Old Fort Upgrade Signals Bigger Push to Rebuild Jamaica’s Craft Sector

J$53.5-million rehabilitation to transform historic Montego Bay market, improve conditions for 156 vendors and strengthen Jamaica’s tourism offering

KINGSTON, Jamaica — September 3, 2026: The Government is moving to strengthen Jamaica’s craft sector with the rehabilitation of the Old Fort Craft Market in Montego Bay, in an investment that is expected to improve conditions for approximately 156 craft vendors while creating a better experience for visitors.

A contract for the J$53.5-million Old Fort Craft Market Rehabilitation Project was today signed at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James. The project is being implemented by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) through its Second Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI II), with financing from the World Bank and a J$13.4-million counterpart contribution from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Delano Seiveright, said the project represents far more than an infrastructure upgrade. “This is not simply about rehabilitating a craft market. This is about people, livelihoods, small businesses, culture and Brand Jamaica.”

He noted that for many craft vendors, the sector is a critical source of income rather than a supplementary activity. “For many of these Jamaicans, craft is not a side activity. It is how they support their families, pay their bills and sustain their small businesses.”

The rehabilitation will include the construction of an administrative office and improvements to 156 craft shops, the gazebo, restrooms, existing display and storage areas, walkways and entrances. The project will also include rehabilitation of the wishing well, remounting of a cannon, termite treatment, electrical rewiring, landscaping, provision of a garbage skip and installation of
surveillance cameras.

According to the project fact sheet, the rehabilitation is intended to create a safer, more accessible and attractive environment for both vendors and visitors, while strengthening the socio-economic capacity of craft vendors and supporting sustainable income-generating opportunities.

The project is also expected to support the diversification of Jamaica’s tourism product while
helping to preserve the country’s cultural traditions.

Minister Seiveright said the improvements at Old Fort should be viewed within the context of
broader efforts to address longstanding challenges affecting the craft industry.

As Chairman of the National Craft Council, he said he has been engaging directly with artisans,
vendors and market operators to better understand the issues affecting their businesses.

Among the concerns raised were ageing infrastructure, low customer traffic, access to hotels and
tourism spaces, imported products imitating Jamaican craft, training, financing, intellectual
property protection, marketing and security.

“These are not abstract policy issues. These issues determine whether somebody goes home at the end of the day with enough money to support their family.”

The state minister said addressing the challenges facing Jamaica’s craft sector will require greater coordination across Government, the private sector and the craft community.

“No single ministry or agency can solve all the challenges facing craft.”
He said the sector intersects with Industry and Commerce, Tourism, Culture, Local Government,
training and development agencies, intellectual property and the private sector.

“So, we need a joined-up Government approach, working closely with the private sector and,
importantly, with the craft stakeholders themselves.”

Through the National Craft Council, work is advancing in areas including market infrastructure, training and business development, certification and protection of Jamaican craft, increased access to tourism markets and the finalisation of the revised National Craft Policy.

The state minister also used the occasion to highlight the need to protect Jamaican artisans from
competition posed by imported products that imitate the country’s culture, symbols and designs.

“Our artisans should not have to compete unfairly against imported products that imitate Jamaican culture, symbols and designs and are then sold to visitors as Jamaican.”

He stressed that increasing the share of tourism spending that reaches local producers is both an economic and cultural imperative.

“When a visitor buys Jamaican craft, we want more of that money staying in Jamaica, supporting
Jamaican hands and Jamaican families.”

The Old Fort project is being implemented under REDI II, a US$40-million loan to the Government of Jamaica financed by the World Bank and implemented by JSIF. REDI II provides grant funding to beneficiaries in the agriculture and tourism sectors and seeks to improve access to markets and climate-resilient approaches for targeted beneficiaries.

The project partners include JSIF, the World Bank, the Tourism Enhancement Fund, the Ministry of Tourism, the Tourism Product Development Company Limited and the St. James Municipal Corporation. SM Quality Construction Limited is the contractor, while Westech Limited is the consultant.

Minister Seiveright said the Old Fort rehabilitation demonstrates the type of practical action being
sought by stakeholders in the craft sector.

“Better conditions. Better opportunities. A better visitor experience. And ultimately, better earning
potential for our micro and small entrepreneurs.”

He said the Government will continue to focus on implementation across the sector.

“Market by market, issue by issue, we will keep pushing for a stronger, more modern and more
sustainable Jamaican craft sector.”

The Old Fort Craft Market rehabilitation is therefore positioned not only as an investment in a
physical facility, but as part of the wider effort to strengthen Jamaica’s small businesses, protect
its cultural identity and ensure that local entrepreneurs are better positioned to benefit from the
country’s tourism economy.