Jamaica’s first Gastronomy Academy is set to be established at Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James this year.

Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett revealed the major development milestone during the commencement of the 2024-2025 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (April 30).

“I just want to announce that the first-ever Gastronomy Academy will be established at the Montego Bay Convention Centre this year. We are going to be training sous chefs there because we have the best kitchen in the Caribbean right there at the convention centre and it seems almost a waste if you just save it for big meetings and conventions when you can use it to upskill and upgrade your people to be able to have mobility and portability,” Bartlett said.

He shared that a dedicated committee will be formed to ensure this goal is realised quickly.

The portfolio minister also announced that his ministry will work with the Ministry of Culture and Entertainment to establish a tourism entertainment academy.

“We believe that there are qualified, top-notch producers in Jamaica, we don’t have to go anywhere to bring them in, we don’t have to go anywhere to bring faculty, we can utilize those who we have and we end up on a virtual arrangement with practical application in a centre that is created. We have had the designs done and we will have our entertainment academy ready in short order,” the minister added.

Tourism is one of Jamaica’s key economic earners. In the 2023/2024 financial year, gross earnings were projected to reach US$4.38 billion, which is a 9.6 per cent increase in comparison to the previous year.