Jamaica House 2016, the hospitality house for athletes, fans and lovers of Jamaica, opened in Rio on Wednesday, August 10, 2016. Jamaica joins more than 30 countries that will transform some of the city’s most breathtaking locations into venues for enjoying culture, gastronomy and sport. Jamaica House is located in one of the most photographed areas which has been captured on many of Rio’s postcards and expected to provide a buzz and excitement for Destination Jamaica over the twelve day period.

Jamaica House will bring Jamaican culture and flavors to the hot spot of Rio de Janiero. It will operate daily from 7 pm to midnight until August 21 at The Jockey Club, South of Rio. Tickets to Jamaica House 2016 are starting at R$55 (≈US$17.50) and can be purchased at http://www.jamaicahouse.com.

A host of activities are scheduled throughout each day, including destination presentations to the travel trade, culinary exposés, dance classes, consumer promotions, VIP client hosting and a location for viewing the races as they happen. Each night, Jamaica House will feature top reggae artistes, backed by an all-star band, including: I-Octane, Nature, Luciano and Kymani Marley.

“Jamaica House 2016 is the place to be during the Olympic Games this summer to celebrate the successes of Team Jamaica,” said Paul Pennicook, Jamaica’s Director of Tourism. “We will use Jamaica House to host and engage key strategic partners, airlines, tour operators, travel agents, media and foreign dignitaries as we showcase the best of the destination. We also have a great entertainment package lined up for all to enjoy.”

The hospitality houses have become a recent feature of the Olympics and were a crowd favorite in both the Beijing and London Olympics. Jamaica House is sure to capitalize on the buzz after being among the top 5 most popular Olympic houses in London. Excitement is already building in Rio and there will be planned photographic and art exhibitions, as well as screenings for films and documentaries that focus on Jamaica.

Joining the JTB as sponsors of Jamaica House 2016 are corporate giants Appleton, Digicel, Red Stripe and Sandals.