THE EDITOR, Sir:
I READ yesterday's Gleaner about the bust up of the JHTA's "grand old affair," and was not surprised. The Tourism Industry in our country is concerned with having dinner with the right people. Workers of the Board being concerned with being in the right place with the right people to get that long awaited camera shot that's going to be in the papers for their 'combolos' to see.
Let us look at the lastest disgrace, the closure of the Dunn's River Falls. We have 'workers' in the JTB and TPDCo. who get travel allowance in their salary package. These workers for the Industry need to be the managers of the various areas we highlight for our visitors. They should have to go into the markets and get to know the people who are there selling to make a living. Not so much so that they can police the people but more so in order to empower them, allowing them to truly feel as if we are all in the same boat working towards the same results, keeping the tourist coming and allowing them to leave with a pleasant experience.
These people hustle and behave desperately because they want a piece of the pie. Hustling goes on in every tourist destination in the world and is worse than Jamica in some places. But vendors, since we have so much going against us, we may want to hold it down.
A good and effective manager 'walks the floor' with his workers. He works side by side seeing to the proper running of the 'operation'. Stop having so many meetings and assign workers to specific markets for a period of six months. They would have to go into this market at least twice a week spending two hours in each one. The vendors would get to know them not just see them as 'dih breda/'oman from dih Touris' place' and put on a polite show. They would, over a period of time, get 'real' with each other and when the six months are over they will actually miss each other.
When Peace Corp workers go out to work do they conduct their work in a clinical manner? They become involved, investing time in the people and the area. They see how improvements can be made even devoting extra time to the area.
This job calls for a no-nonsense individual who is not afraid to make changes, cutting the number of persons needed on that special assignment at the fancy hotel with the all-inclusive bar for the weekend or any other assignment that would only need three people rather than six. The Director for the Tourist Board has a mammoth task because of the negative press that we receive on a minutely basis. However, that person has to be unmoved and full of passion to succeed for the country and not for any personal glory and fame.
I am etc,
'Tourism worker'
