Amitabh Sharma, Features Coordinator

Robert Bryan (second left), executive director, Jamaica Local Organising Committee for ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, greets Roy Harrison, president of the Irish Cricket Union, at a reception hosted at the Dunadry Hotel in Belfast, on October 31, to bring Ireland supporters up to date on the country's preparedness for the tournament. A group of 500 enthusiastic supporters will be travelling to Jamaica to watch the Irish team participate in their first ICC Cricket World Cup tournament. Others in photo (from left) are: David Shields, deputy director of tourism and marketing, Jamaica Tourist Board; Ambassador Courtney Walsh; and Richard Lue, director, Cricket World Cup/special events at Air Jamaica. - Contributed

The countdown is on for the cricket extravaganza of the year when the who's who of the game descend on the Caribbean for the ICC Cricket World Cup. Come March 2007 calypso will hit the high note with 16 teams vying to be crowned the champions of the world.

The event has opened a world of opportunities and the tourist sector is going all out to woo visitors from across the globe. A delegation of tourist board officials, accompanied by Courtney Walsh, who is also Jamaica's ambassador, is to visit India.

The officials are upbeat about their visit and are hoping to cash in on cricket to highlight destination Jamaica to the people of the subcontinent.

Showcasing Jamaica

During their six-day tour, starting November 9, the delegation will visit Mumbai and Delhi. They are hoping to get leverage from the Cricket World Cup and also showcase Jamaica as a tourist destination.

"This is our first visit to India," said David L. Shields, deputy director of tourism, marketing, at the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB). "We have a lot of expectations and are hopeful of getting good business from there."

"The idea is to showcase cricket and Jamaica," said Courtney Walsh. "If people are not cricket fans, they can still come to party and have fun in the sun."

Reminiscing on his experiences in India, Walsh recalled that he loved the culture and the fact that Indians were down-to-earth people. Walsh is upbeat about his trip and hopes to catch up with fellow Indian cricketers. "India shares similarities with Jamaica," said Walsh. "People in both the countries are crazy about cricket."

The delegation would hold press conferences and meet people in the travel trade to promote Jamaica as a tourist destination. There are a series of road shows being planned in Mumbai and Delhi, which will highlight the Jamaican culture, its people and what its has to offer to the visitors.