The tourism capital: Gateway to the Caribbean...

For most of the city's 25 years, development was slow in coming. However, in recent years and seemingly overnight, this friendly city has become a dynamic and important urban centre.

Mark Hart, Contributor

MONTEGO BAY is more than a city. It may well be one of the most famous destinations in the world. It is a name which instantly conjures up the island fantasy in the minds of would-be tourists daydreaming in offices.

Long before Bob Marley helped to make Jamaica a brand, Montego Bay had a name as a playground for the well-heeled social set. Round Hill, Tryall and Half Moon have seen writers and royals, artists and renegades, all drawn to Montego Bay's mystique, turquoise waters and white sand beaches.

In years gone by, many of these travellers seeking a link to paradise were seduced into making the second city their second home. Over time, Montego Bay's verdant hills have become sprinkled with exotic winter hideaways where each year the faithful rejoice in the boundless beauty.

For most of the city's 25 years, development was slow in coming. However, in recent years and seemingly overnight, this friendly city has become a dynamic and important urban centre. Infrastructure projects, such as a new and modernised airport with flights to every major city in the world, the North Coast Highway, the World Cup stadium and public utility improvements, are at the core of this western boom.

Foreign investment has sharply increased in information technology centres, and exponential growth has occurred in the hotel industry, due to the influx of Spanish hotel chains and other international resorts and hotels, all finding a home in this fair city.

Local businesses are also experiencing the boom and seem to scurry to build the housing communities and shopping centres that will sustain the growth of the city. And so, Montego Bay the town matures into Montego Bay the city, and a meeting point for the old and the new.

While some of the locals may reminisce about Montego Bay's past, there is no turning back for this city. It is an exciting time when everything is possible and it is a time to make good. With the same love and attention that the faithful have always given to Montego Bay and the energy of the new residents and investors, a new city may emerge, a gateway to the Caribbean, and a jewel for all Jamaicans to be proud.

* Mark Hart is the first vice-president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.