Lisia Lynch, Gleaner WriterPORT MARIA, St. Mary:
THE PARISH of St. Mary is making big plans to benefit from the expected tourism boon arising from Jamaica's staging of events in ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.
Mayor Bobby Montague, chairman of the St. Mary Parish Council, is a driving force behind the parish's World Cup ambitions.
The target, according to Mayor Montague, is to present a package to the visitors who will be passing through the parish to Kingston and Trelawny, "which will leave an invaluable impression that will cause them to return and also tell prospective visitors to the island of their wonderful experience in St. Mary".
Accordingly, he reported, parish organisers had identified 47 points of interest in the parish, "and we are hoping that on one of the off days, some cricket stars could come down and sign autographs, while we have an organised Fishermen's Regatta".
The mayor was speaking at a ceremony held at Claude Stewart Park on Thursday. The guest speaker at the function was Robert Bryan,
executive director of Jamaica Cricket 2007 Ltd, the local organising body. Also in attendance were Members of Parliament, Dr. Morais Guy and Dr. Neil McGill, Custos A.A. Pottinger, councillors, as well as other interested persons from the pubic and private sectors.
Mr. Bryan, in his address, highlighted the many benefits that this World Cup could bring to the citizens of St. Mary and Jamaica. "It will benefit us socially and economically, as persons will benefit in the agricultural sector, in the tourist sector and so on".
"Brand Jamaica", Mr. Bryan said, must always be showcased in the best possible way during the event. He too shared a vision for the parish, such as setting up a Dinky Mini Festival, packaged tours of historic sites, and the sale of craft items. He implored the parish to make sure that the environment is kept clean, the street signs are in order, and that residents truly demonstrate "that we are a country that is united".
According to Bryan, St. Mary is a forerunner in comparison to other parishes in realising the importance of the event. "I hope other parishes will take this example from St. Mary.
Dr. McGill, M.P. for Western St. Mary, in his address, encouraged all residents of the parish to "showcase to the world that we are a world-class society and our greatest assets is our people".
The Cricket World Cup, which is the third largest sporting event in the world, is held every four years and is expected to bring thousands of
visitors to Jamaica and other participating
territories in the West Indies.
