Garwin Davis, Assistant News Editor
Tourists raft down the Rio Grande in Portland. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
DESPITE TALKS by officials that the island is experiencing a boom year in tourism, many industry stakeholders are not sharing the optimism, several are bemoaning the fact that Jamaica is losing ground to other Caribbean destinations.
They note that the island has not been very visible by way of overseas advertising, arguing that there was hardly a presence in critical parts of the United States, Canada and Europe.
Chairman of the SuperClubs chain of hotels, John Issa, in pointing out that Cuba and the Dominican Republic were pulling in stronger numbers than Jamaica, said everything should be done to ensure that Jamaica remains competitive in the market place.
A RECORD YEAR
"When we speak of having a record year, it's like a man acquiring a second business and then declaring that his sales are up by 50 per cent," Mr. Issa said. "With all the new investments that are coming in, our numbers should be a lot better. We shouldn't have to be heavily
discounting rates, we should be able to command top dollars for our rooms".
Asked whether the country's escalating crime rate was making it difficult to sell the island as a destination, Mr. Issa noted that this was the more reason why the country should be highlighting all the positives in the overseas market place. "I was up north when Asafa Powell broke the world record and it was big news," Mr. Issa said. "There are so many good things about Jamaica that should be high-lighted in the overseas market and which would make people want to come here. I know there is a question of money, but tourism has to be a priority, it is our acknowledged engine of growth and it must be treated as such."
SHARED VIEWS
Mr. Issa's assessment is shared by a number of his colleagues, several of whom are questioning the Government's commitment to the sector. "I am not seeing this boom they have been talking about," notes Percy Mosquito, owner of the Marine View Hotel in Ocho Rios. "In talking to fellow hoteliers, the cries are all the same. Nothing much is happening." Mr. Mosquito pointed out that several players within the sector were now taking the opportunity to do some refurbishing while others, he said, have had to cut their staff in half.
The 250-room Sandals Dunns River Hotel in Mammee Bay on Friday, August 19, temporarily closed its doors, on the grounds that it was undergoing some refurbishing. The management of the hotel also pointed out that, where necessary, guests would be redeployed to other Beaches and Sandals properties.
REVAMPING
"I can't speak for Sandals, but many of us will be doing refurbishing or whatever else because the business is currently very bad," said Mark Hemmings, owner of the Three Seas, a
private villa in Runaway Bay, St. Ann. "What I think we will soon start seeing is staff being sent home as a last-minute cost-cutting resort. Some people are afraid to say this publicly, but things are not as rosy as they are made out to be."
Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism, Dr. Wykeham McNeill said both
hurricanes Dennis and Emily impacted heavily on Jamaica as a destination, noting that many tourists had to be rerouted elsewhere. "A lot of persons do not realise the impact those two
hurricanes had on the island," he said. "When we have to close our airports on a weekend, that is significant".
