Bartlett endorses Tight Lines beach party, marlin tournament

For the fifth year, the Tight Lines beach party at Doctor's Cave Beach will be the pinnacle celebration to close out the 57th annual Montego Bay Yacht Club International Marlin tournament on October 5.

"I know your Tight Lines beach party is as eagerly anticipated as the tournament itself," said Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett as he spoke at the press launch on Monday in Kingston.

The minister's good-natured message reiterated his mandate to get "heads in the beds and feet in the streets".

"Jamaica's tourism is no longer regarded as a seasonal industry. Through the Ministry of Tourism's Sport and Entertainment Network, we are taking strategic steps to market Jamaica as a top sports tourism destination.

Events like MoBay Marlin help to boost the economies of the host communities. Hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, attractions, and other businesses benefit from the increased spend from people who converge on the Second City during the tournament weekend," he said.

Bartlett also expressed a desire to explore the potential of Jamaica's blue economy and said that the tournament's growth has proved feasible.

Tournament director Londie Murray announced that there are currently 250 anglers registered to participate.

"When you come to a country from the sea, the first thing that you will see is the sea. That's the front door to our country; that's the gateway. But when you put the land and the sea together and you create a space where people can interact with the culture and the rhythm of the nation, that experience is what will separate Jamaica from any other countries here in the Caribbean," said Rhys Campbell, commercial director of CPJ Limited.

Make Brand Jamaica succeed

"Take this tournament as your responsibility to make Brand Jamaica succeed. CPJ is proud to support this and any other tourism venture as this is what is going to drive our economy into the future," Campbell said.

Murray also announced that this year's instalment will change format from a cooler fÍte to an all-inclusive one. "It is an epic experience, and it rivals nothing in MoBay," he said.

The Montego Bay Yacht Club International Marlin Tournament takes place on October 2 -5.

Part proceeds from the Tight Lines beach party will be donated to the children's wing at the Cornwall Regional Hospital.