Bartlett introduces 'beach sprint'

Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:

Riding on the success of world-class 100-metre sprinter Usain Bolt, Jamaica's Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett yesterday launched a 100m beach sprint and announced a One Love destination loyalty card in Beijing, China.

The destination loyalty card is to be officially launched in early 2009. However, a commemorative piece featuring Bolt was designed and presented to Miss World, China's Zi Lin Zha, by the tourism minister at a press conference at the Westin Hotel.

The invitational event is to be staged in November 2009, "likely on the seven-mile Negril beach" Deputy Director of Tourism Zachary Harding told The Gleaner from his hotel room in Beijing yesterday.

He said the plan was to use special events to drive more visitors to the country.

The target is to have an average of 30 international athletes and celebrities competing on the world-famous beach, on a three-lane track designed by the Italian company Mondo.

"The athletes cannot run on actual sand," Harding explained.

Coincide with Awards

The event will coincide with the World Athletics Awards, which is staged annually by Graham Cooke of the popular World Travel Awards (WTA). According to the deputy director, Cooke has agreed to underwrite the inaugural staging of the event.

In the meantime, Bartlett announced the Destination Loyalty Card, valued at US$1,000.

"Not US$1,000 in cash," Harding sought to verify. "This will be redeemable through rewards of accommodation, transportation and entry to various attractions."

He described this as Jamaica's symbolic gesture of inviting the world to visit.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com