Above: Jamaica Tourism Minister Dr Wykeham McNeill on a tour of beaches in St Mary and St Ann

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Jamaica’s getting closer to finishing a major upgrade and enhancement of the country’s beaches.

Work has already begun on improvements to 10 of 15 beaches targeted for improvements, according to Tourism Minister Dr Wykeham McNeill.

Jamaica is spending $2.17 million USD on the project.

“We are determined to secure beaches across the island, so that as there is more development, the available beaches that Jamaicans and visitors can use, are in the best condition,” McNeill said.

One of the project’s aims is to facilitate interaction between visitors and locals on Jamaican beaches.

“They have a better time, and that is the experience that we intend to create,” he said, pointing to the number of foreigners who make Jamaica their second home and, in some cases, their first home.

The project is being funded by Jamaica’s Tourism Enhancement Fund and implemented through the government’s Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme.