Stewart HOTELIER GORDON 'Butch' Stewart, has warned there will be job cuts in the tourism industry next month, because of what he describes as "horrendous bookings".
Stressing bookings right across the industry were down for September, Mr. Stewart said: "The layoffs in the industry are going to be widespread. All hotels will be affected regardless of size".
The hotelier sounded the warning of job cuts while responding to The Gleaner questions on recent developments at the Jamaica Tourist Board's (JTB) New York office. Allegations of financial impropriety against senior staff members are being investigated.
"I don't know whether what is being said is accurate or not, but Jamaica is in crisis ... New York could not have come at a worst time," Mr. Stewart said.
Last Thursday, Tourism and Sport Minister Portia Simpson Miller sent the JTB's chief internal auditor to New York in the wake of allegations that three senior JTB officers were abusing their authority and were ripping off the agency.
Yesterday, Mr. Stewart, as he has been doing in recent weeks, accused the JTB of doing nothing but talk.
"We're going to have a terrible time. Everybody is out there on their own. The JTB is doing nothing. It is the weakest Board I've seen," the tourism mogul, who is Chairman of the Sandals chain of resorts, said.
Neither JTB Director Fay Pickersgill nor Loraine Robinson, Permanent Secretary in the Tourism and Sport Ministry, returned calls yesterday.
Mr. Stewart also charged that the JTB's Operation Grow programme, which was launched in the aftermath of the flare-up of violence in western Kingston last July, had failed.
He questioned where US$13 million had gone, as it had failed to bring a significant number of visitors to the island.
