Dolphins attract cruise

WESTERN BUREAU:

THE HALF-billion-dollar Dolphin Cove attraction in Point, near Lucea, Hanover, was officially opened on Thursday.

Chairman of Dolphin Cove Stafford Burrowes said the town and its environs would soon begin to benefit from the pull.

Burrowes indicated that the Jamaica tourist industry was at a very exciting stage of development and Dolphin Cove was happy to be contributing to it.

"The Dolphin Cove is providing an attraction, which will bring benefits to the town of Lucea as more visitors would be coming to the town and also the parish. This will offer myriads of spin-offs for development."

He indicated that Carnival Cruise Lines had accepted the tour, dubbed Dolphin Cove Negril, and would be sending visitors to the attraction as of May 1.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, in his keynote address, said there was need for a greater supply of goods and services, as well as establishing more upscale hotel rooms to supply the growing need in the marketplace.

He said his ministry had launched a loan scheme which offered a total of $300 million in credit to tourism investors.

- Barrington Flemming