Chang wants major craft centre on the north coast

WESTERN BUREAU:

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang is calling for the development of a major craft centre along Jamaica’s north coast as the country seeks to expand its craft industry and create greater opportunities for small businesses.

Chang said Jamaica needs a facility of a much larger scale than existing craft markets if the sector is to keep pace with the growth of tourism.

“You do need something of a bigger magnitude if you are going to grow tourism to the level you want,” said Chang, addressing Thursday’s Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) Rural Economic Development Initiative contract-signing ceremony for the $53.5-million rehabilitation of the Old Fort Craft Market, which is located on Jimmy Cliff Boulevard in Montego Bay.

Chang said the proposed facility should be strategically located along the north coast and designed as a tourism attraction in its own right, providing space for a large number of artisans and small businesses while giving visitors an opportunity to experience and purchase Jamaican-made products.

He recalled visiting a large craft market in East Asia which, he said, had become a major attraction because of its size, organisation and presentation.

“It was big. It was organised. It was well presented, and you had high-quality craft vendors,” he said, suggesting that Jamaica should examine the possibility of developing a similar facility.

The proposal comes as Jamaica continues to invest in more structured spaces for craft vendors, including the recently opened Artisan Village in Falmouth, Trelawny.

The Falmouth facility represents a move towards larger and more organised craft spaces, while the planned rehabilitation of Old Fort is expected to strengthen Montego Bay’s craft offering.

VISION

Chang’s vision, however, suggests that these facilities could form part of a wider network of craft destinations along the north coast, supported by a larger flagship facility capable of serving the growing tourism market.

He said craft traders and artisans were “a critical part of the character of a country” and should be provided with the support and infrastructure needed to expand their businesses, saying the rehabilitation of Old Fort was an important step in strengthening the craft sector, but should not be viewed as the final solution.

The $53.5-million project is expected to directly benefit 156 craft vendors and improve the facility’s appeal to both vendors and visitors.

Chang said the project would also help to preserve Montego Bay’s history while creating a more attractive space for craft trading, noting that it will link in the investment to the wider development of Montego Bay’s waterfront based on its proximity to several existing and emerging attractions such as Walter Fletcher Beach, Gun Point Beach and Pier One, among other waterfront developments.

“The whole waterfront will become maybe one of the most attractive areas, not only in Montego Bay and Jamaica but in the Caribbean,” said Chang, as he envisioned visitors moving along the waterfront, having lunch at Pier One, visiting the Old Fort Craft Market and purchasing locally made products from small businesses.

Chang said expanding the craft sector would also provide opportunities for entrepreneurs who do not necessarily want to work traditional “eight to four” jobs.

He argued that increased visitor traffic and spending at craft facilities could generate economic opportunities for artisans, vendors and other small businesses.

A larger north-coast craft centre, he suggested, could therefore become part of a broader economic corridor, linking tourism attractions with local businesses and communities.

The proposed development, he said, would complement investments such as Old Fort and the Artisan Village in Falmouth while positioning craft as a more significant component of Jamaica’s tourism product.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com