Event promoter Eunice “Vicky” Rashford is on a drive to establish Portland as one of Jamaica’s prime tourism destinations.

In 2016, Rashford launched the Portland Paradise Weekend as an entertainment event, but has since revealed that her goal is not only to attract islanders and tourists to Portland but to also create economic opportunities for the people of the parish in a more sustainable way.

“I am a proud Portlander who believes in my country and my parish of birth,” declared Rashford, a graduate of the Portland-based Titchfield High School.

Rashford migrated to the United States where she worked with the New York City Board of Education before switching to aviation, where she has spent more than 17 years with her current employer Delta Airline.

She is the promoter of the annual Portland Paradise Weekend of activities which has received a major boost this year with the confirmation that the Honorary Consul for Jamaica in Atlanta, Dr Elaine Grant Bryan will be the keynote speaker at the ‘Festival in the Park’.

Dr Bryan, who will be visiting Portland for the first time, will be the guest of Rashford whose weekend event will run from August 2 to August 5.

“This year I have managed to attract the presence of the honorary consul to Jamaica in Atlanta to our pristine event right here in Portland, which is the most popular event on the eastern side of the island,” said Rashford.

“Dr Bryan will be an integral part of our back-to-school donations for the children of Port Antonio and surrounding areas, which, to some extent, will kick-start the celebrations. Portland Paradise is a multi-faceted event, which provides entertainment, and excursions, promotes culture, and engages in community building,” added Rashford.

The Portland Paradise Weekend has been endorsed by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), and Rashford is confident that it will be a major income earner for operators of several businesses.

“The event is marked as an economic booster for the parish, which caters for residents, islanders, and tourists alike. I am grateful to [Tourism] Minister Edmund Bartlett and his team at the Jamaica Tourist Board for their endorsement, which guarantees us space and relevance on the global stage.

“This event also provides valuable income, especially in foreign exchange, to hoteliers, supermarket operators, Boston jerk pork vendors, restaurants, the cane man, and also the person selling jelly (water coconut) on the street,” added Rashford as she called for more to be done to market Portland as a safe destination, a place for entertainment, a place for relaxation, and also a place for economic growth.