St Bess to renew focus on tourism
Published:Wednesday | February 16, 2011 | 12:00 AM
André Gordon, Gleaner Writer
BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth:
ST ELIZABETH is set to embark on a new era in tourism with the launch of the Greater Treasure Beach Development Project in Black River tomorrow. The project, which is being funded by the Canadian Urban Institute, will see a comprehensive sustain-ability study of the Treasure Beach area and the town of Black River, with the aim being among other things to find the appropriate developmental model for the area, which is home to one of Jamaica's most sensitive ecosystems.
The event will see a wide cross-section of stakeholders participating, including the Department of Local Government, the National Housing Trust, the Tourism Product Development Company, as well as several community groups.
According to Jason Henzell, chairman of the St Elizabeth Parish Development Committee, the plan had its genesis in 2003 when a planner from Peterborough, Canada, was invited to Treasure Beach to analyse the area.
"The citizens of Treasure Beach wanted a low-density sustainable model for the area and we have being lobbying for this over the years," Henzell told The Gleaner recently.
Holistic development
"What this means for the area is holistic development which takes into account all stakeholders."
Despite the massive investment in the tourism sector over the years large scale development has evaded the bread basket parish, and that is how parishioners prefer it. Low-density sustainable tourism is the model which is being proposed for the parish. This includes small cottages and villas which adhere to building practices with limited destruction to the natural environ-ment, and with strong community focus.