World Cup Cricket 2007....Impact on Jamaican Tourism

Beckford

Carole Beckford, Contributor

It is exactly 102 days before the beginning of the ICC Cricket World 2007 in the Caribbean and there are high expectations for the region.

Some of the questions being asked: Will this be the best World Cup? Will the West Indies return to winning glory? How many tourists will come to the region for the tournament? And even more specifically, how many tourists will come to Jamaica?

Jamaica has the 'yellow' package, which commentators say is the best package, primarily because of the opening ceremony, which is scheduled for Sunday, March 11 where all 16 teams and officials will converge and viewed by a possible one billion in television audience.

It is an opportunity for the world to take an even closer look at what the region has to offer, but Jamaica will have a distinct opportunity to set the pace for the next 47 days of glorious first class cricket.

The opening ceremony we hope will showcase the greatest talents in the region performing the region's richest heritage, culture, lifestyle and other creative assets of this region.

Figures have shown that the Government of Jamaica has paid US$12 million for the 'yellow' package. It includes four warm-up matches in Trelawny between March 5 and 9, the opening ceremony at the same facility March 11, six group stage matches at Sabina Park March 13 - 23, and a semi-final match also at Sabina on April 24.

Measures are and will be in place to ensure that money is recovered through ticket sales - the main driver and the average spend of the visitors while they are in Jamaica for the duration of these matches.

sport tourists

International trends have shown that sport tourists are passionate, high-spending, enjoy new sporting experiences and often stimulate other industries. Their direct benefit to a destination is cash - their indirect benefit can be years of follow-on tourists. Jamaica is already enjoying a high percentage of repeat visitors and it is a trend that can be further exploited.

What then of the legacy? The Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) has a unit, which is geared at capitalizing on the business legacy. It is hoped that additional investments will come to Jamaica and that the trade and exports will increase.

The Government of Jamaica has also appointed a minister with responsibility of looking at the wider legacy for the country and the masses have to be engaged for this legacy to be successful. Members of the communities must aim to be good 'corporate' citizens in playing their role in making Jamaica the perfect hosts. The treatment we 'dish' out to our visitors will determine whether or not they come back to our shores.

So whether it is 30,000 tourists as mentioned initially, or 13,000, which are the last set of figures quoted by the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Jamaica must ensure that the visitor experience is the greatest so that they will come back.

The onus is on all Jamaicans to ensure that our repeat visitors' percentage increases.

Interesting to note: North Americans will next June witness a five-match test series between Australia and India. Matches are to be played in Toronto, Canada and Brooklyn, New York. It is believed there are 400,000 expatriate Indians living in the New York area.

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