Ahh...lovely cricket! The sentiments of many Jamaicans for this well-loved sport. But then again, that could be the response of enthusiasts to the myriad of sporting activities on the island's busy social calendar. From track and field, to football, swimming, boxing, tennis, cycling, polo, horseracing, horse jumping, deep sea fishing, golf, go-cart racing, and even dog sledding, Jamaica's growth in the sporting arena presents opportunities for development that could position the country as a sporting destination and so reduce the seasonality of its tourism product.

Through the development of a national sports tourism policy that will set the parameters for enhancing the collaboration between tourism and sports, the Jamaican product can harness and structure events around the incredible and innate sporting talent of its people. The country could benefit from the ever-increasing trillion dollar industry. Jamaica's proximity to the United States is a distinct advantage as the two countries have been inextricably linked by sports.

Our achievements in track and field are legendary and continues to contribute to the mystique of the powerful and internationally-acclaimed Jamaica brand. The spectacular performances by athletes such as Herb McKenley, Donald Quarrie, Bertland Cameron, Merlene Ottey, Juliet Cuthbert, Grace Jackson, Deon Hemmings, Veronica Campbell Brown, Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Asafa Powell and current World Record Holder Usain Bolt have commanded the respect and the recognition of the international community.         

Tourism Minister, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett has underscored that sports has the potential to pull more visitors to Jamaica and gave a commitment to see to the development of a national sports tourism policy that will set the parameters for enhancing the collaboration between tourism and sports.

"Sports, we have discovered in tourism, is perhaps the single largest area of pull for visitor arrivals outside of the traditional sand, sea and sun. Sports tourism has now been developed as a key lever for driving mega events across the globe and the movement of people from one destination to another in numbers unprecedented," the Tourism Minister expressed.  "Our sportsmen and women represent part of the genius of our people and they are the core to the iconic attraction that this destination has. People know more about Usain Bolt than the most popular Prime Minister Jamaica has ever had, and the bobsled team, than any other group that Jamaica has ever produced in any department whatsoever,"

Efficient delivery of hospitality services to the thousands of visitors who will travel to Jamaica for any event will assure us a piece of the action in the multi-billion dollar sports tourism business, one of the fastest growing areas of this $4.5 trillion global travel and tourism industry.  The economies of cities, regions and even countries around the world are increasingly reliant on the visiting golfer and skier or the travelling football, rugby or cricket or track and field supporter. In some countries, sports can account for as much as 25 percent of all tourism receipts.

Sports tourists are passionate, high-spending, and enjoy new sporting experiences. The direct benefit to a destination is the cash spent by these visitors while the indirect benefit can be years of follow up visits. Some additional benefits can include the development of new infrastructure and service industries, increased employment and a stronger national economy.