WESTERN BUREAU:
TRANSPORTATION GIANTS, Tropical and Jamaica tours, are to be dropped by Sandals Resorts International, as the chain withdraws airport transfers from its all-inclusive package.
Like the Jamaica Union of Travellers Association (JUTA), the two companies which are owned by Jamaican ground handlers operators, Fred Smith and Senator Noel Sloley, respectively, are to be served with notice by the hotel chain. Sandals indicated this week that it will not be renewing the contracts of its ground transfer operators as of December 31.
Sandals' director of public relations, Leo Lambert, told The Gleaner that the hotel chain was forced to take this decision as a result of the increase in general consumption tax (GCT) on transportation cost.
JUTA called an emergency meeting, which was held yesterday evening at the Fun Holiday Beach Resort, Negril, where the Sandals decision was discussed.
