By Roy Sanford, Freelance WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
THE PROBLEM of tourist harassment is down considerably in Montego Bay and the resort city is now much safer for visitors, according to one of the city's leading hotelier. Godfrey Dyer, owner of the Wexford Court hotel, speaking at a luncheon last week Tuesday, which was part of the celebration of the thirteenth anniversary of the Ports Security Corps, credited the work of the Resort Patrol for the reduction in harassment. The Resort Patrol is part of an initiative by the Ports Security Corps aimed at making resort areas safer for those who visit the island.
According to Dyer, before the advent of the Resort Patrol, tourist harassment in the second city was the order of the day. "I will never forget I had some people from Holland at the hotel here," Dyer recalled. "They arrived at around 9:00 p.m. The following morning they woke up and they saw the beautiful sunrise and they went across the street to the park just to take pictures and within half an hour of being there, they were robbed. And that was the order of the day then."
He said that he used to consider a guest who had not been harassed or robbed in Montego Bay as lucky. "The resort patrol has kept tourism at the standard to what it has been up to now," he said. "I must express on the behalf of the Montego Bay Chapter of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourism Association, thanks to the resort patrol for the excellent job they have done over the years in helping us to survive to the extent that we have."
Dyer also said there are three impediments to the growth of tourism in any country. "Number one is crime, two is harassment and three is a filthy resort area," he remarked. "If we are able to reduce crime to a reasonable standard and to eradicate harassment and clean up and beautify our resort town then nothing can stop us."
