Jamaica is eyeing the parish of St Thomas as its next frontier for tourism development, according to Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett. 

St Thomas is set on the far southeastern corner of the island of Jamaica, east of the capital, Kingston. 

“The St. Thomas and Portland corridor is the new exciting frontier for tourism development in Jamaica,” Bartlett said. “The effect of the highway both to connect Kingston to St. Thomas as well as to connect St. Thomas to east Portland is going to be the game-changer for providing high-end tourism offerings in the area. We’re already seeing interest and action from locals coming in with their strong investment dollars to look at real estate development, and we’re excited about that.”

Bartlett says he envisions a “locally-driven transformation” of the area, one that creates experiences for the people of Jamaica first, “which are then shared with the rest of the world.”

Bartlett recently concluded a visit to the area, aimed at “more closely understanding the asset” so the Ministry of Tourism can formulate a plan for development. 

That included a stop at the Bath Fountain Hotel, which Bartlett said would “undergo further development shortly.”