State run commuter bus service Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) is looking to enter the more lucrative tour market by offering island excursions to visiting cruise passengers.
Speaking to the Jamaican Gleaner newspaper, JUTC Managing Director Colin Campbell said the company is in discussions with cruise lines to become an recognized provider of shore excursions to Kingston.
If talks are successful, cruise ship passengers would be picked up at the Ocho Rios Pier in St Ann for guided tours of the Jamaican capital.
"Now that the highway is going in to St Ann, we are talking to some of the tour people who are interested in partnering with us to have Kingston city tours," Campbell said.
We have brought in top-end, luxury buses, which we will be putting in the market next month, and that will enable us to offer a premium service."
Campbell outlined some of the Kingston landmarks and attractions that would likely be including on the tours.
"For example, we are thinking about places like the Bob Marley Museum, Trench Town Culture Yard, University of the West Indies, The Gleaner Company, and places like that. Passengers will get to have a nice time in Kingston, and we will ensure that they are brought back to the ship in time."
The new venture would be marketed under the brand ‘JUTC Tours’, he said.
