By Garwin Davis, Assistant News EditorTHE SUCCESS or failure of the island's winter tourist season will rest heavily on the Government's ability to bring crime under control, travel experts are warning.
They note that an already nervous American travelling public "will simply not go anywhere that appears unstable or poses a danger to their safety."
Joe Issa, Executive Vice-President of the SuperClubs hotel chain, warns that with visitors from the United States accounting for over 70 per cent of the local market, the situation was one for great national concern.
"I was in the US recently where nearly all the travel operators I spoke with enquired about the violence taking place in Jamaica. Apparently the news of some of the killings had made it on CNN and into the homes of potential travellers ... this kind of thing is particularly troublesome for our tourism industry."
Mr. Issa said that while he was hopeful the upcoming winter season "would be much better than last year," a lot "will depend on our ability to bring crime under control." "This will indeed be critical," Mr. Issa stressed. "For the country's sake, its imperative that the crime measures that are being proposed do work and where we can return to a period of relative calm. Tourism is the real engine of growth for this economy and if it goes, I dare say, it will only be a matter of time before everything else crumbles."
Maurice Neira, a travel consultant out of Orlando, said it did not help that Jamaica, a premiere tourist destination, had such a reputation for violence. "With all the terrorist threats out there, Americans will be very selective about where they go for vacation," he explained. "If a country is in the news regularly for social unrest you can rest assure people will be skeptical about going there."
Mr. Neira, whose company works closely with travel agents throughout the Caribbean and also in the Florida panhandle, however notes that the region was strategically placed to capitalise on any fallout resulting from the terrorist threats, noting that American travellers would rather "stay close to home" than go to high risk places such as Europe and Africa.
"The Caribbean, especially Jamaica, which is by far the most beautiful, is in a very unique position," he adds. "The difference though will be which destination appears the safest ... remember sand, sun and sea and even reggae can be found in all the islands."
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, in a nationally televised speech on Sunday, outlined plans for a comprehensive anti-crime initiative aimed at curbing the flow of crime and violence which has engulfed the nation. The plan, according to Mr. Patterson, will see the security forces becoming more "proactive" rather than "reactive" in their operations and will include going into volatile areas to suppress criminal activities.
"Violence and tourism simply do not go together," notes Michelle Doyle, a Jamaican travel agent operating out of Atlanta.
"In every discussion I have had lately with travel industry personnel and travellers regarding Jamaica, that is at the top of the agenda. Anything within the coming weeks that gives the impression that things are out of control will spell doom for the winter season, costing the country millions in much needed foreign exchange. Lets hope that what the Prime Minister had to say will make a difference ... a lot is riding on it."
The winter tourist season, considered the sector's real banner period, officially starts on December 15.
The island, last year, starting with the July West Kingston violence and later with the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, easily had its worst season ever.
The situation was not helped either by what amounted to a series of internal bunglings by local tourism officials and which for a while saw the island not being advertised in the overseas markets of the United States and Great Britain.
But with Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) figures starting to show an upward trend in visitor arrivals, a renewed sense of optimism is beginning to take shape among tourism officials. Then came the recent spate of killings which saw over 80 persons losing their lives in the month of November alone.
"You know things are bad when even Jamaicans overseas are not interested in coming home for Christmas," said Air Jamaica Chairman Gordon 'Butch' Stewart last week. "My information is that because of all the killings that have been taking place, many of them will not be coming home for the holidays."
