LONDON,
England, Wednesday August 15, 2012 – Usain "Lightning" Bolt's
electrifying victories in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 4x100 metres relay at
the recently concluded London Olympics have earned the Jamaican sprint star
world acclaim and international celebrity status.
Jamaica’s
Tourist Board is now hoping that the double-triple athlete’s living legend aura
will boost visitor interest in Bolt's homeland.
Jamaica’s
Minister of Tourism Wykeham McNeill said the success will elevate Bolt to the
same status as Bob Marley, not only within the island itself but globally.
"The
impact of his sprinting will have an effect on the island for many years to
come and will help Jamaica attract more and more sports travel tourists,"
McNeill said.
"The
interest that has already been created by our sprint legends throughout the
years has now come to a crescendo with Usain Bolt’s unique defence of the
titles.
"If
you couple this with the outstanding performance with our other athletes, both
men and women, plus the 1-2-3, we are in a unique position to market Jamaica as
THE centre of excellence," the minister told TravelMole.com.
The
World’s fastest man is no stranger to marketing his country. He anchored three
promotional videos for the tourist board in 2010, and several recent travel
stories have focused on Jamaica's northern parish of Trelawny, the area in
which the 25-year-old sprinter grew up.
Trelawny,
which was also once home to other sprinting greats including Veronica
Campbell-Brown and Ben Johnson, has a rural atmosphere as well as attractions
including rafting on the Martha Brae River and, in the parish capital, the
former slave port of Falmouth.
Bolt’s
now famous 7,000-square-foot sports bar, Tracks and Records, a colourful fusion
of music and sport, is located in Kingston.
Jamaica
isn't the only Caribbean island hoping for an Olympic afterglow that will
translate into increased visitor arrivals.
After
Grenada's Kirani James won the island's first-ever medal, a gold in the
400-metre dash, the country’s tourism minister George Vincent said James
"put Grenada on the map”.
James’
name will also receive international exposure emblazoned on the fuselage of one
of LIAT’s aircraft.
Source:
http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/607248.html#ixzz23hPs2Hzz
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