Garwin Davis, Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
TO CURB harassment and prevent workers from soliciting tips from guests, the management of Dunn's River Falls has instructed tour guides to stop taking cameras and other valuables from visitors prior to climbing the falls.
The Sunday Gleaner has learnt that a memo was sent to tourism interests, including tour operators and hoteliers, last week by the St. Ann Development Company (SADCo) indicating the new measures that would be immediately enforced at the popular attraction.
The move comes following a Sunday Gleaner report that tour guides, after encouraging visitors to leave their cameras with them before venturing up the falls, were demanding money at the falls' exit and before the tourist could retrieve their possessions.
"I saw the memo that they have sent out which I think is a step in the right direction," explained Freddie March, St. Ann area chairman for the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA). "I am only hoping that they will follow up as the problems at Dunn's River Falls are very serious. This has been brought up at several JHTA meeting and we've also spoken to the management of SADCo about them."
Ripped off
Last Thursday's Gleaner quoted from an article in the international magazine Travelocity, which puts Dunn's River Falls at the top of attractions in the Caribbean where people were most likely to be ripped off.
"I have spoken to the Government on numerous occasions regarding Dunn's River Falls and the problem tourists have been experiencing during their visits," said Bridgitte Moenkeller, former owner of Safari Tours in Ocho Rios. "I have seen tourists in tears after visiting Dunn's River. I have even lost a tour from Royal Caribbean Cruise Line because of the behaviour of people working at the attraction. The situation there is very bad and as the leading attraction in the country, has to be brought under control."
The cruise lines too have been getting complaints from their passengers about being hustled and badgered while visiting the attraction.
But there are fears that the management of Dunn's River will be hard pressed to get tour guides to comply as in the words of one tour operator who requested anonymity, "these guys make a killing doing what they do. Some of these guys can make anywhere between US$600 to US$800 per day, which is far more than any other job could pay them. Do you really believe that they will be giving this up anytime soon?"
Former Member of Parliament for north-east St. Ann, Danny Melville, told The Sunday Gleaner last week that maybe it would do the country well to put Dunn's River into private hands.
"If this was a privately run business, I doubt if we would be having the problems that are presently taking place there," he said. "Everything that is happening there now is nothing new, but things that have been going on for years."
