TWO YEARS ago we editorialised on the unrealised potential of the Bath Fountain Hotel & Spa in St. Thomas to become a major attraction for locals and visitors. We are prompted to revisit the issue in light of a disturbing letter published in this newspaper last Saturday.
The swarm of would-be masseurs who menace visitors to the facility has, it seems, grown into an unpleasant horde. This government-owned property was recently refurbished at some cost to taxpayers. The road leading to it, long a turn-off to prospective visitors, has been repaired and modern appurtenances like jacuzzis have been added to the traditional Roman-style baths in the hotel.
Despite these improvements, potential patrons are either scared away completely, or yield to the aggressive blandishments of the young men offering massage services to unwary clients using the mineral waters outside the hotel building itself. The sad fact is that these young men are victims of the social milieu. Unskilled and unemployed, they have latched on to what is, for them, a lucrative business, but one that, in untrained hands, has the potential to do physical harm to clients.
Regrettably, like so many other issues in the nation, a small problem has been ignored; the ranks of young touts parading as masseurs has swollen from what was once a trickle, virtually ensuring that Bath Fountain Hotel & Spa will not achieve its potential, despite the money spent on improving the infrastructure. It is worthy of note that the rates charged by the itinerant masseurs is more than six times those at the baths. This is a good indicator of the value placed on these therapeutic waters.
Tourist interests should embark on a comprehensive marketing campaign, using tour buses to transport visitors to the facility. However, since it is unlikely that the 'masseurs' will easily leave Bath Springs, maybe consideration should be given to some kind of regularisation. Training in massage techniques, medical tests, lessons in hygiene, and finally, a permit similar to what obtains in the food business, would reduce the ranks of the aggressive touts and establish a sense of order to the blatant hustling that now exists.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
