Jamaica’s Culture Offers A Sanctuary For Faith-Based Travel Groups

Jamaica continues to embrace faith-based tourism and part of the destination’s continued outreach to this important market includes hosting Faith-based Destination Update from May 13 – 17, 2010. Sixteen faith-based planners from across the U.S.A. will participate in a guided four day tour of the Ocho Rios and Montego Bay resort areas. They will also have an opportunity to interact with members of the faith-based committee and some of the local religious leaders in Ocho Rios.  

“Many of Jamaica’s hotels and resorts have the facilities to cater to groups of all sizes – large and small. The destination is ideal for hosting faith-based retreats, and with a plethora of spiritual places of worship, the island is a sanctuary for people to celebrate their faith,” said Marcia Bullock, the Jamaica Tourist Board’s Regional Director, Groups & Conventions. “The development of the Montego Bay Convention Centre, set to open in January 2011, will expand Jamaica’s capacity to accommodate groups up to a maximum of 5,000 and ultimately boost the island’s position as a meetings mecca for convention groups.”

Jamaica is featured in the Guinness Book of World Records as having the most churches per square mile, which testifies to the island’s ability to accommodate faith-based groups regardless of religious convictions. As a member of the Religious Conference Management Association (RCMA), Jamaica holds the distinction of being the first and only Caribbean country to host its own Religious Meetings Marketplace.  Recently, Jamaica was also home to the inaugural Jewish Diaspora of the Caribbean Conference, held in the island’s capital Kingston, which garnered global support and helped to unveil the island’s vibrant Jewish culture and heritage.

While in Jamaica, there are countless opportunities for groups to volunteer and participate in community outreach programs. These programs, which are operated by places of worship, clubs, societies and service organizations, enrich people’s lives and aid in the development of local communities.