eTN: In keeping with national COVID-19 protocols, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), through its Tourism Linkages Network division, will be hosting the highly-anticipated Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival in a virtual format on Saturday, March 13, 2021.
Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett in endorsing the festival, noted that “the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival presents an opportunity to celebrate Jamaica’s rich tradition of coffee cultivation, while supporting the continued expansion of the industry.”
“Though we will be operating virtually this year, the festival still affords important interaction between producers and consumers that should prove beneficial to those businesses and communities, where the local people in particular, are anxious for the return of tourists exploring the cultural environment of the ordinary Jamaican,” he added.
The festival, which began in 2018, traditionally happens over a three-day period and sees thousands of patrons flocking to New Castle, St. Andrew to enjoy coffee products, entertainment, nature and culture. However, due to restrictions under the Disaster Risk Management Act, to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the decision was taken to host the event virtually this year.
“This virtual staging of the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival is beneficial because it will also facilitate much wider reach, as social media streaming enables the participation of Jamaicans in the Diaspora and other members of the international audience. We therefore encourage you to tune in with your family and friends for what promises to be a truly unforgettable experience,” said Bartlett.
This year’s event will be livestreamed on the Ministry of Tourism’s social media pages – Facebook: @tourismja, YouTube: @MinistryofTourismJA; TEF’s social media pages: @tefjamaica; as well as the festival’s Facebook, YouTube and Instagram pages: @jamaicacoffeefest beginning at 10 a.m. It will include engaging conversations about coffee, cooking demonstrations, the annual Barista competition, and pulsating entertainment.
This annual event is billed as Jamaica’s flagship coffee festival, and typically offers an immersive experience from farm to cup, and even plate, while demonstrating Jamaica’s rich tradition of coffee production in the Blue Mountain region.
It also forms part of the Ministry of Tourism’s strategic objective to leverage gastronomy tourism as a medium for diversifying the Jamaican tourism product.