Above: Montego Bay (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Jamaica is looking to develop a timeshare market as part of its tourism strategy going forward, according to Tourism Minister Dr Wykeham McNeill.

The Minister, who was giving a tourism sectoral presentation to Parliament on Tuesday, said that a Timeshare Vacations Bill had been tabled before Jamaica’s House of Representatives.

“It has taken a while on its journey here, but I am pleased that it has now arrived,” he said. “The bill is designed to formally introduce the option of timeshare vacation schemes into Jamaica’s product offering.”

McNeill said Jamaica was confident “of being able to attract the world’s most experienced operating brands to our tourism industry and, by doing so, broadening our country’s international appeal.”

“Timeshare has been shown to have many positive economic impacts in areas where it has been developed,” McNeill said. “Owners of time in a residential unit tend to vacation for a week or more at a time in groups of two or more. Timeshare owners become constant repeat visitors and behave more like members of the local community, in that they shop for groceries, dine out often and use local services more directly than hotel guests.”

McNeill said he was “pleased that at least timeshare vacations stand to become part of our tourism product mix.”

“This has very positive implications for generating new economic opportunities for Jamaicans in many areas of enterprise,” he said.