Negril’s long-awaited Destination Management Plan is one step closer to becoming the blueprint for the resort town’s structured and sustainable development.

The far-reaching plan, which has undergone years of stakeholder consultations, recently received strong support from members of the Negril community during a presentation at the James Hunter Event Centre.

Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, described the initiative as “a game-changer for Negril” that will position the resort town as “Jamaica’s most competitive tourism district.” He disclosed that the plan is almost complete, noting that after further refinements, the document plan will be presented to Parliament as a Green Paper before advancing to a White Paper and the supporting legal framework.

Highlighting the need for the initiative, Minister Bartlett reflected on Negril’s rapid growth over the years without the infrastructure and carrying capacity needed to fully support increasing tourism demand. He emphasised that the plan presents an opportunity to reimagine Negril through improved infrastructure, stronger destination management and sustainable development, while protecting the resort town’s natural assets and supporting future growth.

Stakeholders have welcomed the initiative with Chairman of the Negril Destination Assurance Council, Richard Wallace, lamenting that the community has “been waiting for decades for this to happen.”