Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says Jamaica’s first artisan village which is being constructed at the Hampden Wharf, in Falmouth, Trelawny, is in its final stage of execution.

The minister made the statement following the final tour of the facilities yesterday.

The artisan village will be a one stop shop for authentic Jamaican food, music, heritage and craft.

It was designed to showcase the best of the island, while enhancing interaction between visitors and locals.

Speaking during yesterday’s tour, Bartlett said, the artisan village is a long awaited, much anticipated game changer, which was developed to respond to the need for a greater insertion of small and medium entrepreneurs in the tourism value chain.

He says the Hampden Wharf development project which is a collaborative effort between the Port Authority of Jamaica and the Urban Development Corporation, is being implemented to transform the town of Falmouth.

The artisan village, which is financed by the Tourism Enhancement Fund, forms part of the wider Hampden Wharf development project.

It is the first of a series of artisan villages, which will be located in resort areas across the island.

The ministry will soon officially receive the keys to the facility from the Port Authority of Jamaica.