The Ministry of Tourism is pushing ahead with plans to construct artisan villages in resort areas across the island. Portfolio Minister Edmund Bartlett says the first facility will be built in Ocho Rios, with others to be established in Montego Bay, Falmouth, Port Antonio, and Negril over the next five years. The minister said the venues would be “onestop shops” for authentic Jamaican food, music, heritage, and craft. The facilities, the minister noted, would provide an avenue for Jamaican artists and craftsmen to expose and express their creativity, while limiting the volume of imported craft items that are being sold in the industry.
