our Jamaican hospitality for which we are known worldwide.” The Minister further stated, “The Tourism Product Development Company Ltd (TPDCo) will execute the project and the Tourism Enhancement Fund will sponsor the project to the tune of Seventeen Million Dollars ($17 M). We expect to be on time and within budget.” This development falls within the extension of the Eastern Gateway Project, which is a series of beautification works running west along the Elegant Corridor from Greenwood, to the MBJ Sangster International Airport roundabout. Minister Bartlett, declared that the sign “speaks to the city’s history [and] as we continue to improve the tourism product island-wide, it is crucial to keep our history alive, as it is the essence of our culture”, as it was created to replicate the shapes of Dum-Up, Doctors Cave, and Walter Fletcher Beach Parks. His Worship Councillor Homer Davis, Mayor of Montego Bay, also added that the Welcome to Montego Bay Block Laying Ceremony “is yet another milestone event, which is aimed at projecting Montego Bay as the tourism capital of the Caribbean”, Montego Bay gets new Welcome Sign Courtesy of TPDCo/TEF