Above: Jamaica Tourism Minister Wykeham McNeill (right) on a tour of the village (JIS Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Rastafarian Indigenous Village in Jamaica’s Portobello could bring “tremendous benefits to Jamaica,” according to Tourism Minister Dr Wykeham McNeill.

The project, located in St James, is being funded by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund’s Rural Economic Development Initiative to the tune of a little over $194,000 USD.

“A lot of elements which go together to make up the Jamaican culture and heritage, including the Rastafarian culture, is present here at the village, and I believe that this is a good project that seeks to attract visitors who would be interested in our culture,” McNeill said in a government release.

McNeill recently toured the property, joined by Minister of State for Tourism Damion Crawford.

“This Rastafarian Indigenous Village is one of those projects that has been developed with the community,” he said.

The Rastafarian Village project is 95 percent complete. The property includes a wellness centre and healing garden, a “Solomonic Mall,” an “herbal pharmacy,” a restaurant and other components.

“So many people abroad see elements of it in the red, green and gold and the locks,” McNeill said. “They see all these elements, and also hear it in the music, and they come to Jamaica where here, they have an opportunity to see more of that part of the roots and culture of the movement.”