Bartlett sees global magnet in Ian Fleming’s legacy

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett sees the Ian Fleming International Airport, located in Boscobel, St Mary, as a key marketing asset for Jamaica.

Bartlett, who was addressing journalists at a recent function at the Moon Palace Hotel in Ocho Rios, St Ann, said even though the airport is named after a non-Jamaican (late British author Ian Fleming), the massive international name recognition and appeal, especially "when we factor in" the worldwide success of the James Bond movie franchise, justifies the move in going in that direction.

"The renaming and upgrading of what was once the Boscobel Aerodrome to the Ian Fleming International Airport, named after the iconic writer and creator of the successful James Bond movies, can be a huge pull factor for Jamaica," Bartlett said.

"Mr Fleming, who wrote the James Bond novels from his villa in nearby Oracabessa and lived in Jamaica for a significant portion of his life, has strong ties to the area, making the change from Boscobel to Ian Fleming a fitting tribute," he added.

Bartlett said that the association with Ian Fleming and the James Bond series brings with it myriad advantages for the tourism sector, arguing that the international recognition and global popularity of the James Bond franchise can serve as a powerful marketing tool for Jamaica, enticing fans of the iconic 007 (moniker for James Bond) spy movies to visit the island and explore the locations that played a part in the creation and filming of the series.