Kingston, Jamaica:
The 2022 staging of the Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum Festival, which was launched recently at Devon House in St Andrew, will be executed in a hybrid format, with both virtual access and the return of the physical event on Saturday, June 2.
It will be hosted in the tourism capital, Montego Bay, at the Harmony Beach Park and is being presented in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, through its agencies the Tourism Enhancement Fund and the Jamaica Tourist Board.
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett explained why Montego Bay was the ideal location for the event. “[Jamaica] is the fastest-growing tourist destination following the COVID-19 recovery. No wonder Montego Bay was voted the second-most popular city in the world, second only to Punta Cana with a growth of 136 per cent,” he said.
“For the first three months and now approaching the fourth, Jamaica is now on the verge of having its first million visitors and earning 1.5 billion US dollars,” he added, speaking to the success and potential of Montego Bay, which will be leveraged with events like the Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum Festival.
Noting the inextricable link between rum and Jamaican life, Pietro Gramegna, director of marketing, J Wray & Nephew Ltd, said: “The rum industry is of paramount significance to Jamaica’s cultural fabric and its socio-economic well-being. The lesson learnt from last year’s virtual experience has enabled us to get better at digital engagement. This will remain, sustaining our long-term global reach: from Jamaica to the world! We [also] look forward to reigniting the spirit of personal connections in a controlled and responsible manner.”
Festival director and CEO of Mystique Integrated Services Limited, Valón Thorpe, said he was pleased that the festival will engage its patrons in a physical setting this year.
The collaborative event will see the support of presenting sponsor, Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum and other Jamaican rum brands, including the 90-year-old Spirits Pool Association Limited, Hampden Estate, National Rums of Jamaica, Worthy Park Estate, Monymusk Plantation Rums, Rum Fire, Rum Bar, Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum, and Kingston 62. These brands will be hosting rum tastings and other interactive activities within the space.
The 2022 staging also promises interactive seminars, demonstrations, culturally immersive activities, Jamaican gastronomy, and live entertainment from the likes of Capleton, Sanchez, Romaine Virgo, Tessanne Chin and more.
