Planners looking towards the Caribbean as meetings destinations will soon have an exciting new option—Jamaica. The new $51.67 million Montego Bay Convention Center, located in Montego Bay, Jamaica, is a joint venture between the Government of Jamaica and Ex-Im Bank of China, and will be built on 23 acres and feature 215,278 square feet of meeting exhibition space. "The construction of the convention center comes at an opportune time for Jamaica and will become the focal point of our Meetings, Conventions and Exhibitions product," said Basil Smith, Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board. "The construction of the convention center comes at an opportune time for Jamaica and will become the focal point of our Meetings, Conventions and Exhibitions product. Our plan is to share the true Jamaican experience, one that is filled with diversity, culture and adventure not only with the leisure travel market, but also with business travelers, corporations, incentive groups and meeting planners." The Montego Bay Convention Center is scheduled to open December 2008.