By Andrew Green, Staff Reporter 
Dyer
JAMAICA SHOULD have a five per cent increase in visitor arrivals this year, says Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association president Godfrey Dyer.
The country was on track for a record year before Hurricane Ivan struck its southern coast in September. But with the assistance of Air Jamaica, the industry is expected to make a strong recovery despite this setback, he said.
"We have fared much better than many following the onslaught of 9/11, the war in Iraq and most recently Hurricane Ivan," Mr. Dyer said. He was speaking at a JHTA press conference at the organisation's headquarters in St. Andrew on Wednesday.
The efforts of industry partners helped the recovery in 2003 from the earlier setbacks, he said. The result was that the industry realised a 9.8 per cent growth in arrivals to August of this year.
Despite the setback caused by Hurricane Ivan, "our arrival figures are now on par with with the same period last year," he said, "and we expect to end 2004 with at least a 5 per cent increase in visitor traffic when compared with 2003 arrivals."
The positive forecast is based on the expansion of hotel rooms across the island as new hotels open up, he said. "The word from our international tour operators is very positive," he said. "They are all reporting strong bookings for Jamaica."
This heightened interest in Jamaica was noted at the recent World Travel Market trade show in London, Mr. Dyer said. The Caribbean Hotel Association's Caribbean Marketplace which is slated to be held in the island in January next year is expected to further increase interest in the destination.
An added bonus is the accessibility of the island, he said. "Never before in the history of Jamaica have we had so much air capacity."
ATTRACT MAJOR CARRIERS
The island has been able to attract major carriers with United Airlines expected to also begin providing scheduled services. The island also has a large support level of charter
services.
"With so much air capacity into Jamaica, we feel assured that winter 2004/2005 will be a good one," he said. In this respect, he said, "the JHTA is calling on all Jamaica to support our national airline."
The operations of Air Jamaica have come under close scrutiny recently when it was revealed that it has run up over $30 billion dollars in accumulated losses.
"At the JHTA we are convinced that the heightened interest in destination Jamaica is fuelled in great measure by the aggressive stance adopted by Air Jamaica in selling and supporting the destination," he said. "The introduction by Air Jamaica of service on certain routes which were traditionally unerserved, has been a catalyst for other airlines to review their schedules and either introduce or expand service to Jamaica."
After Hurricane Ivan, the airline flew international travel agents and media into the island to spread the word that Jamaica was open for business. He said, "it is because of Air Jamaica that many of us can go out and confidently market our properties knowing that our national airline will provide the necessary airlift to bring visitors to our shores."
The JHTA is not ignoring the airline's financial problems, he said. "A concerted public/private sector partnership is critical in helping to strengthen the airline operationally. We must now focus on how we can help shore up our national airline, stem the haemorrhage and secure Jamaica's economic health."
