Janet Silvera, Gleaner Writer
Pennicook: The market has softened.
WESTERN BUREAU:
APRIL'S PRELIMINARY figure of a seven per cent decrease in stopover arrivals has not derailed the Jamaica Tourist Board's prediction of a bumper winter tourist season.
"The market has softened; there was a shift of business with Easter being early March this year," explained Director of Tourism, Paul Pennicook. "However, we are taking the necessary steps in terms of more seminars with travel agents; we went on television in the United States this week."
He said the television adverts will run until late June. He added that whereas the challenges being faced by Air Jamaica were not the main contributor, this has impacted somewhat on visitor arrivals in recent months.
As a result of the stopover figures, which officially have not been released, industry stakeholders are calling April a weak month for tourism. Three of the four weeks in April contracted, and only the week of April 22-28 showed a positive of 6.5 per cent over 2004.
But although April was poor, there is consolation from the period January to March during which the island performed well, with an increase of eight per cent overall. The figures were not only up from 2004, but better than every year since 2000.
In March, the island reported double digits of 13.5 per cent, surpassing all other years since 2000. January stood its own, reflecting a 6.9 per cent increase and February showed five per cent growth.
These positives occurred at a time when the country's largest hotel, the 720-room Jamaica Grande in Ocho Rios remained closed. However, the opening of the 320-room Sandals Whitehouse European Village and Spa may have filled part of the void.
