Fantasy Beach to be upgraded

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett recently announced that the Tourism Enhancement Fund will be financing the overhaul of Fantasy Beach in Priory, St Ann, as part of its National Beach Development Programme, over a two-year period.

Speaking at a recent tour of the facilities, Minister Bartlett disclosed that "we will first focus on refurbishing the beach with modern facilities; we will then see the creation of a beach park with merchandising arrangements for small and medium tourism enterprises in the parish".

The announcement of the upgrade of Fantasy Beach was welcomed by member of the parliament for the area, Shahine Robinson, who explained that the project has always been on her agenda and will be a source of wealth creation for the people of the community.

"This is a very popular spot. So, no doubt, when we fix it up the people will protect it. The project is not just for enjoyment, but there will be economic gain because there will be young entrepreneurs involved here. I want to reassure the people of Priory that from construction to the project being fully operational, they will be a part of whatever happens here," said Robinson.

This sentiment was shared by the tourism minister, who said, "We want to have Priory seeing the benefits of tourism. We want the community to see the development not only as a recreational facility, but also as a centre of economic development and commerce. That is the purpose of fixing up a lot of these beaches."

Bartlett said the Beach Development Programme is now in high gear and will provide locals and visitors alike, ease of access to public beaches. Bartlett just recently opened to the public the redeveloped Marking Stone Beach in St Mary.

The beaches targeted under the National Beach Development Programme were selected based on discussions with a technical team from the Beaches and Coastal Resources Conservation Committee and a raft of government agencies.