JTB defends investment in Jazz Festival

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The Jamaica Tourist Board is defending its decision to inject cash into the annual Jamaica Jazz Festival.

The annual festival, formerly sponsored by Air Jamaica, has been taken over by the government agency.

Following the announcement, there was criticism from some quarters about the injection of over US$500,000.

Among those criticising the move was the opposition People's National Party.

But speaking on TVJ's Magazine programme Smile Jamaica on Monday morning, Deputy Director of Tourism Zachary Harding insisted that the investment will redound to the benefit of Jamaica.

<span style="font-weight: bold">He said the country stands to earn over US$10 million from the festival.</span>

&quot;<span style="font-weight: bold">If you don't have the festival the tourists will not come</span>. 72% of those that come, come specifically for the festival. <span style="font-weight: bold">The average tour package price is US$1,530. </span><span style="font-weight: bold">Multiply that by the 6,700 </span> you're talking about over US$10.25 million in revenue generated and that is not even counting the local tourism of Kingstonians who go down to Montego Bay so it's a US$500,000 investment to ensure US$10.25 million for the sector,&quot; said Mr. Harding.

In the meantime, a stop order imposed on the promoters of the event by the St. James Parish Council has been lifted.

The order was placed on the event after the Council insisted that fees should be paid for the erection of tents on the premises.

Mr. Harding said the promoters have met the requirements of the Parish Council.

The annual Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival will be held in Montego Bay on January 22 to 24.

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Re: JTB defends investment in Jazz Festival


i have a friend here in Chicago who goes every year ..
sometimes with a group of girlfriends ..

one of whom .. a couple of years ago ..
did not return ..
she decided to retire in JA ..

left her job ..
took her stuf ..
and bought her house there ..

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'Jazz and Blues Festival worth every penny'



Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has defended the government's agency's decision to provide US$500,000 for the staging of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, which begins tonight at The Aqueduct, Rose Hall, St James.

&quot;As Jamaica's premier jazz festival, it would be remiss not to lend our support to such an important event,&quot; Minister Bartlett stated in a press release on Tuesday night.

&quot;As title sponsor, the Jamaica Tourist Board's (JTB) role cannot be overstated, given its involvement and support for the festival throughout the years, which has kept 'Brand Jamaica' visible in the marketplace.&quot;

The three-day festival, which is in its 12th year, got approximately $40 million from the Tourism Enhancement Fund, which is sustained by a US$10 tax on each visitor.


However, following the announcement of the sponsorship on December 9, musician Sonny Bradshaw and Opposition spokesman on Tourism, Dr Wykeham McNeill <span style="font-weight: bold">have questioned donating so much money to an event that is produced by a private, American company, TurnKey Productions.</span> <span style="font-style: italic">The exclusion of funding for other major entertainment events was also an issue</span>.

However, Minister Bartlett said Jazz and Blues, which risked being moved to another country if there wasn't sufficient financial backing, is too important to the country.

&quot;Research has proven that the JTB has spent more revenue on promotional events in the past which have not had the immediate impacts on the economy and revenue inflows that the Jazz and Blues Festival has,&quot; he pointed out.

Deputy Director of Tourism, Zachary Harding, added that TurnKey Productions has spent US$250,000 on marketing the event and US$100,000 on TV commercials in the USA, which brings added value to Jamaica's tourism product. He also said that it was a simple decision to sponsor the event as all the previous major cash sponsors (which would combine to provide US$500,000) had pulled out.

According to a 2008 survey by the JTB, approximately 6,700 visitors came to the island for the festival last year. With the average tour package costing US$1,530, revenue from visitors totalled US$10.25 million. The survey also revealed that 72 per cent of non-resident patrons interviewed indicated that they came specifically for the festival. The survey was taken among 591 persons.

Minister Bartlett noted that the US$500,000 represents 25 per cent of the total cost of the festival. He said other Caribbean islands spent significantly more on their jazz festivals, with Turks and Caicos islands spending US$3 million, St Lucia US$2 million and St Kitts US$1 million.

The Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival kicks off tonight with performances by Robin Thicke, Ashford and Simpson, Estelle, Matisyahu, Los Van Van, Luciano, Gramps Morgan, Dahlia and Chaves and Reunion Band.