Iconic Jamaican entities, Red Stripe and Rick’s Café have partnered in the Red Stripe Experience that is expected to bring tourists to Jamaica and share in the history of the brewery while engaging in cultural activities.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness broke ground Wednesday morning at the press launch, with Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, Red Stripes’ Managing Director Luis Prata and Rick’s Café’s CEO Steve Ellman.

Red Stripe Experience will be located at the 47-year-old Rick’s Café in Negril.

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During the tour, visitors will also get to experience cultural events symbolic to Jamaica, such as dominoes, reggae and dancehall music. The project will be completed in October.

According to Prata, Red Stripe Experience is a 50/50 partnership between Red Stripe and Rick’s Café and will help the brewery tap into the tourism market, while also helping to grow the country’s GDP.

“Today we break ground for a project that will change the landscape of this beautiful town of Negril. Negril will not just be world-famous for its wonderful seven-mile beach, but also known as the home of the Red Stripe Experience.

“It will be a unique attraction that will allow us to connect with our consumers and tap into the tourism market in an even bigger way,”

Prata said.

Ellman said the venture was put in motion in 2018 when he visited Montreal and discussed the idea with Heineken executives. He said he wanted to bring the Amsterdam Heineken Experience to Jamaica.

He promises that both Red Stripe and Rick’s Café have designed “something incredibly special”.

According to Holness, Red Stripe Experience will bring different aspects of Jamaica to the eyes of visitors to the island.

“What makes this attraction unique and what I particularly love about it, is that it presents a fusion of the island’s natural physical assets and our cultural heritage assets. This is precisely what we need to create a differentiated visitor experience that is uniquely Jamaican, that cannot be replicated by others in the globally competitive travel and tourism industry,”

Holness said.

Minister Bartlett said that Jamaica is still an appealing destination to the world, which has resulted in investment still being made, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For us to be the destination that remains top of mind, we have to be the destination of innovation and it is what we do to add value to our experiences that inspire others, to build confidence in us to want to share in what we have to offer.

Bartlett said.