WESTERN BUREAU:
LOCAL HOTELIERS are being warned that they will need to become far more efficient if they plan to successfully match or better the expected competition from their Spanish counterparts, who are now investing heavily in Jamaica.
"The Spanish are investing heavily in Jamaica and they are very good at what they are doing," said Horace Peterkin, Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association vice-president.
"We are going to have to become a lot more efficient if we are going to match or outdo them," said the hotelier, speaking at the quarterly awards ceremony for Sandals Montego Bay, a property he manages.
Describing the work ethic of the Spaniards, whose handiwork he said he has seen in places such as Cancun, Mexico, the Riviera, and Dominican Republic, Mr. Peterkin said that when they put up buildings, they do it so efficiently that it allows them to charge low prices.
"In one sense they are going to bring a lot of business to Jamaica with the 2,000 to 3,000 rooms they will be creating, so we the locals are going to be faced with a lot of competition," said Mr. Peterkin.
"We had better wake up and become more efficient."
In looking at possible steps that local-based hoteliers could take to counteract the Spanish competition, Mr. Peterkin said Jamaican needs to exploit the things they do well.
The JHTA vice president said Jamaicans are naturally service-oriented people and should use that quality to charm visitors.
"There is nobody that can charm a visitor like a Jamaican," said Mr. Peterkin. "Even the rent-a-dread roaming around the beaches in Negril has mastered this art."
While declaring that he was not asking the media not to report the news, especially the crime situation in Jamaica, Mr. Peterkin said he thinks the media should be more sensitive in how they report on incidents so as not to frighten away potential visitors.
