Trelawny, Jamaica – Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says Jamaica’s first Artisan Village is taking shape and the next phase will be its theming.
The project is being constructed at the Hampden Wharf in Falmouth.
The Artisan Village will be a “one stop shop” for authentic Jamaican food, music, heritage and craft. It was designed to showcase the best of the island, while enhancing interaction between visitors and locals.
Speaking at yesterday’s final tour of the facilities, Minister Bartlett said, “This Artisan Village is a long awaited, much anticipated game changer, which was developed to respond to the need for a greater insertion of our small and medium entrepreneurs in the tourism value chain.
It was also designed to ensure that there is a unique experience for the visitor, borne from the authentic creativity of local artisans.”
The Artisan Village, which is financed by the Tourism Enhancement Fund, forms part of the wider Hampden Wharf Development project. This will be the first of a series of Artisan Villages, which will be located in resort areas across the island.
The Minister also highlighted that, “I am pleased that the Artisan Village, here in Falmouth, is in its final stage of execution and we are about to officially receive the keys from the Port Authority of Jamaica.
Visitors will experience unique pieces from the creativity of our people with valuable cultural assets. Additionally, through this arrangement, more Jamaicans will benefit from our very lucrative tourism industry.”
The Hampden Wharf Development project is a collaboration. It involves the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) and the Urban Development Corporation. It aims to change the town of Falmouth.
Artisan Village Features
The project has several parts.
- It will extend the Port to connect locals with visitors.
- There will be paved surfaces with different textures and clear paths.
- Landscaped areas will be created.
- Storyboards will be added where needed.
- Historic buildings will be reused in a new way.
- A variety of shops and local restaurants will be included.
- There will be displays of crafts and history.
“What is truly unique about the Artisan Village is that the eighteen Artisans who will be here will be executing on the spot against designs brought to them by visitors or the ones they want to create,” added Minister Bartlett.
